Eureka Entertainment takes to the rough seas of the Mid-Atlantic with the nail-biting thriller, Juggernaut – available now on Blu-ray in celebration of the film’s 50th Anniversary.
Richard Harris heads a cast of dignified English and international stars as the veteran bomb disposal expert, Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Fallon, who is sent aboard the passenger liner, the SS Britannic to disarm several explosive devices set in place by a faceless figure known only as Juggernaut.
Unlike many disaster movies of the early to mid-70s – there’s a certain properness to Juggernaut, which doesn’t lean into hysterics but rather examines the situation more broadly, to the point where the film becomes introspective. “Juggernaut” is more than just a terrorist and their ransom demands suggest that it’s not about monetary gain. There’s a powerful statement on how personnel serving in the armed forces are often discarded like old tools that have worn out their usefulness: they’re not rewarded adequately for the risk to their lives their job requires. When we first meet Fallon, we notice he’s a self-congratulatory man after the correct wire is cut. When he emerges from the crime scene, it’s like he’s invisible to all those around him. He ceases to exist the moment the threat is neutralised.
As a film that advertises suspense, crime and action, I think it becomes more effective with each viewing. There are three fronts if you like; the ship and its passengers who nervously await their fate while the entertainment officer, played hilariously by Roy Kinnear, desperately tries to keep spirits up along with his sanity. Secondly, we have an authoritative collective of the government, the ship liner’s management, the Royal Navy, and the police who are actively trying to locate Juggernaut. Finally, there is Fallon and his team below the deck of the Britannic. However, the focus is mainly on our hero and his intimate proximity to his designated bomb, which itself becomes a character with its highly mechanised internals and the way it taunts its human adversary.
I feel it’s very appropriate to describe the cast of Juggernaut as splendid. Noted supporting performances by Anthony Hopkins, Freddie Jones, Julian Glover, Ian Holm, and Omar Sharif elevate the film while Shirley Knight as American passenger, Barbara Bannister, impressively makes a superficial role her own. Richard Harris is at his best and has great chemistry with right-hand-man, Charlie, played by David Hemmings.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Limited edition (2000 Copies)
- Limited edition O-card slipcase
- 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentary with British cinema expert Melanie Williams and James Leggott
- All Hands on Deck – Brand new interview with film historian Neil Sinyard, author of The Films of Richard Lester
- Down with the Ship – Brand new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on Juggernaut and the disaster film
- Trailer
- Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Juggernaut by British film scholar Laura Mayne
This release of Juggernaut comes with all new special features including two insightful interviews. The UK-based backgrounds of our commentary hosts, Melanie Williams and James Leggott, prove especially useful regarding the film’s political undertones and help add much-needed cultural context to the plot. Neil Sinyard goes more in-depth on Juggernaut’s social commentary and gives thought-provoking analyses on the motivations of key characters for his 27-minute-long featurette. Focusing primarily on the film’s place among disaster movies as a whole, Sheldon Hall highlights the importance of Juggernaut’s British origins in establishing it as a unique entry into the subgenre. – by Hannah Lynch
VIDEO AND AUDIO
Eureka has sourced the same 1080p transfer from a HD restoration licensed by Kino Lorber for the film’s 2014 debut on Blu-ray, and again in 2023 for re-issue. Despite being a decade old, the 1.85:1 image quality is impressive. It even resembles a more recent restoration with its level of clarity. However, Britain’s overcast climate does keep the colours from popping. English: LPCM 2.0 has solid volume and base, which most importantly makes Roy Kinnear’s over-enthused signing more comical. English subtitles are included.
Thinking about movies that have ‘bombs on a boat’, Speed 2: Cruise Control, comes to mind as the closest modern counterpart to Juggernaut – but fails miserably in comparison in terms of quality. Half a century later, Juggernaut still feels like first class entertainment.
JUGGERNAUT
(1974, director: Richard Lester)
★★★★½
direct blu-ray screen captures
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