Today, Robert Shaw is probably most famous for his performance inJaws, but one of his greatest roles came one year earlier. Shaw was trained as a Shakespearean actor, with plenty of stage credits to his name in London and New York City. This helps explain how he brings such a commanding presence to the role of Quint inJaws.Shaw was also an accomplished writer, and he helped rewrite Quint’s iconic USS Indianapolis speech. AlthoughJawsis arguably one of thebest movies ever made, Shaw starred in a few other gems throughout his career.
Shaw earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1966 historical dramaA Man for All Seasons,although this was just one of many great performances in his career. He also had a reputation as a great villain actor. He brings a lot of grit and unpredictability to the role of Quint inJaws,but he plays a more outright evil character inThe Sting.He was also a secondary villain in one of thebestJames Bondmoviesever,From Russia With Love.Despite this stellar list of credits, Shaw’s most powerful villain role probably came in a 1974 crime thriller, just one year beforeJaws.
The Taking Of Pelham 123 Shows Robert Shaw At His Best
Shaw Plays A Thief With A Unique Plan
Robert Shaw’s intensity and captivating presence are on full display inThe Taking of Pelham 123.He stars as Mr. Blue, the ring leader of a group of daring criminals who hijack a New York City subway train filled with passengers, demanding a hefty ransom for their safe release.The crime plays out in close to real time, which allows the film to maintain a blistering pace. As the police scramble to pull together the ransom money and come up with back-up plans, Mr. Blue stays calm and collected on board the train, always one step ahead.
The Taking of Pelham 123is one of thebest heist moviesever made, thanks to its breakneck pace, the unpredictable energy of its narrative and some brilliant performances. Shaw’s mysterious, cold-blooded villain is a great antagonist, especially when compared to the folksy heroes of Walter Matthau, Jerry Stiller and Dick O’Neill.There’s a lot of comedy running throughoutThe Taking of Pelham 123,especially as Matthau’s world-weary transit cop becomes increasingly frustrated, but Shaw’s side of the action doesn’t have any release. The tension rises to unbearable levels inside the pressure-cooker environment of the subway tunnels.
The Taking of Pelham 123is just as entertaining as ever, and its practical stunts have aged brilliantly. For fans of the heist genre, it remains an underrated gem that’s well worth watching. In all truth, it didn’t really need the 2009 remake, with John Travolta taking over Shaw’s role opposite Denzel Washington. The remake received mixed reviews, and it failed to recapture the blend of excitement and dark humor that makes the original so special. Fortunately, the 1974 original remains unblemished.
The Taking Of Pelham 123 Was Part Of A Hollywood Trend In The 1970s
The Heist Thriller Captured The Gritty Tone Of Crime Movies At The Time
The Taking of Pelham 123is a perfect example of the way that the movie industry changed during the late 1960s and 1970s.The New Hollywood movement paved the way for darker, grittier crime movies, in which criminals were given just as much depth as lawmen. Mr. Blue’s mercenary past and his group of varied crooks make them oddly easy to root for, as the lines between right and wrong become a little unclear.The Taking of Pelham 123feels very much like a product of its time in some respects, but this isn’t a negative by any means.
Robert Shaw died of a heart attack in 1978 at the age of just 51.
On another level,The Taking of Pelham 123was part of a Hollywood trend that painted New York City as a pit of sin. Starting with movies likeMidnight Cowboy,American movies played up the idea of New York as a violent, crime-ridden mess, although this wasn’t just an invention of the media. Crime statistics in New York shot up in the 1970s, and movies likeTaxi Driver, The French ConnectionandSerpicomerely used this setting as a convenient locus for the various ills of American society.The Taking of Pelham 123wouldn’t have the same impact if it took place in any other city, or the same characteristically deadpan humor.
