The Cassandra Crossing (1976)

Director:

George P. Cosmatos

Writers:

Robert Katz (story) and
George P. Cosmatos (story) ...

Release Date:

9 February 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Action

Tagline:

The Fear Is Spreading

Plot:

Passengers on a European train have been exposed to a deadly disease. Nobody will let them off the train so what happens next?

Plot Keywords:

Train | Runaway Train | Crossword Puzzle | Gigolo | Colonel

Cast

Sophia Loren	...	Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain
Richard Harris	...	Dr. Jonathan Chamberlain
Martin Sheen	...	Robby Navarro
O.J. Simpson	...	Haley
Lionel Stander	...	Max, the Train Conductor
Ann Turkel	...	Susan
Ingrid Thulin	...	Dr. Elena Stradner
Lee Strasberg	...	Herman Kaplan
Ava Gardner	...	Nicole Dressler
Burt Lancaster	...	Col. Stephen Mackenzie
Lou Castel	...	Swedish Terrorist
John Phillip Law	...	Major Stark
Ray Lovelock	...	Tom
Alida Valli	...	Mrs. Chadwick
Stefano Patrizi	...	Terrorist

Also Known As:

Cassandra Crossing (Italy) (West Germany)
Treffpunkt Todesbrücke (West Germany)

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

West Germany | Italy | UK

Language:

French | English | Swedish | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 (1997) (video rating) | Finland:K-18 (1977) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Canada:18A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Basel, Kanton Basel Stadt, Switzerland

Company:

Associated General Films

Trivia:

The bridge used in the film is actually Viaduct of Garabit in France. It was built in 1881-1884, manufactured by Gustave Alexandre Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. It is 122 meters tall by 564.69 meters long. It is still used today as a railway bridge.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the two sections of the train are separated the brakes in both sections would be applied automatically stopping both sections of the train presumably stopping both before reaching the bridge.

Quotes:

Col. Stephen Mackenzie: [On speaker phone] I don't have to tell you what we're up against!
Dr. Jonathan Chamberlain: What you're up against? I may be the only doctor for a thousand potential plague victims if I haven't caught it myself.
Col. Stephen Mackenzie: That's exactly why it's important to contain the disease now and why you'll all be heading for an isolation facility in Poland, where you'll get the very best...
Dr. Jonathan Chamberlain: In the meantime, what do you intend I fight it with? Aspirin?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Neues aus der Anstalt: Die Weihnachtsfeier (#2.10)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

I'm Still On My Way

A potential deadly virus rides the rails, and the only prevention may be an unsafe bridge crossing at Cassandra.

This film, released in 1976, was another one of the star-filled disaster movies of the 70's that had audiences wondering which players were going to survive, and which ones were doomed. Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Martin Sheen, and O.J. Simpson head the starring roles, and that list does perk the interest for viewers. The only drawback is the first part of the film does spend a bit too much time in developing character interactions, and the like, which does subtract from the story itself.

A terrorist group stages a raid on an International Health Building in Geneva. One of the terrorists manages to escape, but becomes a carrier of a very dangerous plague virus. He boards a train that is scheduled to go to Stockholm, and in doing so, exposes many of the passengers to the virus. Lancaster is called in to handle the rescue operation, and he decides to send the train to a crossing in Poland that is unsafe. In his mind, it is better to sacrifice a 1,000 lives, instead of spreading the virus all over Europe. Richard Harris, a doctor on board the doomed train, believes those that are sick, are recovering, and he pushes for a different solution. Col. MacKenzie (Lancaster) refuses to accept that answer, and the train is sent towards the Cassandra Crossing, and certain destruction, if Harris is unable to stage a rescue effort on his own.

I rated this a 6/10, only because of the slowness in developing the characters. Once the train leaves Geneva, and the seriousness of the matter is realized, this film does keep the audience involved.