9 / 10
The Taking of Pelham 123 has been adapted twice. Both versions are essential. The 9 rating is honest evaluation of the combined achievement. The 1974 original was directed by Joseph Sargent with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. The 2009 remake was directed by Tony Scott with Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Both films are based on John Godey’s 1973 novel. Four armed men hijack a New York City subway train carrying seventeen passengers and demand $1 million in ransom within an hour. The plot is compact. The execution is what makes the difference.
The Setup (Both Versions)
New York City. The 1-6 IRT Lexington Avenue local line. Four men board the Pelham 1:23 train at separate stops. They wear identical disguises (color-coded by Mr. Color names). They take control of the train at a specific tunnel location. They detach the lead car carrying themselves and seventeen passengers. They demand $1 million in ransom. They will execute one hostage every minute the deadline is exceeded.
The Transit Authority’s Lieutenant Garber (Walter Matthau in 1974, Denzel Washington in 2009) negotiates with the lead hijacker Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw in 1974, John Travolta in 2009). The negotiation occurs through the subway radio system. The two men cannot see each other. Garber has to assess the threat through voice alone. Mr. Blue is calm, organized, and demonstrably willing to execute hostages. Garber has to calculate whether the demands can be met within the timeline and whether the hijackers actually intend to escape.
The films document approximately ninety minutes of real-time action across the negotiation, the ransom delivery, and the eventual confrontation. Both versions handle the same plot mechanics. The differences are in directorial approach, casting choices, and the specific details the films emphasize. Both versions deliver the central tension without softening the stakes.
The 1974 Version
Joseph Sargent directed the 1974 original. Sargent had been working primarily in television. The Taking of Pelham 123 was his first major theatrical feature. The film established him as a major commercial director. He subsequently directed Jaws: The Revenge (1987) and various other productions. His career has been competent commercial work rather than auteur expression. The Pelham 123 assignment rewarded his particular discipline.
The direction is restrained and procedural. The film takes the subway operations seriously. The Transit Authority work, the police coordination, the hostage management are all documented with appropriate technical detail. The audience receives the institutional complexity rather than just the dramatic crisis. The procedural depth is the film’s distinguishing feature compared to most 1970s crime thrillers.
The David Shire score is one of the film’s signature elements. The main theme uses jazz-funk fusion that captures the energy of 1970s New York. The score is distinctive enough that it has been sampled, covered, and referenced in subsequent productions. The original soundtrack album became a substantial commercial release. The score is one of the strongest individual elements of the 1974 version and one of the elements the 2009 remake could not replicate.
The Walter Matthau Performance
Walter Matthau plays Lieutenant Garber as competent professional under substantial pressure. Garber is a Transit Authority cop. He is not a hostage negotiator by training. He has been pulled into the negotiation because he was on duty when the hijacking occurred. He responds to the unfamiliar requirements through procedural competence rather than through theatrical heroism.
The performance is one of Matthau’s strongest in his late career. Matthau had been working in comedy for decades. The Pelham 123 role required dramatic discipline at substantial register. He delivers the work without reaching for either comedic relief or theatrical drama. The audience reads Garber as a man doing routine work under pressure that the routine has not prepared him for. The choice is consistent with the film’s broader procedural approach.
Matthau’s negotiation scenes with Robert Shaw are the film’s central dramatic content. The two actors share approximately fifteen minutes of direct radio dialogue across the film. The scenes operate as duets between two professionals who cannot see each other. Matthau handles the work at appropriate restraint. The performance is one of the cleanest examples of his late dramatic capability.
The Robert Shaw Performance
Robert Shaw plays Mr. Blue at substantial controlled menace. The character is a former British Army officer who has turned to mercenary work after his military career ended in disgrace. The backstory is delivered in efficient dialogue rather than extended exposition. Shaw plays Mr. Blue as a professional with substantial military discipline. He does not raise his voice. He follows his plan. He executes hostages when he has said he will execute hostages.
The performance was completed shortly before Shaw’s work on Jaws (1975). The two performances together (Mr. Blue and Quint) represent some of the strongest work of his career. Shaw was an exceptional actor whose career has been undervalued by subsequent critical history. The Pelham 123 work demonstrates the particular kind of controlled intensity he could deliver. The character is frightening without being theatrical. The choice is appropriate for the film’s procedural register.
Shaw’s untimely death from a heart attack in 1978 at age 51 cut short a career that should have continued for decades. The Pelham 123 role is one of his most essential performances. The combination with Matthau produces dramatic dynamics that few films achieve through radio dialogue alone. The achievement is partly the direction and screenplay. The achievement is substantially the two performances themselves.
For Writers
The 1974 Pelham 123 stages its central dramatic content as radio dialogue between two characters who never see each other. The technique is rare because it requires the actors to generate dramatic energy through voice alone. The visual cinema medium typically depends on facial expression, physical action, and shared screen space. The Matthau-Shaw radio sequences refuse those tools. The audience receives the drama through voice quality, dialogue rhythm, and accumulated character knowledge. The lesson for writers is that limiting your dramatic tools can produce stronger drama than expanding them. If your characters can do anything and go anywhere, your scenes can become diffuse. If your characters are constrained to specific limited interactions, your scenes have to do more with less. The Pelham 123 radio sequences are one of cinema’s cleaner demonstrations of constrained dramatic interaction producing maximum dramatic effect.
The 2009 Version
Tony Scott directed the 2009 remake. Scott’s filmography included Top Gun (1986), Crimson Tide (1995), Enemy of the State (1998), Man on Fire (2004), and various other productions. His approach is recognizably more stylized than Sargent’s. Fast cutting. Multiple camera coverage. Color processing that produces specific aesthetic registers. The 2009 Pelham 123 applies Scott’s visual style to the procedural material the original handled with restraint.
The stylistic difference produces specific results. The 2009 film operates at substantially higher visual intensity than the 1974 original. The audience receives the same plot at faster pace and with more visual stimulation. The choice is consistent with 2009 commercial action filmmaking expectations. The choice also costs the film some of the procedural depth the original had developed. The procedural material is still present. The procedural material has less screen time and operates at less depth.
Scott died in August 2012, three years after Pelham 123’s release. His broader filmography includes some of the most influential American commercial action films of the period. The Pelham 123 remake is one of his last completed projects. The film operates within his career conventions rather than as a departure from them. The work is competent professional craft from a director with substantial demonstrated capability.
The Denzel Washington Performance
Denzel Washington plays Garber at substantial dramatic register. The 2009 Garber is different from the 1974 Garber. The 2009 version is a Transit Authority supervisor who has been demoted from a higher position after corruption allegations. He is awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation. The personal stakes are larger than the 1974 version’s stakes. Washington handles the additional dramatic weight at appropriate craft.
The performance is one of Washington’s stronger late-career thrillers. He has been working with Tony Scott across multiple productions including Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Déjà Vu (2006), and Unstoppable (2010). The collaboration produced some of Washington’s most commercial work. The Pelham 123 role uses his capabilities at appropriate register. The performance does not reach the level of his strongest individual roles. The performance does support the production at substantial competence.
The Washington-Travolta interaction is the 2009 film’s central dramatic content. Both performers operate at higher theatrical register than Matthau and Shaw had in 1974. The 2009 dynamic is more confrontational. The 1974 dynamic was more procedural. Both versions work. The differences reflect the different production eras and the different commercial calculations supporting each version.
The John Travolta Performance
John Travolta plays Ryder, the lead hijacker, at substantial theatrical intensity. Ryder is a former Wall Street manipulator who served prison time for financial fraud. He has emerged with substantial rage at the institutional system and a plan to extract revenge through the subway hijacking. The backstory provides Ryder with motivation that the 1974 version’s Mr. Blue had not been given.
The performance contrasts substantially with Robert Shaw’s 1974 work. Shaw played Mr. Blue at controlled menace. Travolta plays Ryder at theatrical intensity. Travolta speaks more, gestures more, displays more emotional volatility. The choice is consistent with 2009 commercial action filmmaking conventions. The choice produces a different character than the 1974 version. Neither character is correct. Both serve their respective films.
Travolta’s career across the period included Wild Hogs (2007), Hairspray (2007), and various other productions. The Ryder role is one of his stronger antagonist performances of the period. Travolta has periodically returned to villain work across his career, including Swordfish (2001), From Paris with Love (2010), and various other productions. The capability is consistent. The specific roles vary in quality. Ryder is one of his stronger entries.
The Comparative Approach
Neither version is definitive. The 1974 original has procedural depth, the Matthau-Shaw radio negotiation chemistry, the David Shire score, and the specific 1970s New York atmosphere. The 2009 remake has Tony Scott’s visual style, Washington’s contemporary dramatic register, Travolta’s theatrical antagonist work, and a contemporary New York that updates the original’s setting.
The David Koepp screenplay for the 2009 version adapts the original David Shaber screenplay with substantial changes. The hijackers are different. The motivations are different. The personal stakes are different. The plot mechanics remain consistent. The screenplay manages the adaptation without damaging the source material. Both versions operate as legitimate engagements with the John Godey novel.
Audiences who watch both versions get a complete picture of what the source material can support. The 1974 version is the more disciplined interpretation. The 2009 version is the more stylized interpretation. The combined viewing produces material neither version alone delivers. The 9 rating reflects the combined achievement rather than either film individually.
For Writers
Both Pelham 123 films use the same core plot but produce different films through different directorial execution and different antagonist characterization. The 1974 Mr. Blue is a disgraced British Army officer. The 2009 Ryder is a disgraced Wall Street manipulator. The change in antagonist identity changes the film’s institutional commentary. The 1974 version commented on post-Vietnam American institutional decay through a foreign military character. The 2009 version commented on the post-2008 financial crisis through an American financial character. The same plot operates as different cultural commentary depending on who is hijacking the train. The lesson for writers is that characterization decisions can substantially alter the meaning of identical plot mechanics. Your antagonist’s identity is not just the surface of the conflict. Your antagonist’s identity determines what the conflict means.
The 1974 Ending
The 1974 ending is the film’s most distinctive structural choice. The four hijackers escape through a hidden tunnel exit. They split up and return to their respective lives. Garber tracks Mr. Blue through the hijacker’s residual cold from a winter illness. The closing scene is Garber at Mr. Blue’s apartment confirming his identity through a sneeze. The film cuts to black on the sneeze. The audience does not see the arrest or the resolution.
The choice is consistent with the 1974 version’s procedural approach. The film documents the hijacking and the negotiation and stops. The audience knows that Garber has identified Mr. Blue. The audience does not see the institutional consequences. The choice respects the audience’s intelligence. The setup has been complete. The conclusion does not require additional spectacle.
The technique is rare in commercial cinema. Most productions deliver the institutional resolution explicitly. The 1974 Pelham 123 refuses. The audience supplies the resolution from the information the film has provided. The choice is one of the elements that has aged the 1974 version into one of the stronger thrillers of its decade.
The 2009 Ending
The 2009 ending operates at more conventional commercial action register. The hijackers are defeated through tactical action. Ryder confronts Garber directly during the climax. Garber kills Ryder. The institutional resolution is documented explicitly. The audience receives the conventional catharsis the action film expectations require.
The choice is consistent with the 2009 version’s broader commercial approach. The film operates as conventional action thriller rather than as procedural drama. The conventional ending fits the conventional production. The audience receives the resolution that the commercial structure has been building toward.
Neither ending is objectively better. The 1974 ending is more sophisticated. The 2009 ending is more commercially conventional. Both endings serve their respective productions. The differences demonstrate how the same plot mechanics can produce substantially different cinematic experiences depending on how the directors handle the conclusions.
Craft: Two Complementary Achievements
Craft Note
Both Taking of Pelham 123 films operate at high craft within their specific creative purposes. The 1974 version has procedural depth, the Matthau-Shaw negotiation chemistry, the David Shire score, and the specific 1970s New York atmosphere. The 2009 remake has Tony Scott’s visual style, Washington’s dramatic register, Travolta’s theatrical antagonist work, and contemporary New York production design. Neither version replaces the other. Both versions deserve viewing.
The 1974 version is more critically respected. The 2009 version is more commercially accessible. The John Godey source novel supports both interpretations. The David Shaber and David Koepp screenplays manage the two adaptations with appropriate respect for the source. The Shaw and Travolta antagonist performances bracket the role’s range. The Matthau and Washington protagonist performances bracket the institutional response’s range.
The 9 rating reflects honest evaluation of the combined achievement. Neither film alone reaches 10. Together they cover what the source material can support. Both films belong in any serious thriller cinema conversation. The 1974 version is the stronger artistic achievement. The 2009 version is the stronger commercial entertainment. The combined viewing produces a fuller picture than either alone delivers.
The Verdict
A 9. The two Pelham 123 versions are complementary rather than competitive. The 1974 Sargent-Matthau-Shaw version delivers procedural depth, radio negotiation chemistry, and the David Shire score. The 2009 Scott-Washington-Travolta version delivers stylized visual approach and contemporary commercial action. John Godey’s source novel supports both interpretations. Both films belong in any serious thriller cinema conversation.
FAQ
Why review both versions together?
Neither version is definitive. The two films cover the same source material through substantially different directorial approaches. The combined viewing produces a fuller picture of what the John Godey novel can support than either film achieves alone.
Which version is more critically respected?
The 1974 original. The Sargent direction, the Matthau-Shaw performances, the David Shire score, and the procedural depth all contribute to the higher critical reputation. The 2009 remake is more commercially conventional and operates at lower critical register despite its production value.
How does the radio negotiation work in the 1974 version?
Matthau and Shaw share approximately fifteen minutes of direct radio dialogue across the film. They cannot see each other. The drama operates through voice alone. The technique is rare in cinema because it requires actors to generate dramatic energy through voice quality, dialogue rhythm, and accumulated character knowledge.
How does Tony Scott’s direction differ from Sargent’s?
Substantially. Scott uses fast cutting, multiple camera coverage, and color processing that produces specific aesthetic registers. The 2009 film operates at substantially higher visual intensity than the 1974 original. The choice is consistent with 2009 commercial action filmmaking expectations and costs the film some of the procedural depth the original had developed.
How do the antagonists differ?
The 1974 Mr. Blue is a disgraced British Army officer played at controlled menace by Robert Shaw. The 2009 Ryder is a disgraced Wall Street manipulator played at theatrical intensity by John Travolta. The change in antagonist identity changes the film’s institutional commentary substantially.
What about the David Shire score?
The 1974 score is one of cinema’s signature jazz-funk fusion soundtracks. The main theme captures the energy of 1970s New York. The score has been sampled and referenced in subsequent productions. The 2009 remake could not replicate this element. The Harry Gregson-Williams score for the 2009 version operates at appropriate commercial action register but does not reach the original score’s distinctive achievement.
How does the 1974 ending work?
The four hijackers escape through a hidden tunnel exit. Garber tracks Mr. Blue through a winter cold. The closing scene confirms Mr. Blue’s identity through a sneeze. The film cuts to black on the sneeze. The audience supplies the institutional resolution from the information the film has provided. The technique is rare in commercial cinema.
How does the 2009 ending work?
Conventional commercial action register. Ryder confronts Garber directly during the climax. Garber kills Ryder. The institutional resolution is documented explicitly. The audience receives the conventional catharsis the action film expectations require.
Which version should I watch first?
The 1974 version. The original is the foundation. Watching it first establishes the baseline against which the 2009 version operates. The 2009 version makes more sense as variation on the original than as standalone work. The combined viewing in this order produces the strongest cumulative experience.