The Cassandra Crossing (DVD)

I love escaping into the world of films. I love many kinds of films, but two of my favourites are disaster movies (having been brought up by a Dad who loves The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno) and films starring classic actresses. I love Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood and the like. So imagine by glee when I heard of a disaster movie starring two screen legends – Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner! The Cassandra Crossing was also ...
...I resist?!

The plot is typically dramatic, of course. A man has been exposed to the plague virus and boards a train from Stockholm to Geneva. The authorities need to prevent the plague spreading, so they seal the train full of 1000 passengers and re-route it to a bridge called the Cassandra Crossing. However, the bridge is perilously close to collapse and unlikely to stand the weight of such a large vehicle. Can the passengers stop ... more

I love escaping into the world of films. I love many kinds of films, but two of my favourites are disaster movies (having been brought up by a Dad who loves The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno) and films starring classic actresses. I love Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood and the like. So imagine by glee when I heard of a disaster movie starring two screen legends – Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner! The Cassandra Crossing was also nice and cheap – just £2.98 from Amazon – so how could I resist?!

The plot is typically dramatic, of course. A man has been exposed to the plague virus and boards a train from Stockholm to Geneva. The authorities need to prevent the plague spreading, so they seal the train full of 1000 passengers and re-route it to a bridge called the Cassandra Crossing. However, the bridge is perilously close to collapse and unlikely to stand the weight of such a large vehicle. Can the passengers stop the train before it reaches the bridge?

The cast of this film is amazing! We have Burt Lancaster as Colonel Stephen Mackenzie, who is in charge of deciding what to do about the plague, so pretty much becomes the ‘baddy’ of the piece. The passengers on the train include Sophia Loren and Richard Harris as former husband and wife Jennifer and Jonathan Chamberlain. Jonathan is a doctor, so he soon becomes a busy man, with Jennifer helping him look after the sick.

Ava Gardner (as the glamorous Nicole Dressler) is partnered with Martin Sheen (Robby Navarro), while disgraced star O.J. Simpson plays the mysterious Haley. Lee Strasberg is the engaging elderly Herman Kaplan – and these were just the actors I recognised!

But is it any good? Well, yes, I enjoyed it. For a long film (just over two hours), it held my interest all the way through. It moved along at a fast enough pace with some light-hearted moments and plenty of drama. The special effects were very good overall too and one sequence towards the end was particularly impressive. Although the film feels very 1970s in its look and fashion - it was made in 1976 – the effects look really quite contemporary and would not be ridiculed by today’s teenager. (I know, I had one watching it with me!)

It’s a bit camp – but disaster movies usually are. I found all the acting convincing and both Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner looked stunning! In 1976, Sophia was 42 and Ava was 54, but both looked as beautiful as ever, in my opinion. I’m not very fond of Richard Harris, but he was very good in this part and it is a great example of an ensemble piece with many star names working together convincingly.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film and think buying the DVD was a great use of £2.98. While admitting this isn’t the best disaster movie ever, it’s fun escapism and well worth two hours of anybody’s time.

7.5/10

 

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