Ransom
Ransom
PG | 04 April 1975 (USA)
Ransom Trailers

Following a series of bomb attacks in London, a group of terrorists seize Britain's ambassador to Scandinavia. With the ambassador now a hostage in his residence, another group hijacks an airliner at the capital's airport, announcing that the passengers will not be freed until their demands are met. Colonel Nils Tahlvik, Scandinavia's resourceful and ruthless head of security, seeks to take an uncompromising stance against the terrorists yet his attempts meet resistance from unknown forces at every turn...

Reviews
Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?
GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
shakercoola Hostage melodrama filmed in Norway. A gang of hijackers seizes a British plane as it lands in the fictional country of 'Scandinavia'. A ruthless military police chief, played by Sean Connery, is assigned to rescue the plane and its passengers. An ageing, unwell British Ambassador, whose residence has been seized by a second group of terrorists, is taken hostage. There is a power to the film - the terrorists in question are convincing in terrifying aims, angst and desperation. The atmosphere helps with the snowy, icy landscape. Jerry Goldsmith's score adds to moments of good suspense. However, with some obvious dubbing, far-fetched storyline and an array of upper-class English accents seemingly unlikely to carry out such dastardly deeds, the film becomes more underwhelming as it progresses.
Hurling Frootmig One of the first films I ever saw in the cinema without my parents (I was 12 or so), I remember this as being really excellent, which is why I came to look it up here today. Not sure if it's stood the test of time but one thing that really has stuck in my mind about this film is the score - it's really atmospheric and well worth listening to in its own right (I think it reminded me of Tchaikovsky but not sure - have to see it again).It's hard to write much without seeing the film again, but the fact it's stuck in my mind over the years says something, even if it's only that it makes an impression on a 12-year-old.
jotix100 The main reason for watching this thriller on the Fox cable channel was the cast. Not having a clue as to whether this movie was ever distributed in this country, but the allure of actors like Sean Connery and Ian McShane in its cast, proved to be the deciding factor for watching this 1975 British production directed by Finnish director Caspar Wrede. The film had the title "The Terrorists", in the version we watched.After a series of bombs are detonated in London, we are taken to Oslo, where a group of terrorists have kidnapped the British ambassador to that country. The masked individuals demands are passed to the local security forces. Nils Tahlvik, the negotiator wants to put his own plan of action in place. There is a conflict with a British agent who wants to give in to the kidnappers' demands, something that Tahlvik doesn't want to do.In the meantime, a commercial airliner, about to land at Oslo's old Fornebu airport is taken over by a group of hijackers. The captain takes a chance by making the tires of the plane blow up as they land. All attempts to surprise the kidnappers on board fail. As preparations begin to bring the ambassador and the men holding him to the aircraft, that by now has been fixed for an unknown flight, the police tries, unsuccessfully to send security forces masquerading as the criminals, but everything fails until the end when Tahlvik himself boards the aircraft and a surprise, that has been kept from us, is revealed.The screen play by Paul Wheeler is confusing, at best. We don't have a clear picture of what is really going on, that is complicated by the ending in which that surprise comes out of nowhere regarding one of the hijackers and the duplicity of someone in the negotiating team.Sean Connery is not at his best in the film. We get to see Mr. Connery as he looked at that time before any cosmetic enhancements, especially his teeth, which went through quite a change after this film was done. Ian McShane makes an interesting appearance as the evil Ray Petrie, who is in charge of the hijacking team on board the plane. Isabel Dean, has a good moment as the British ambassador's wife pleading with Tahlvik.While the film is by no means horrible, it could have been probably better with another film treatment and a action director. The best thing in the movie is Sven Nykvist cinematography, which unfortunately doesn't quite show in its splendor because of the faded quality of the copy that was shown.
Renaldo Matlin Sadly neglected 70's thriller shot on location in Oslo, Norway. Sean Connery looks great as "Scandinavian Security Chief" Nils Tahlvik, and director Caspar Wrede has made some great use of Oslo scenery including a West Side residential area, Oslo's City Hall and Fornebu International Airport (which closed down in 1998). It's also nice to see one of Norway's greatest stage actors, Knut Wigert, as Connery's commanding officer.All though slow-moving at times this gritty looking thriller has a nice realistic flair to it, including some surprising plot twists along the way.One final note: from a Norwegian point-of-view it's fun to see how much this British production has the look and feel of a 70's Norwegian film!Update/comment on Mike's user comment with the headline "Boring Swedish hijacking action": I don't know where he gets all this "Swedish"-stuff as the movie is mainly shot on location in Norway, it has Norwegian actors in some of the supporting roles (most notably Knut Wigert and Alf Malland) and not one Swedish actor, and as IMDb states it is a British production. Sweden had nothing to do with it.