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Parallax View, The [1974]


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Editorial
Synopsis

Of the three films that make up director Alan J. Pakula's 'paranoid trilogy' (KLUTE, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, and THE PARALLAX VIEW), the latter most strongly conveys paranoia. A stylish suspense-thriller, THE PARALLAX VIEW mirrors the political distrust Americans began to feel during the period following the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War, culminating in the Watergate conspiracy. The film stars Warren Beatty as investigative journalist Joe Frady, whose former girlfriend and colleague Lee Carter (Paula Prentiss) witnesses the assassination of a US Senator at the Seattle Space Needle. A government report declares it the work of a lone gunman, but when eyewitnesses begin showing up dead, Carter is convinced that a wider conspiracy is at work. Probing deeper, Frady uncovers the operations of the Parallax Corporation, which recruits social misfits and uses mind control techniques to turn them into assassins. In keeping with classic 1970s film, the story


There is no cospiracery
Review date: 2007-02-07 Rating: 10 out of 10

The Parallax View is the second of Alan Pakula's conspiracy trilogy concluding after Klute in 1971.

Starring Warren Beatty as Joseph Fraddy, a young, ruthless newspaper journalist, where he witnesses like every one else, an assantation on a newly promoted Senate, where gradually, the witnesses start to commit suicide one by one, leaving him the only witness unharmed by this procedure and is determined to find out what "really" is going on...

The View may seem ragged in it's approach, a slow thriller which never explains in a simple manner. The Paradox View may also look dated, if you don't understand or appreciate the assanation obbession period in the middle 1970s and the conspirary theories behind Watergate where secret business may being kept from the American public so they never know the real truth.

The View is however carefully constructed, with multi-layers, how the assantion has been pulled off over the curtains of many eyes; how easily Fraddy is confused by this and how the witnesses never seem willing to talk properly about the experience suffered. The View is paranoid, scary and realistic, if such an account ever did happen or was about to happen.

It's a real shame that Pakula died a few years ago, is it time to resurf the situation enposed on current US poltics trends?



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Reviews


Seventies Thriller
Review date: 2007-01-19 Rating: 8 out of 10

If you think that things are not always as they seem and that there are dark forces at work, then this might be a film you would enjoy.

A politician is killed and the commission that investigates concludes that it was the work of a lone assassin. However, people who were witnesses to the deed begin to die in mysterious circumstances. The death of one of them persuades a third-rate journalist to investigate further. He manages to get himself recruited to a company which provides "security" services. Among their number he finds one of those who was present years before at the political killing. So far, so good. The ending is tense - without going into too much detail, it does nothing to allay any concerns you might have that we are puppets controlled by a malign hand who digest whatever news we are given without thinking about it.

Certainly worth a watch.

More detail and a commentary would be helpful
Review date: 2006-12-31 Rating: 6 out of 10

The plot of this film with the twist built in, so to speak, is a good idea, but the starkness of presentation makes for difficulty in following the story. The ending is also not satisfying in the traditional sense. However the film as a whole is entertaining, and it does raise the question of whether anything like this could happen in the real world. A commentary or background feature here as an extra with the DVD would be helpful. Worth watching for anyone who hasn't seen it before.

The greatest conspiracy film...
Review date: 2006-07-26 Rating: 10 out of 10

For years I thought that All The President's Men was the best 70s conspiracy thriller. However, since I bought this film on DVD I have changed my mind.

I first saw this film on TV years ago and I was quite impressed. The film was listed as film of the week in the weekend papers, so I taped it. Since then I had been wanting to give it a second viewing, but it wasn't available anywhere.

The film itself draws parallels with the various political assassinations of the 1960s, particularly the death of Robert Kennedy. From here you'll have to watch it yourself, but Pakula builds a thriller based around secretive organisations and paranoia.

Well worth viewing, and it gets better everytime. You might need to watch the ending again to understand it.

for fans of 70s american cinema
Review date: 2005-10-04 Rating: 8 out of 10

I bought this for two reasons: one as i'm a fan of cinematographer gordon willis (klute,annie hall,godfather,ets) and two I love american 70s movies. Theres no real point going over the story,all i'd say is if you like conspircy theory films or enjoy the following movies:all the presidents men,prime cut or the gambler then buy it.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Warren Beatty
Walter McGinn
William Daniels
Hume Cronyn
Kenneth Mars

Creators:
Warren Beatty (Primary Contributor)
Hume Cronyn (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment
EAN: 5014437815330
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2004-02-02
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 97 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1975-05-16
Language: English (Original Language)

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