Article by Cary Griffin, Forney Messenger

Before I went to see The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, I thought it was a war film. It’s not—at least, not in the strict sense of that term. But the viewer will see plenty of conflict. The story pits an innocent New York City subway dispatcher against a criminal mastermind in a war of nerves that doesn’t let up. There’s suspense enough for all.

Subway dispatcher Walter Gerber’s job is to keep segments of the NYC subway system from stopping at the wrong time, moving at the wrong time, or even colliding. Like an air traffic controller, Gerber (Denzel Washington) monitors the trains on his watch from moment to moment on a large digital display screen. But when one of them suddenly slows down and stops when it isn’t supposed to, and Garber can’t raise the motorman by radio, his suspicions are aroused.

It turns out that the train has been hijacked by Ryder (John Travolta), leader of a heavily-armed four-man gang. Ryder threatens to execute the passengers, one at a time, unless a huge ransom is paid. Not unexpectedly, Garber is forced into the role of middleman.

Garber finds that he must use his knowledge of the subway system to try and outwit Ryder and his thugs and save the lives of the passengers. As the minutes pass, the tension builds as Ryder threatens, then makes good on, his threat to kill one passenger for every minute the ransom is late beyond the deadline he’s set.

It doesn’t get any easier when Ryder learns that Garber, a former motorman, stands accused of taking a bribe and has been taken off his former job pending the outcome of an investigation into the charge.

One of the fascinating aspects of Pelham is the interplay between Garber/Washington and Ryder/Travolta. Although their characters are on opposite ends of the spectrum morally, the viewer gets the impression that the two could, under any other circumstances, have been friends. Even in the midst of a life-and-death standoff, each character earns from the other something akin to respect.

We heard from a reliable source that when Pelham was filmed, Washington and Travolta never saw each other while shooting was taking place. I’d almost be willing to bet that the way the two principal characters were filmed contributed to the realism of their on-screen confrontation.

If you want a taught, realistic adult movie, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a good choice.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is rated “R” for violence and language. It’s now playing at Forney’s Starplex theater. See their ad on page 4 of this issue for the show times of this and other features.

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This story and any accompanying photo(s) were originally published in the Forney Messenger and are Copyright © 2009, Forney Messenger, Inc. and have been used by permission. The Forney Messenger is the publisher of Kaufman County’s oldest newspaper and may be found online at www.ForneyMessengerInc.com.