I managed to see a copy of this quite recently for the first time in about 20 years and thoroughly enjoyed it all over again. Four terrorists kidnap a child who happens to be a Viscount from his boarding school. It is a very well executed snatch which came from the fact that the leader of the terrorists, Irene Kohl, had worked in the school sanatorium and knew the movements of the boys.
The terrorists make their demands which are actually quite moderate in monetary terms. We then see the relationship the terrorists have with each other and the kidnapped child, Rupert Fitzcharles.
Irene Kohl is the leader and has a cool head. She has the respect of everyone else for different reasons. She is the intellectual of the group who had lectured previously on extreme politics. Stephen Yardley's character is the hard man. He is ex SAS, ex mercenary, but does not really have any loyalty except to himself. He is in it purely for the money and feels the need to show off his physical strength to the others. Charles Vyvian is the ex public school drop out who was born into money but has become disillusioned with society. He suffers at the hands of Stephen Yardley who cannot understand that they need him for his knowledge of the way the upper classes work and think. Finally, we have Danny Connors, a passionate IRA man and part time boyfriend of Irene who strikes up a close bond with the boy whom he calls 'Roop'.
On the police side we have straight down the line Bernard Hepton and the SIS man Michael Dennison. Michael Dennison doesn't want a trial and intends to kill the terrorists rather than give them a platform. The most interesting character on the police side is Sgt Quirke who undercover mixes with the fringes of society.
The interaction of the terrorists and Rupert is well worth watching particularly the way Danny tries to teach him about the oppression of the Irish by the British in years gone by.
A slightly predictable ending but well worth seeing.
The terrorists make their demands which are actually quite moderate in monetary terms. We then see the relationship the terrorists have with each other and the kidnapped child, Rupert Fitzcharles.
Irene Kohl is the leader and has a cool head. She has the respect of everyone else for different reasons. She is the intellectual of the group who had lectured previously on extreme politics. Stephen Yardley's character is the hard man. He is ex SAS, ex mercenary, but does not really have any loyalty except to himself. He is in it purely for the money and feels the need to show off his physical strength to the others. Charles Vyvian is the ex public school drop out who was born into money but has become disillusioned with society. He suffers at the hands of Stephen Yardley who cannot understand that they need him for his knowledge of the way the upper classes work and think. Finally, we have Danny Connors, a passionate IRA man and part time boyfriend of Irene who strikes up a close bond with the boy whom he calls 'Roop'.
On the police side we have straight down the line Bernard Hepton and the SIS man Michael Dennison. Michael Dennison doesn't want a trial and intends to kill the terrorists rather than give them a platform. The most interesting character on the police side is Sgt Quirke who undercover mixes with the fringes of society.
The interaction of the terrorists and Rupert is well worth watching particularly the way Danny tries to teach him about the oppression of the Irish by the British in years gone by.
A slightly predictable ending but well worth seeing.
