Oof, what a clunker. I’m not sure what kind of spy thriller they were trying to make with Journey into Fear (1975), but…well, they didn’t succeed. Based on an Eric Ambler novel, the adventure begins in Turkey, where geologist Graham (Sam Waterston) escapes an accident that kills his partner. Graham doesn’t know it, but his oil discovery in the region has created a source of international tension and placed him in the crosshairs of Arab assassins. It’s not until a second attempt on his life that he takes the advice of Colonel Haki (Joseph Wiseman) and changes his travel plans, boarding a ship bound for Italy with a stop in Athens. Unfortunately, the ship is populated by numerous characters with hidden motives — including a potential romantic interest, Josette (Yvette Mimieux).
If there’s anything positive about Journey into Fear, it’s that the milieu hasn’t been done to death in the genre: Mediterranean settings and extensive location work make it visually engaging. Alas, the script is a hot mess, making relatively simple proceedings surprisingly difficult to follow — or perhaps just to care about. I’ve always found Waterston quite likable, but he flounders here thanks to a clunky script and his character’s lack of formidability. The supporting cast is full of seventies camp, at least: Zero Mostel as a quirky Turkish colleague, Donald Pleasance as a shifty tobacco salesman, Stanley Holloway and Shelley Winters as bickering tourists, Ian McShane as a cocky assassin. Especially fun is Vincent Price, who oozes throwback villainy. But between a protagonist that isn’t resourceful, a plot that isn’t coherent, and a finale that makes the whole affair seem pointless, this one is a total dud.
