The number of Alistair MacLean movie adaptations back in the ‘60s and ‘70s were prolific enough to basically start a sub-genre all their own. Yet not all of them were high-profile studio films, necessarily, like “The Guns of Navarone” and “When Eagles Dare,” as the bestselling author also became involved with a number of decidedly lower-scaled thrillers which met, generally, with less commercial fanfare, though many of these retain their appeal today when revisited on home video.
One of the films that falls into the latter category is FEAR IS THE KEY (104 mins., 1972, PG), which finds Barry Newman as a determined deep sea salvage diver who gets involved in a local fracas while driving through Louisiana, wherein he kidnaps an oil heiress (Suzy Kendall) and is later entangled with the crime boss (John Vernon) her father is unwittingly associated with. Vernon’s out to pull a big score and eventually needs Newman’s help – unaware of the latter’s master plan.
Shot on location in Louisiana by a British crew including director Michael Tuchner and cinematographer Alex Thomson, and marked with a superb, effectively modulated performance from Newman, “Fear is the Key”’s ace card is also part of its problem. A lengthy car chase sequence that comprises a good chunk of the picture’s first half is its strongest asset, with Newman and Kendall fleeing Bayou cops and Roy Budd’s dazzling jazz score pounding away in the background. It’s electric early ‘70s action filmmaking, but once it ends and the plot – adapted by Robert Carrington from MacLean’s novel – kicks into gear, you can’t help but feel a sense of deflation that there’s nothing left to come that will match it.
As it turns out, if anything, the movie veers off into the other direction entirely, trying to generate suspense from detailing Newman’s scenario of revenge and a finale that’s so “low-fi” it could have worked just as well on the radio. It’s not entirely disappointing – particularly if you’re aware of it – but when your first act is the most memorable portion, you know viewer indifference is the most probable reaction to the material as a whole.
An Anglo-EMI production initially released in the U.S. by Paramount and seldom released on home video, “Fear is the Key” looks marvelous in this 2.35 Blu-Ray transfer provided to Imprint by Studio Canal. The scope framing looks plenty wide and the image is healthy with Thomson’s lensing being a major plus; there’s also an early appearance from Ben Kingsley as a goon working with Vernon. Extra features include an enjoyable commentary from Kim Newman and Sean Hogan, a new 40-minute set of cast/crew interviews, a conversation with associate producer Gavrik Losey, and the trailer.