The 1970's and 80's were filled with films like this. Action thrillers of every kind that utilized exotic locations all over Europe or Asia or Africa and told all sorts of convoluted political based Crime story that somehow ended up involving terrorism. Rod Steiger and Anthony Perkins get top billing and are joined by Joanna Lumley (long before she uttered the phrase "Sweetie, darling"), Alfred Burke and Sheila Allen in a plotline that tries to desperately hide its convoluted structure by pretending to be overly intelligent about a subject that they know that the audience is probably too naive to understand or don't have the time or interest to do research on. So you get lots of chase sequences, shootouts, intense dialog which gives clichéd explanations as to the reasons certain things continuously happen and keeps your attention simply because you're desperately paying attention to figure out who is who and on what side, and what exactly is the purpose of all this bloody violence.
Steiger overacts and Perkins underacts ( most likely in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that he doesn't really know what's going on either), with Steiger as an Israeli nuclear scientist in danger of an assassination attempt, and terrorists from the IRA and PLO either out to kill or protect him. There are far too many characters and far too many sides make heads or tails of everything going on, and the dialogue is trite and vapid. When the script calls for quiet, profound moments, it fails miserably because none of these characters are particularly noble. After a while, you're just out for the location footage and action scenes and to await Steiger's next melodramatic wife. Only Lumley and Allen gain any sympathy, especially the later as Steiger's loving wife. I'm glad I saw a cut version of this (down by 30 minutes) because I don't think I could have stomached much more.
Steiger overacts and Perkins underacts ( most likely in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that he doesn't really know what's going on either), with Steiger as an Israeli nuclear scientist in danger of an assassination attempt, and terrorists from the IRA and PLO either out to kill or protect him. There are far too many characters and far too many sides make heads or tails of everything going on, and the dialogue is trite and vapid. When the script calls for quiet, profound moments, it fails miserably because none of these characters are particularly noble. After a while, you're just out for the location footage and action scenes and to await Steiger's next melodramatic wife. Only Lumley and Allen gain any sympathy, especially the later as Steiger's loving wife. I'm glad I saw a cut version of this (down by 30 minutes) because I don't think I could have stomached much more.