IMDb RATING
6.3/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
A British agent's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.A British agent's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.A British agent's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.
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Did you know
- TriviaIn his memoirs, Joss Ackland wrote that he was working on three other movies, as well as playing Wray in this movie.
- GoofsAt the start of the film where the van is blown up on the motorway, it becomes clear that the scene is filmed on an incomplete stretch of motorway (possibly the M3, which was completed in 1974) as lane markings are missing from one carriageway.
- Quotes
Cedric Harper: He knew my name and he knew the name of this department. Both of these things imply serious breaches of security.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits are formed from images of children's alphabet blocks.
- ConnectionsReferences The Sound of Music (1965)
- SoundtracksUnderneath the Spreading Chestnut Tree
(uncredited)
(trad.)
Featured review
Give me... my bloody... son back.
Like a forerunner of Taken crossed with a '60s espionage movie (Harry Palmer with a dash of Bond), The Black Windmill stars Michael Caine as Major John Tarrant, an MI6 agent whose son is kidnapped and held for ransom. When his superiors refuse to part with the asking price - half a million in uncut diamonds - Tarrant goes rogue, stealing the stones to make the payoff.
Even though the plot for this thriller isn't quite water-tight, the assured direction from Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) and strong performances from a great cast (which includes Donald Pleasence, John Vernon, Clive Revill and Joss Ackland) ensure that the film is an entertaining ride, with some well staged action sequences and plenty of intrigue.
Fans of star Caine will not be disappointed - he puts in a fine performance as the calm, collected spy pushed to take matters into his own hands - whilst Vernon makes for a suitably cruel foe. Both actors meet for a mid-movie engagement in which Tarrant test-runs a very Bond-esque briefcase armed with a rocket, and again for a satisfying shootout in the titular structure.
While not a 'classic' like Dirty Harry, largely thanks to the awkward questions that arise from the twisty plot and uneven pacing, there is still plenty to enjoy here for fans of the genre.
6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
Even though the plot for this thriller isn't quite water-tight, the assured direction from Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) and strong performances from a great cast (which includes Donald Pleasence, John Vernon, Clive Revill and Joss Ackland) ensure that the film is an entertaining ride, with some well staged action sequences and plenty of intrigue.
Fans of star Caine will not be disappointed - he puts in a fine performance as the calm, collected spy pushed to take matters into his own hands - whilst Vernon makes for a suitably cruel foe. Both actors meet for a mid-movie engagement in which Tarrant test-runs a very Bond-esque briefcase armed with a rocket, and again for a satisfying shootout in the titular structure.
While not a 'classic' like Dirty Harry, largely thanks to the awkward questions that arise from the twisty plot and uneven pacing, there is still plenty to enjoy here for fans of the genre.
6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
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- May 26, 2019
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Box office
- Budget
- $1,500,000 (estimated)
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