'The Deadly Tower' is a case study in straightforward storytelling and filmmaking, as it dramatizes a notorious real life story. Charles Whitman (Kurt Russell, leaving his Disney roles far behind) is a mentally unbalanced sniper picking people off indiscriminately from his vantage point on the title location. Repeatedly firing without taking many breathers, Whitman ultimately kills about a dozen people and critically injures over 30 more. Among the brave folks who attempt to stop him are Mexican-American police officer Ramiro Martinez (Richard Yniguez), and a gun-toting bystander named Allan Crum (Ned Beatty).
With the excellent cast also including Clifton James, Pernell Roberts, John Forsythe, Alan Vint, Paul Carr, and Pepe Serna (and Gilbert Roland as the narrator), this is an efficient true-crime thriller. You really feel the tension throughout (the actors sweat buckets before this is over), thanks to first-rate action and a cracking pace. The script takes the time to flesh out the Martinez and Crum characters, enabling us to care about them and root for them. Martinez is a good man, albeit perturbed that he was passed over for a promotion. Crum had spent some time in the service, but had not seen any action. Lt. Forbes (Forsythe) goes about trying to determine Whitmans' identity, in the hopes that he can talk him down. Whitman, played with cold-eyed effectiveness by Russell, is less developed as a character, although the postscript does say that he had a tumour that *might* have had something to do with his mental condition.
Director Jerry Jameson gives the tale good, no-frills guidance, cutting right to the heart of the material. Don Ellis supplies a score that is sparingly used in order to maximize the suspense. All in all, this is worth checking out, especially if you want to see Russell in a rare antagonist role.
Eight out of 10.
With the excellent cast also including Clifton James, Pernell Roberts, John Forsythe, Alan Vint, Paul Carr, and Pepe Serna (and Gilbert Roland as the narrator), this is an efficient true-crime thriller. You really feel the tension throughout (the actors sweat buckets before this is over), thanks to first-rate action and a cracking pace. The script takes the time to flesh out the Martinez and Crum characters, enabling us to care about them and root for them. Martinez is a good man, albeit perturbed that he was passed over for a promotion. Crum had spent some time in the service, but had not seen any action. Lt. Forbes (Forsythe) goes about trying to determine Whitmans' identity, in the hopes that he can talk him down. Whitman, played with cold-eyed effectiveness by Russell, is less developed as a character, although the postscript does say that he had a tumour that *might* have had something to do with his mental condition.
Director Jerry Jameson gives the tale good, no-frills guidance, cutting right to the heart of the material. Don Ellis supplies a score that is sparingly used in order to maximize the suspense. All in all, this is worth checking out, especially if you want to see Russell in a rare antagonist role.
Eight out of 10.