DVD Reviews: Callan

If I tell you about Callan I’d have to kill you.  This film revolves around a disgraced secret service agent, who is now working in an office for a very unlikable boss, I’m sure we can all relate to that.  You may have seen this story before, it was a theatre play called “A Magnum For Schneider”.   

Callan was stricken from the secret service because of his interest behind his orders; he could never just take them he had to know why.  Now working in a small office in the city he is approached by a government section that “takes care of” national security threats, this doesn’t just include bribing and blackmail, if all else fails the agents in the sections are ordered to kill their target.   

Killing people, not being one of Callan’s greatest past times, he has very little world skills after his secret service, um service.  He’s only ever known killing, Callan turning to the drink, eventually cost him his career, his curiosity and drinking got him fired.   

Now taking orders from this new government agency he must overcome his fear of killing and do the best he can for the sake of his country.  Callan must gain the trust of his target and access to his house.  The house is where the assassination must happen; this is the way the agency wants it.  Trying as hard as he can Callan can’t denying his thirst for reason, he must find out why he is going to kill another human being, Callan just can’t kill somebody on orders he must find out why?   

DVD menus are just a jump between screens and no animation, the picture quality throughout is ok, but not fantastic.  I think this many have something to do with the film being made in 1973.  I don’t think that the film itself has been kept in optimal care, making the picture a bit grainy.  Extras only include an interview with the star Edward Woodward, and of course the usual umbrella productions propaganda. 

The story is slow but it does keep you interested, there are certain points in the movie where you find yourself getting bored.  This doesn’t happen all the time I would have to say I wanted to get up and do something else about three times, but sticking it out gets you back interested.  A good movie if you know of it, but it really is for fans and if you have never heard of it I would suggest hiring it before you went out and made the jump to buying it.