BLACK SUNDAY Explained: Israeli Mossad vs. Black September

The popularity of disaster films in the 1970s led to the emergence of a subgenre of thrillers about terrorists, including titles such as: Terror in the Sky (1972, directed by John Guillermin), Britannic in Danger (1974, directed by Richard Lester), Hindenburg (1975, directed by Robert Wise), Rollercoaster (1977, directed by James Goldstone). This trend was joined by Black Sunday (1977) by John Frankenheimer, which could even be considered the best entry in the terrorist thriller genre.

After the film’s initial screenings, it was so well-received that a hit comparable to Jaws (1975) by Steven Spielberg was expected. In fact, Robert Shaw appeared in both films, so it seemed like a good omen. However, a few months before the premiere, a wave of negative reviews hit another terrorism-related film – Two-Minute Warning (1976) by Larry Peerce, which caused interest in another thriller with a similar theme to wane. It certainly didn’t help that Star Wars (1977) by George Lucas soon appeared in theaters – with such a revolutionary work, Black Sunday might have seemed like something derivative, continuing a trend without offering anything new.

A novelty introduced to cinema by John Frankenheimer was the work of Thomas Harris, who later became famous thanks to the films about Hannibal Lecter. The debut novel of this American writer – Black Sunday (published 1975) – was adapted into a screenplay by three authors: Ernest Lehman (North by Northwest, 1959), Kenneth Ross (The Day of the Jackal, 1973), and Ivan Moffat (Giant, 1956). Director John Frankenheimer, whose previous film was the fairly well-received The French Connection II (1975), proved himself once again in the action genre, and by the end of the 20th century, he managed to maintain his position as a master of action cinema.

The plot was inspired by the activities of the terrorist organization Black September, created in 1971 as a result of the suppression of a Palestinian uprising in Jordan. A Mossad agent, Major David Kabakov (Robert Shaw), eliminates a terrorist hideout but spares the life of Dahlia Iyad (Marthe Keller) – he caught her in the shower and decided that killing a naked, defenseless woman was not a good idea. However, that was a bad decision because Dahlia is an exceptionally dangerous terrorist – the longer she stays alive, the more people die. And she plans to kill 80,000 American football fans during Super Bowl Sunday in Miami. The game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys took place on January 18, 1976, at the Orange Bowl stadium, and the filmmakers, under the direction of John Frankenheimer, filmed, of course, in this location.

The filmmakers focus equally on the actions of the Mossad agent supported by the FBI and the terrorists’ efforts to avoid capture. The most interesting aspect is the relationship between the ruthless criminal Dahlia and Michael Lander (Bruce Dern), a Vietnam War veteran recruited by Black September. Lander is a decorated pilot who survived the horrors of a Vietnam POW camp, and this trauma transformed into activities against the American government and society, from which he was excluded. Interesting criminal characters, along with a well-developed relationship, go hand in hand with the excellent acting of Bruce Dern and Marthe Keller. The actress is now forgotten, but in the 70s and 80s, she had a very good period in her career. She starred in films by Philippe de Broca, Claude Lelouch, Sydney Pollack, Billy Wilder (the underrated but brilliant Fedora from 1978), Mauro Bolognini, and Nikita Mikhalkov. She is best known for her role in the thriller Marathon Man (1976) by John Schlesinger, which was made almost simultaneously with Black Sunday – both works were produced by Robert Evans.

Against the backdrop of the strong antagonist characters, Robert Shaw somewhat pales, as he probably would have felt more at home in the role of a villain. As the Israeli agent, he is only somewhat ambiguous; under the surface, there is anger and murderous tendencies, but the explosive potential hidden within him never erupts and is suppressed, as if someone cut the fuse. In contrast, Dahlia and Lander work not only as an interesting duo but also as characters with distinct personalities, to which the audience responds differently. For Bruce Dern to seem convincing as a war veteran with trauma, there was no need for flashbacks to Vietnam. To some extent, he is a victim of the system, and one can understand and sympathize with him because someone is manipulating him. The situation with the character played by Marthe Keller is different – a manipulator, perfidious, cold, willing to die but also willing to drag others down with her. When Major Kabakov spares her life in the opening act of the film, the audience can understand it because they haven’t yet fully gotten to know this character. But afterward, Dahlia never evokes sympathy; she seems devoid of scruples and any human impulses.

Black Sunday perfectly follows the pattern of an action thriller, where a spectacular, tension-filled finale is expected. Here, it is a terrorist attack during an important sporting event. The large Goodyear blimp is moving over the stadium to film the game from the air – everyone knows it is a regular feature, so it raises no suspicion. But the blimp’s pilot is dead in a hotel room, and the machine is now piloted by a ruthless adventurer. His intention is to detonate a powerful explosive capable of killing tens of thousands of unaware citizens. As the blimp gets closer to the stadium, panic erupts, and it is filmed so credibly that the audience can almost feel it as if an authentic report of dramatic events were being presented.

The ending is gripping because at this stage, the viewer already knows what the criminals are capable of – they are people who use weapons to kill, not just to threaten. A good example is the scene where the fleeing foot soldier – responsible for the Munich Olympic Village massacre, Mohammed Fasil (Bekim Fehmiu) – stops a car, kills the driver without a word, and then shoots a policeman who stands in his way. The manipulated pilot Michael Lander, who is not a fanatic, proves to be just as dangerous – the Vietnam War has made him a killing machine. He can pull the trigger and detonate explosives without blinking, without thinking about the consequences. Civilians mean as little to him as anonymous Viet Cong soldiers, so he has no qualms about shooting at them. Since the filmmakers allowed uncompromising violence and a high body count, why would they spare the crowd of anonymous football fans, the target of the terrorists?! This is why Black Sunday holds the audience in uncertainty. It also pays tribute to those heroes who ensure safety but are only human, not miracle workers.