This is another splendid episode in Brian Clemens's "Thriller" anthology. The story centres around a group of assassins taking over a school for the blind to give them a good vantage point to launch an attempt on the life of a visiting statesman. When the only sighted member of staff is murdered by one of the assassins, the blind students have to find a way to disarm the killers, against all the odds ...
Not for the first time Clemens uses blindness as a theme to create great tension, suspense and toil against apparent impotence. The viewer has to guess how the students can succeed. The fear factor isn't actually as high as in other stories but the tale is very engaging and typically played and directed to a great level. Sinead Cusack is marvellously engaging as Sally, one of the students. The scene in which she obliviously "looks" through a window as her teacher is shot dead is incredibly memorable. Peter Vaughn is, as always, superb in a sinister role as one of the assassins. The episode also provides an early sighting of Dennis Waterman, just before his big breakthrough in "The Sweeney".
Another clever theme is the squabbling between two of the killers, and intriguingly the motives for their mission are never made clear.
The only real gripes are the conclusion, which is adequate but not wholly effective, and some very wooden radio and TV reports on the statesman's visit. However this is still a very fine effort, should you be lucky enough to be able to see it.
Not for the first time Clemens uses blindness as a theme to create great tension, suspense and toil against apparent impotence. The viewer has to guess how the students can succeed. The fear factor isn't actually as high as in other stories but the tale is very engaging and typically played and directed to a great level. Sinead Cusack is marvellously engaging as Sally, one of the students. The scene in which she obliviously "looks" through a window as her teacher is shot dead is incredibly memorable. Peter Vaughn is, as always, superb in a sinister role as one of the assassins. The episode also provides an early sighting of Dennis Waterman, just before his big breakthrough in "The Sweeney".
Another clever theme is the squabbling between two of the killers, and intriguingly the motives for their mission are never made clear.
The only real gripes are the conclusion, which is adequate but not wholly effective, and some very wooden radio and TV reports on the statesman's visit. However this is still a very fine effort, should you be lucky enough to be able to see it.