George Kennedy gets to be pretty badass in this routine but entertaining revenge thriller, playing John Kinsdale, an American computer programmer working for NATO in Italy. One night, he comes home from work to find that his whole family has been savagely executed. He's grief-stricken but also determined to mete out bloody vengeance. The people responsible are a left-wing terrorist group whose modus operandi is targeting American families living in Rome.
The final project for the filmmaker Edward Dmytryk, whose classic credits include "The Caine Mutiny" and "Crossfire", "The 'Human' Factor" still is relevant in some ways, especially for any person who has lost loved ones as a result of a terrorist act. Back then, the plot (concocted by Peter Powell and co-star Thomas Hunter) was somewhat unique for heavy reliance on the technology of the day. The script also heavily relies on viewer acceptance of what the computers in this film are able to accomplish. In 1975, computers were still fairly exotic and mysterious things to some people, and screenwriters could have them figure out any number of things. The computer intelligence here even takes the time to determine what Kinsdales' chances of success are in his mission of vengeance.
The Italian setting helps quite a bit in the telling of this competently made, and viscerally effective, picture. Kennedy is a classic type of hero who can shoot scores of bad guys without having to reload his gun, who can run the cops a good chase, and who keeps fighting even after being struck by gunfire himself. This is one of his most amusing roles, to be sure.
Other aspects of value include the Ennio Morricone soundtrack (at times, it bears the faintest resemblance to his "Once Upon a Time in the West" score) and the excellent international cast: Sir John Mills, Raf Vallone, Barry Sullivan, Rita Tushingham, Shane Rimmer, Haydee Politoff, Arthur Franz. Producer Frank Avianca plays the role of the terrorist Kamal; that's a 12 year old Danny Huston (in his film debut) cast as one of Kinsdales' sons.
The silly and not terribly plausible script never does bother to really explain what the villains hope to accomplish with their killings, but Dmytryk keeps the pace fairly consistent and basically made a watchable enough film for people who love a fun revenge yarn.
Seven out of 10.
