John T. Ryan IT IS INDEED a very humiliating experience to sort of accidentally run across such a film as this! We mean that just when one thinks he knows of all of the truly great movies, both big and small, here comes a relatively unheralded masterpiece; such as this one, today's subject, THE INCIDENT (Moned Associated/20th Century-Fox, 1967).WHILE BOASTING Of A GREAT roll call of acting talent, the film really has no "star" as such. Instead, we are presented with an array of outstanding characterizations of people who are unrelated to each other; other than being New Yorkers who find themselves out late and sharing a precarious trip home via public transportation (aka the Elevated Line).ONE BY ONE we are introduced to couples (Ed Mcmahon & Diana Van der Vis, Jack Gilford & Thelma Ritter, Brock Peters & Ruby Dee, Mike Kellin & Jan Sterling) as well as some individuals (such as Gary Merrill, Beau Bridges, Robert Bannard, Tony Musante, etc). We add to the mix some young couple; who almost continuously swap spits during the first part of the story; being that they are the first to enter the train car, which has only a derelict wino sleeping it off.ENTER THE TWO street punks (Martin Sheen & Other Player), who proceed to terrorize everyone; starting with one couple and moving onto all the others. Their insult and abuse knows no bounds; be it sexually (to the young lovers), physical brutality, or all out mockery, Racial Insults to RubyDee and Brock Peters and mocking,threatening intimidation (as to the young homosexual man).NO Where IS there any attempt to stand up to the thugs. There is no initiative in joining together and put up a united front. All seem to desire to just be left alone and all seem to have cultivated a 'go on and bother someone else' attitude.EVENTUALLY THE CHARACTER of the one soldier (Beau Bridges)is pushed just a little too far and he manages to club tho one thug into unconsciousness with the use of the plaster cast on his right arm. The Martin Sheen thug is dumbfounded and tries to escape. Shortly thereafter, the train stops, the conductor, the police arrive* and take away the bad guys. Slowly and seemingly in turn, all others leave the train.GOING ON THEIR separate ways, in a way of telling us that they have learned nothing. If any of them would find themselves in the same or similar situation; the very same outcome would play out.OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO Mr.Nicholas E. Baehr (Writer) and Larry Pierce (Director) for bringing us an outstanding work of art and definitely a one of a kind movie; which is as great as it is obscure. They've given us what is essentially a slice of reality, which, unfortunately, still finds itself being repeated daily in Big City U.S.A.NOTE: * (Having been a member of the Chicago Ploice Deppartment for nearly 35 years, the reviewer (yours truly) feels the need to comment on one aspect of the finale.) When the Cops enter the train car, they immediately start to frisk the Brock Peters character, the Black Man. While this goes by very quickly, it could portray a fallacious message. No Cop who has any experience would move in such an impetuous a manner. When one enters a scene such as this, caution is one virtue that is expended in all directions. This scene is obviously more an indicator of the attitude of the writer and/or the director; than it is to a realistic depiction of the real world.

opusv5 I bought a used VHS tape of this recently, and saw it for the first time in decades (I'd seen it on TV in 1972). I believe it's based on a real incident or incidents that took place in NYC in the mid-sixties. That two punks can hold a subway car hostage is realistic always; people don't want to get involved, and that could include any of us. Nonetheless, that that street crime has become more vicious--and armed--since then does diminishes its power. Then again, a switchblade can be as dangerous as a gun, and Musante's brandishing it would have been scary at any time. A well-acted piece, and interesting to see the late Ed MacMahon in a film. It was also interesting that this was Martin Sheen's first screen role, and as an aggressive punk. In reality, he's one of Hollywood's leading pacifists.

kelsci I never watched this film before. I am originally from Queens,N.Y. so it did bring back memories,subway memories that is. I believe that NYC transit cops were riding the trains at that time. I noted the fare was 20 cents which had risen from 15 cents perhaps not too long before this film was produced. These were the last years that these particular kinds of subway cars were used on the subway lines of NYC. There were so many breakdowns that the city had to buy new cars not long after this film was made. I loved those old cars though. They had such a nice smell to them. On top of that, I loved the sound that they made. The sound people for this film captured that to a tee. I felt like I was riding in one of these cars again for just the moments that the movie was on. I got the feeling of an art film here as well. The black and white photography gave perfect atmosphere to this movie. Here it is 2007, and one cannot deny that Sheen and Bridges look good for their age and continue working in the industry. I never rode on the 3rd Ave. El but I remember it being in existence at that time. A good film of multi-characters;perhaps a good alternative title is "strangers on a New York subway train".

Harveyher Never saw or heard of film before-caught it on AMC this morning and could not stop watching it until it ended. I did not even know it was on the channel. Great cast-Martin Sheen and Tony Musante were great.Beau Bridges,Ruby Dee,Brock Peters,-an All Star cast, among others. I loved it-how come I did not hear about it 40 years ago when it was released.I enjoyed it greatly!!! The fact that it was in black and white made it even better. I grew up in N.Y. and it really hit home-how people could be passive and do nothing to help one another in a time of stress.(Kitty Genovese incident in 1964). Martin Sheen of course was so young then and went on to a great TV and movie career. Brock Peters and Ruby Dee had been terrific in many films. Beau Bridges played a part that was unusual for him. Ed McMahon we all know was Johnny Carson's side kick for his entire career on the Tonight Show-this part was not the Ed McMahon we saw on TV and he played it well.Gary Merrill also played a nice part in the film,as did Thelma Ritter, a great character actress,Jan Sterling, Jack Gilford and Donna Mills.An unbelievable cast of characters.