When his son is kidnapped MI6 man John Tarrant (Michael Caine) finds himself the prime suspect, partly due to an elaborate frame job by the real culprit, McKee (John Vernon), but also because he does such a good job of keeping his emotions in check. His own professionalism is his undoing, with even his boss Cedric Harper (Donald Pleasence), the very image of British reserve, surprised by his lack of emotion. Tarrant goes rogue to clear his name, save his son and uncover the traitor in his own organisation.
Don Siegel may seem an odd choice to direct this British spy story but it’s that outsider’s view that makes the first half of The Black Windmill so interesting. Tarrant’s marriage is on the rocks, his emotional reserve even extending to his wife, but as the film progresses and he finds himself on the outside he learns the only one he can count on is his wife. He’s forced to decide what’s more important – family or work? You get the impression he doesn’t even like his job, that he does it because he’s good at it.
As Tarrant Caine is excellent, coldly emotionless at the start but regaining his humanity as he realises what’s important. There’s guilt too, here’s a man who’s profession, rather than provide for his family, has put them in harms way.
Donald Pleasence plays Harper as an eccentric office manager with a touch of OCD. He’s a pencil pusher who treats Tarrant’s predicament as an inconvenience, unhappy at having to be involved in the sordid business at all. He’s more concerned with his office plants than the life of the boy.
You can always rely on John Vernon to give you a good villain, and he does so here. I’m not sure what accent he thinks he’s doing (it’s supposed to be Irish, I think) but it wavers considerably from scene to scene. Regardless of accent, he’s a nasty piece of work, torturing small boys and murdering his own accomplices.
The film looses it’s way half way through, with an action sequence that feels like it’s there because someone felt the film needed one (it didn’t) and a twist that’s a bit of a cheat, with all the clues proving to be red herrings. It redeems itself with the final showdown between Caine and Vernon in the titular windmill. Siegel makes the most of the unusual location for a tense bullet filled climax.
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