Warren Beatty is fine as Joseph Frady, a third-rate reporter who misses out on being present for the assassination of a U.S. Senator atop the Space Needle. However, an ex-girlfriend (Paula Prentiss, in an affecting cameo) WAS there, although she and other witnesses aren't entirely sure of what they saw. Nevertheless, the witnesses start to get killed off - including Prentiss - and Beatty is motivated to investigate into the matter. He eventually discovers a typically shadowy organization, dubbed Parallax, that is in the business of professional assassinations.

The story isn't always completely coherent, but the fast-paced editing by John W. Wheeler ensures a story (scripted by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple, Jr., based on a novel by Loren Singer) that moves quickly and with no filler. Director Alan J. Pakula, also known for such top 70s features as "Klute" and "All the President's Men", is clearly in his element, and he keeps the element of mystery and nervousness high. He's ably assisted by the legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis, who never lights scenes more than absolutely necessary. This is especially essential when it comes to the nerve-wracking finale, taking place at a rehearsal where Parallax intends to give Frady his first assignment.

Particularly of intrigue is the sequence where Frady is "tested". The questionnaire and personality-testing montage have to have individual viewers wondering just how they would personally fare, going through these processes. In the end, this system succeeds in creating such efficient cold-blooded creeps such as Bill McKinney's character (who has absolutely no dialogue).

Glum, riveting, and ultimately downbeat, "The Parallax View" offers choice acting opportunities to a solid cast that also features Hume Cronyn (as Frady's long-suffering editor), William Daniels, Walter McGinn (in a standout turn as a friendly Parallax recruiter), Kelly Thordsen, Earl Hindman, Jim Davis, Kenneth Mars, William Jordan, Edward Winter, Stacy Keach Sr., Ford Rainey, Richard Bull, and an uncredited Anthony Zerbe. It's particularly fun for this viewer to see future 'Home Improvement' cast member Hindman as a hostile Sheriffs' deputy (who gets his ass handed to him by Frady).

As was said, Beatty does a fine job. This is a character who's not an infallible superhero, and you can see that he really is out of his depth here.

Pakula did do much more popular pictures during his career, but never really got enough credit for this one.

Seven out of 10.

Fascinating premise gets somewhat pretentious, lugubrious treatment from acclaimed director Alan J. Pakula. Conspiracy thriller has newspaper reporter Warren Beatty investigating years-old assassination of a U. S. Senator wherein witnesses to the shooting are all mysteriously dying. Beatty gives one of his better performances here, although the scene in which he defeats a taunting deputy in a bar is fairly absurd (as is the sidebar involving a hick town built around a dam, which seems to be little more than a red herring). Gordon Willis' arty cinematography is exasperating, although a shot early on of assassin Bill McKinney looking up at the Space Needle is chilling; McKinney has few lines but suits his role well, as does Paula Prentiss in small part as a frantic 'next target'. The much-discussed 'Parallax test' (a delineation on how innocent boyhood is corrupted by sex and violence at the expense of Mom and Country) is handled with sledgehammer style, and the unhappy ending is too cynical to swallow whole. **1/2 from ****

In the early 1970's, distrust of the government was widespread. "The Parallax View" was one of the movies that reflected this.* Joe Frady (Warren Beatty) is a reporter who one day is covering a candidate's campaign, when the candidate is assassinated. A governmental committee concludes that there was no conspiracy. However, within three years, Joe is the only witness still alive. As he tries to investigate further, he finds himself on the run.

I'm guessing that the central idea was loosely based on the Kennedy assassination. Director Alan J. Pakula sets every scene so as to maintain a sense of impending doom. You may be uncertain as to whom you can trust after watching this movie. It's that well done. It just goes to show that the world's real horrors aren't supernatural at all.

*Others include "Three Days of the Condor" and "All the President's Men".