Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy this film and love Charlton Heston, I can't get past the simple fact that the premise of this movie is completely absurd. There is simply no way law enforcement would have left a sniper on the tower that long.
He would have been taken out with a helicopter or blimp sharpshooter long before anyone had been hurt. To think otherwise insults law enforcement.
Exactly! But then you wouldn't have had a movie.
Maybe a heist plot, a la THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE (used in the TV version) makes more sense.
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"Why do people always laugh in the wrong places?"
--Tinto Brass
OP....I think that you are using your personal beliefs in the efficiency of law enforcement and what also may be a 21st Century view towards hostage/sniper crises rather than a realistic thought process.
In the 1970's, there were few police departments that had efficient (and for that matter,effective) SWAT units as they are today. It's doubtful that a sniper crisis then would have been dealt w/ either quickly or w/ the relatively minimal loss of life as was depicted in this film.
And frankly,given that most criminals are usually negotiated down from their positions or are incompetent (or both) there's no way of knowing how any police force would be able to deal w/ a competent and calculating anti-social sniper who refused any attempts at talking.
IMHO,some aspects of this movie need work,but it also is very realistic.
Suspension of disbelief: Yes. Suspension of logical thought? I'll pass.