Review of Point Blank (1967) by Gregory D — 17 Feb 2010

Every fan of crime fiction or films should see this movie. Boorman's film is just as brutal as any Peckinpah movie (just minus the blood) of the same era. I've never thought of Lee Marvin as an actor but more of a star or a "presence" like many tough-guy types of cinema.

But his acting talent is in every frame of this film--he's controlled, attentive, aggressive, and lonely. This picture is a vastly bleak view of criminal life and Marvin is perfect. My only heartburn with the film is having just read the novel that it is based on (Richard Stark's The Hunter) I felt some of the scenarios weren't as direct as the novels.

For example, in the film Carroll O'Connor makes the call to tell his boss telling him Walker is going to kill him if they don't pay. His boss denies the payment and Walker shoots the phone to show he isn't messing around.

In the novel, Parker (the protagonist) shoots the O'Connor character to show the voice on the phone he isn't bluffing. Despite that this film is a near crime/action masterpiece.