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Point Blank follows Walker (Lee Marvin), a professional thief that is double-crossed and left for dead by his partner after a big hit. He then sets out to find him determined to get revenge and his money back. Based on the first of a series of crime novels, the film is one of several that served to push forward the neo-noir style/genre by featuring a no-nonsense, anti-hero lead with a simple goal and few scruples.
This is a film I've been hearing about for a while. Not sure why I hadn't moved on it before, considering I'm a big fan of Boorman's Deliverance, or how much I enjoy noir/neo-noir, and how much I've enjoyed what I've seen from Marvin up to this point. But anyway, now that I've seen it, I have to say it was definitely worth the wait. Point Blank is lean, mean, and to the point, but without sacrificing in style and atmosphere.
Marvin was perfect for the lead role. It made sense to realize that he was heavily involved in the production and development of the film and character. He truly embodied the essence of Parker, a man of few words that seems dead-set on getting what he considers is his. The rest of the cast, especially John Vernon as Walker's partner and Angie Dickinson as the love interest, were pretty good.
The whole craft of the film was mostly impeccable; Boorman's direction, Philip H. Lathrop's cinematography, and Henry Berman's editing, they all use time jumps, cuts, reflections, zooms, and wide shots to great effect as they highlight the character's entrapment and inner conflicts. But regardless of how trapped he is or how much he struggles with his morals, he keeps chasing those shadows, determined to get his money, and refusing to just lay down and die.
Grade:
POINT BLANK
(1967, Boorman)
(1967, Boorman)
"You're a pathetic sight, Walker, from where I'm standing. Chasing shadows. You're played out. It's over. You're finished. What would you do with the money if you got it? It wasn't yours in the first place. Why don't you just lie down - and die?"
Point Blank follows Walker (Lee Marvin), a professional thief that is double-crossed and left for dead by his partner after a big hit. He then sets out to find him determined to get revenge and his money back. Based on the first of a series of crime novels, the film is one of several that served to push forward the neo-noir style/genre by featuring a no-nonsense, anti-hero lead with a simple goal and few scruples.
This is a film I've been hearing about for a while. Not sure why I hadn't moved on it before, considering I'm a big fan of Boorman's Deliverance, or how much I enjoy noir/neo-noir, and how much I've enjoyed what I've seen from Marvin up to this point. But anyway, now that I've seen it, I have to say it was definitely worth the wait. Point Blank is lean, mean, and to the point, but without sacrificing in style and atmosphere.
Marvin was perfect for the lead role. It made sense to realize that he was heavily involved in the production and development of the film and character. He truly embodied the essence of Parker, a man of few words that seems dead-set on getting what he considers is his. The rest of the cast, especially John Vernon as Walker's partner and Angie Dickinson as the love interest, were pretty good.
The whole craft of the film was mostly impeccable; Boorman's direction, Philip H. Lathrop's cinematography, and Henry Berman's editing, they all use time jumps, cuts, reflections, zooms, and wide shots to great effect as they highlight the character's entrapment and inner conflicts. But regardless of how trapped he is or how much he struggles with his morals, he keeps chasing those shadows, determined to get his money, and refusing to just lay down and die.
Grade: