Many directors manage to put out a brilliant film or two in their careers, but not many manage to raise the bar nearly every time out, even when faced with obstacles like minimal budgets and not speaking the same language as your actors. Sergio Leone was not your average director. He was fortunate enough to start his career, assisting on Vittoria DeSica's masterpiece "Bicycle Thieves" one of the most powerful films ever made. From there, he did a lot of writing and work around film sets, until he got the chance to direct his own films. He quickly ended up tackling a declining genre, the Western film, giving it a different spin than most were accustomed to seeing.
Many were tired of the preachy moralizing white hat and black hat messages that worked in simpler times. Leone's subversion struck a chord and before long many other low budget film makers saw the possibilities in his approach, spawning a large number of "Spaghetti Westerns" which showed a very different side of the old west and created a new and gritty mythology, populated by characters like "Django," "Trinity," and "Sartana." The public appetite for this new brand of anti hero seemed to mirror the popularity of gangster pictures years earlier, giving the public a character that seemed to fit the times by admitting that the illusion of the old morality in the Westerns didn't suit the growing cynicism they felt about the world. Leone's outlook was largely due to the fact that his outlook on the cowboys was that of an outsider, a European examining the American gunslinger. While a certain admiration comes through, so does a feeling of brutality, an astonishment at the level of violence, happening in a very recent (to Europeans) time.
Leone's "good guys" were not pure and virtuous. A quick look would not be enough to separate his"Man With No Name" from his adversaries. Leone's hero was a survivalist above all else, not working for truth, justice, or a greater cause, but his own independence, following a code which was only known to himself. While he typically ended up on the right side, that was only because the bad guys were disloyal, unnecessarily brutal and too greedy for their own good. Clint Eastwood was the perfect actor for these roles, his stoic squint, a promise that this cowboy wasn't from the John Wayne or Roy Rogers school of ethics. This character worked so well he was soon ingrained into public consciousness, becoming one of the most iconic film characters of all time.
Leone found himself a winning formula, inexpensive Spanish settings, Clint Eastwood, and the scores of Ennio Morricone. "A Fistful of Dollars" paved the way for "A Few Dollars More," and then "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" each doing better than the last. Each element was in it's place and they all worked beautifully together. Each film became a classic in it's own right and together they make up the best Western trilogy ever made and and a cornerstone in the evolution of the film anti hero. Eastwood himself hasn't shed that image yet, his later westerns, Dirty Harry, and even the Clint Eastwood of "Gran Torino" still recall the "Man With No Name."
While the Dollars trilogy would have been enough of a contribution to cinema for anyone's lifetime, Leone wasn't quite finished with the Western. Although he had his mind on making a different film (which would eventually be "Once Upon A Time in America") his success with the westerns made the studios eager to have him make another. Leone turned to Charles Bronson, one of the few actors who does stoic better than Eastwood, as his hero, and to Henry Fonda, playing shockingly against type, as his villain. Retaining Ennio Morricone, whose brilliant score helped keep the film in the same western universe, he made "Once Upon A Time In The West" a look at the conflict between progress and the old Western codes. Once Upon a Time In the West" became a kind of love letter to the Western genre, and referenced nearly every great American Western while telling it's own story. This was not just a movie, but an epic, impossibly large and full of breathtaking shots and scenes, including perhaps the best final showdown ever, consisting largely of Bronson and Fonda's staring at each other, making the final draw seem a relatively minor thing. It showed a side of the West that had been largely overlooked, except for the popular revisionist stories such as "The Alamo." "Harmonica" Bronson's character was a Mexican man in conflict with the all American Fonda, although their differences were entirely personal rather than cultural.
And again, if Leone had stopped there, his legacy would've been tough to match, but he still had years to go. Eventually he got to make the picture he'd been planning for years, even turning down a chance to direct "The Godfather" to do so. "Once Upon A Time in America" was a another epic, this time centered on the rise and fall of a group of Brooklyn gangsters. The story is told in three different time periods, the 20's, 30's and 60's and we see the times change in the life of "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert DeNiro) and his associates. While it's a very long film, it's also in a class of it's own, and as far as gangster films go, it doesn't get any better. Sadly, the epic was too much epic for the studios and they cut and shortened it until the story didn't resemble itself anymore. Luckily enough people noticed this, and the original has been available for some time now in all its intended glory. "Once Upon a Time In America" marks the change in American character since the old west, showing Leone's sentiment when he remarked, "In my childhood, America was like a religion. Then, real-life Americans abruptly entered my life, in jeeps, and upset all my dreams. I found them very energetic, but also very deceptive. They were no longer the Americans of the West. They were soldiers like any others; materialists, possessive, keen on pleasures and earthly goods." Noodles had little in common with Harmonica from Once Upon a Time In the West." or the Man With No Name, he was a ruined man, making a last effort to figure out why, and even that effort has to be viewed skeptically.
Leone wasn't done working of course, but he died in 1989 while planning another epic, this time a World War II epic about the siege of Leningrad. I think it's safe to say that cinema today would be a very different thing without Leone's contribution. He was quoted as saying “When I was young, I believed in three things: Marxism, the redemptive power of cinema, and dynamite. Now I just believe in dynamite.” a sentiment unsurprising from such a champion of the anti hero, although I'm sure that many film lovers would disagree with it, particularly when it comes to the impact of Leone's work. Judging by the abundance of anti heroes in our modern movies and top tier television, Leone's "Man With No Name" is still needed. Happy Birthday Sergio. I'm glad you were here.
Charles Bronson is the best example of a particular type of movie tough guy. He isn't fancy and doesn't even bother with the wisecracks. One look is all it takes to let you know he's serious. Not one to rely on his good looks, he looked as if he'd been chiseled out of a mountain and then etched his whole life into his face. He wasn't afraid to go over the top with violence in his movies but he always gave of a sense of decency, balancing with that cold blooded stare. He's not an aimless psychopath who enjoys shooting people, but typically someone who thinks vigilantism is the only valid form of mourning. He never did well with the critics, but certainly knew how to connect with an audience. Regarding that disconnect, he once said, "We don't make movies for critics, since they don't pay to see them anyhow.'' True to his word, he wasn't in the habit of going for Oscars, but he sure was good at making a film entertaining. I know he always struck a chord with me and I'm sure we'll never see another like him. Here's my top ten, although there are many more I'd love to fit in the list.
10. The Dirty Dozen
Major John Reisman (Lee Marvin) is in charge of a suicide mission during World War II. Because of the extreme danger a plan is devised to turn death row inmates into a fighting squad to handle it. In the unlikely event that they survive, their sentences will be commuted. Needless to say, they don't anticipate having to hand out many pardons. In a film almost absurdly full of tough guys including Lee Marvin, Telly Savalas, and Jim Brown, Bronson made his mark. coming across as one of the most formidable of the group. It gave an interesting spin to the role of the "good guys" as all of the dozen were imprisoned for good reason. A suicide mission isn't as grave when you're due to executed anyway. The concept has been used many times since then, but "The Dirty Dozen" paved the way for movies such as "The Wild Bunch" showing a more complex world than white and black hats.
9. Link, Red Sun
Red Sun is a very early cross cultural buddy cop movie. Teaming up the American Charles Bronson, Japanese star Toshiro Mifune and French star Alain Delon (as well as Swiss star Ursula Andress) Bronson plays Link, a member of Gotch's (Delon) outlaw gang who intend to rob the train carrying the Japanese ambassador and his valuables, under the protection of samurai led by Kuroda (Mifune) Of course, Gotch double crosses Link in order to keep his money, causing Link and Kuroda to team up to take him down. Bronson delivers a great representation of the gunfighter half of the duo. There have been enough of these culture clash cop movies since, that it won't be any surprise that their initially somewhat hesitant alliance eventually leads to a more friendly rivalry, each learning from and accepting the others different methods while working to get the same guy. Worth a watch just to see Bronson and Mifune together.
8. George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Machine Gun Kelly
No movie tough guy's career is complete without a proper gangster movie. For Bronson it was his first lead role. Loosely based on a true story, George Kelly is a petty crook looking to be big time, in order to impress his girlfriend Flo (Susan Cabot.) He robs banks to make money and headlines. Bank robbery leads to a grand kidnapping scheme. Flo pushes his buttons causing him to take risks despite his paralyzing fear of death and prison. Kelly's courage (or lack of courage) is tested when the FBI shows up to take them down.
7. Pardon Chato, Chato's Land
Pardon Chato is a half Apache man, visiting a town that doesn't care for Indians. He's forced to kill the Sheriff to protect himself before leaving town. Capt. Quincey Whitmore (Jack Palance) gathers a group to pursue Chato. They do't realize until it's too late that Chato is leading them into Apache territory which he knows like the back of his hand. When members of the posse start dying one after another, they start to realize they've made a mistake, but things only get uglier from there. A notable film in that Bronson barely speaks at all, letting his glares and his actions do the talking for him, certainly a talent seen to a lesser extent in all of his roles.
6.Vince Majestyk, Mr. Majestyk
Vince Majestyk is an ex Army Ranger who served in Viet Nam, now simply trying to run his watermelon farm. Local mobster, Bobby Kopas (Paul Koslo) realizing that Majestyk needs to harvest his crop, tries to make some money by having Vince use his useless and drunk workers. Vince strongly refuses instead gets his own workers. Koslo, however, has Vince arrested for assault. In jail, he runs into mob hit man, Frank Renda (Al Lettieri) and ruins Renda's escape plans, deciding to ransom Renda to the authorities for enough time to harvest his crop, even turning down Renda's offers to pay him off handsomely to let him go. Not surprisingly Renda hold a grudge and when he does escape, he joins up with Kopas and makes the mistake of going after Vince.
5. Major Grigori Borzov, Telefon
The KGB started operation "Telefon" a scheme which relied on Russian sleeper agents, who believe they're Americans, hearing code words (from a Robert Frost poem) which will trigger them into acts of sabotage against the US. When Russian activist Dalchimsky (Donald Pleasance) goes rogue with the "Telefon" plans, intending to use them, the Russian military has to act to avoid starting a war. They send KGB Major Grigori Borzov to locate Dalchimsky in America and stop Telefon. Assisted by CIA agent, Barbara (Lee Remick) he races to outsmart Dalchimsky before it's too late. Bronson was the perfect KGB agent, his silent stoicism really fitting the part. He handled espionage as well as he handled action films.
4. Paul Kersey, Death Wish
Death Wish begins with Kersey as a mild mannered architect, who lives in a city teeming with violent crime. He thinks little of it, as he's in the habit of defending the underpriveleged in the area, being labelled a bleeding heart liberal by co workers. However, the crime wave soon hits close to home costing him his wife and leaving his daughter in critical condition. The cops offer little hope for catching the criminals, and watching his daughter's condition get worse, he resolves to start taking care of it himself. He gets a gun and starts going out at night and luring criminals to attack him, only to shoot them when they do. The police start looking for the vigilante, although he's celebrated by much of the public. We find that while the police can't allow his activities, they're not entirely unsympathetic either.
3. Arthur Bishop, The Mechanic
Arthur Bishop is the best hit man around. He's a meticulous planner skilled at making his hits look like accidents. He's been in the business a long time due to his family history, and one day gets an assignment from "The Organization" to kill Harry, an old friend who was close to his father. Harry's son, Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) starts hanging around with Bishop after running into him at his father's funeral. Bishop reluctantly takes him on as a protege. This make the Organization unhappy as he didn't clear it with them. It soon becomes clear that Bishop himself is not above having a contract put on him, and the Organization is likely to pick a killer close to him to do the job. It's also likely that they underestimated Bishop.
2. Chaney, Hard Times
Chaney is a gifted bare knuckle brawler, who can take a hit as well as give one out. During the Depression, he ends up in New Orleans without any money and stumbles onto the underground fight circuit. He's quickly noticed by Speed (James Coburn) who promotes him and quickly puts money in Chaney's pocket, while he gets a cut for himself. In arranging fights, Speed gets himself in debt to the mob. Chaney doesn't need to fight anymore, but has no choice when Speed's life is at stake for one final bout, the toughest one he's ever had. A riveting look at the depression era and the fight game, where men are treated like animals and money is everything, but some still keep their dignity.
1. Harmonica, Once Upon a Time In the West
The man knows as Harmonica appears at a train station where he's greeted by a group of outlaws that work for "Frank" (Henry Fonda.) He shoots them all down and heads for the next town. We see Frank killing the whole McBain family in the meantime, including a little boy. McBain's new bride, Jill is on her way to the ranch. Harmonica runs into an outlaw named Cheyenne (Jason Robards) who's gang is being framed for the McBain murder. All of their paths intersect leading up to a final showdown where we learn why the mysterious Harmonica won't stop until he faces off with Frank. Perhaps the best Western of all time, Harmonica is the part that Bronson was born to play.
What Happens?
"The Mechanic"is a different twist on the "hit man's last job" movie, presenting Charles Bronson as solitary and stoic as ever, yet forced to realize he's aging and can't do what he once did. Rather than try to retire or get out of the business, he chooses to train someone else to thin his workload. At least that's how it appears on the surface.
Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is the best hit man or "mechanic" around. We see his meticulous methods right away, opening the movie with Bishop on the job. After learning his target's daily routine and securing an apartment with a window facing his target's window. He takes pictures of the man's apartment and scrutinizes his information at home for the perfect way to kill him. He breaks into the man's apartment and prepares it for the hit by placing a malleable explosive in a book in the man's bedroom rigging the gas oven to leak and drugging his tea. From the facing apartment, he watches the target drink his tea, and get drowsy, He waits until later that night, before shooting the book in the bedroom with a sniper rifle, causing a big and fatal explosion.
Bishop next meets with Harry McKenna, (Keenan Wynn) a longtime friend of his father. Harry explains the the Organization says that Harry broke "the agreement" and won't take his calls any longer. He would like Bishop to talk to them on his behalf. Bishop doesn't see what difference that will make, but Harry explains that the reverence they had for Bishop's father, might make them more agreeable. Over a drink, Harry reminds Bishop of a story about Harry, Bishop's father and Bishop as a boy on a fishing trip. Bishop had fallen overboard and couldn't swim, which prompted his father to say "he'll learn" not moving a muscle to help him. Harry recalls that he himself had to reach out and pull him back into the boat.
Harry: Your old man, he laughed like hell!
Bishop: That was a long time ago.
Their visit is interrupted by Harry's son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) who shows up looking for money. Harry initially gives him a hard time before handing him the $1,000.00 he wants and Steve remarks, "My father gets uptight when I ask him for money he steals from other people." Harry apologizes for his son's manner and asks Bishop to call when he knows something.
Bishop gets a delivery which is the contract on Harry. He pins up all of Harry's personal information and plans out the hit. He scouts a remote beach location and tells Harry the Organization has asked him to meet there. When they arrive, Bishop drives up to a hill overlooking Harry on the beach. He takes shots at Harry from his hidden location and then acts as if he's discovered a sniper and is attempting to help Harry get away. Harry runs to the car, exhausted and Bishop approaches him gun in hand revealing his intention. Bishop then suffocates Harry in the car.
Bishop visits a girl (Jill Ireland) who role plays a rather mundane drama with him, playing his neglected girlfriend, including reading a letter she wrote, requiring him to comfort her. After they spend the night together, she announces that the letter was difficult and will cost him another hundred. He agrees, remarking that the letter was a good touch, recommending something like it for next time.
Bishop runs into Steve again at Harry's funeral. Steve isn't too bothered by his father's death, describing his father to Bishop as "Harry McKenna, fixer extraordinaire, pusher, pimp, thief, arsonist..." Bishop asks, "You liked him a lot?" Bishop tells Steve that Harry had worked for his father years ago. Steve realizes that this means Bishop's father was in the Organization and he asks Bishop if he's in himself, surmising that he is although Bishop tries to change the subject, reminding him to pay attention to the funeral. When Bishop remarks on Steve being sure of himself he responds "I live in my mind, Mr. Bishop."
Bishop: "Sounds like something I read someplace.
Steve: And so do you.
Bishop leaves the service and Steve asks him for a ride home. Bishop agrees and finds that Harry's (now Steve's) house is full of Steve's friends having a party. Wading through the crowd, Steve tells Bishop, "My father never really liked my friends, and I'm not so sure I do either." Steve gets a phone call from a girlfriend, Louise, threatening to kill herself. He asks Bishop if he'll come along to visit Louise. They find Louise with razor blades, preparing to slit her wrists. Steve makes a show of not caring and Louise cuts one of her wrists to prove she will, still getting no reaction from Steve or Bishop, other than Bishop telling her how long it will take her to die based on her weight. Louise insists that Steve will stop her before she dies, but Steve says "Listen, if you don't care anything about your life, then why should I?" Steve throws her some car keys and tells her she might live if she heads to the Sheriff's station in Malibu right away.
Discussing the situation, and the idea of watching someone die, Bishop he tells Steve "It just means you have your own rule book."
Steve: I can dig that.
Bishop: It takes a very special kind of person to pick up the tab for that kind of living. You say you dig it, but you're talking about something you really know nothing about.
Steve: And you do?
Bishop: Do I?
Bishop attends to his routines including martial arts, and knife throwing as well as talking a lot of pills. Visiting an aquarium he passes out, and wakes up in the hospital. The Doctor at the hospital recommends he see his own doctor, and says it sounds like he's experiencing "Acute Anxiety Reaction" adding that if it isn't that, he may want to try a psychiatrist.
He wakes up the next morning to find Steve parked outside his house. Steve is impressed with his place and Bishop explains he inherited a lot. Steve tries to convince him to let him in on his "action" Bishop takes Steve out in a plane, letting go of the controls and forcing Steve to take over, which he quickly does. At a bar later, Bishop explains that his father was a "Judge" who had the final word settling Organization disputes,until someone didn't like a decision and put a contract out on him, when Bishop was sill in school. Steve shares that his father never let him in on anything, although he wanted to know the business. Bishop lets him witness a karate match which turns pretty brutal. Steve remarks "He practically murdered that guy." and Bishop answers "Murder is only killing without a license and everybody kills, governments, the military, the police."
Steve: Do you think Yamato's a killer?
Bishop: He's a killer that doesn't kill. It's funny. No, for him, the rules are important.
Steve: That's your expert opinion?
Bishop: That's my opinion.
Steve points out that Bishop is being evasive about giving real answers. Bishop reminds him that he better be sure he wants the answers he's asking for. He asks Steve what he knows about the term "Mechanic" and Steve tells him it can be used as synonymous with hit man. Bishop reveals that's what he is and tells Steve that sometimes he could use a back up. Steve asks, "You do this for money?"
Bishop: Money is paid, but that's not the motive. It has to do with standing outside of it all, on your own.
He offers to teach Steve all he can, and confirming he's in, Steve says "You've got a partner Mr. Bishop." Bishop corrects him, "Associate."
Steve demonstrates an aptitude for the work and they start training for real. Going through a museum Bishop tells Steve "There are killers and there are killers, to tell you the truth they all have a different book of rules. To get away with it depends on the book of rules you have in your pocket at the time, your own country, somebody else's country, or your own personal book of rules. All this (waves at the museum figures) heroes, half of them are killers. Napoleon was one you know, Pancho Villa, Genghis Khan, and the we have our own domestic brand, like Billy the Kid, Jesse James and John Dillinger. Yeah, they're about as famous as our own honest to goodness heroes."
Bishop gets an assignment to kill three men, who are in the habit of riding around on dirtbikes, but live behind heavy security with constant guards on watch. Bishop includes Steve in the job, including the surveillance. Bishop surprises Steve by watching one of the men in a conversation via binoculars and reading their lips to discover a "Chicken Licken" truck set to arrive at the guarded compound for a delivery. Bishop finds vats of acid at a plating plant to dump the bodies afterwards. Steve and Bishop take the Chicken Licken truck and enter the compound. The hit is messy though and one of the men escapes forcing Bishop to chase the man on a dirtbike. Although the man ends up dead, the chase causes quite a commotion running through backyard parties and causing car accidents.
Bishop is called to meet with one of the Organization heads. He takes a plane to meet a chauffeured car which brings him to the estate. The man (Frank DeKova) is paining a leopard which he has tied in the yard. The man comments that the last job was very messy and asks about Harry McKenna's son and how he's involved in things. Bishop takes exception at the thought of having to ask permission. The man reminds him that there are rules in place which ensure the Organization survives, implying that Bishop has broken a rule.
He gives Bishop a new assignment saying it has to be done fast.
Bishop: I'll handle it the way I always do.
Man: There may not be time enough for that. The word is he's getting ready to talk to some people. The problem is considerable.
Bishop: I'm not some wild Cleveland shooter. I don't cowboy!
Man: If he talks, things could get complicated, sloppy. That would disturb a lot of us. It's not really open to discussion, Mr. Bishop. This business of McKenna's son has upset a few of our associates.
The man tells him that the target is in Naples, where they have him a room already.
Bishop gets home and heads to Steve's place. Finding Steve is out, he looks around and finds that Steve has taken a contract to kill him. He puts the papers back and goes home. When Steve shows up at Bishop's house later, he fills him in on the Naples job, telling him they want it "Cowboyed" He also tells Steve that he is nevertheless going to do it the way he's always done.
They head to Naples and start watching the target, discovering that the man is very unpredictable, rarely doing the same thing twice, with the exception of returning to his boat. Bishop shares a local wine with Steve, explaining that it doesn't travel well and they don't export it. He reminds Steve to savor it and the time he has. He also gives Steve advice about planning hits, telling him, "You've got to be dead sure, or dead." Bishop tells Steve he'll pick up some scuba gear and they'll use it to get on the boat undetected to kill the target. They succeed and Bishop plans an explosive before they leave. As they get off the boat, some Organization men show up after them in speedboats. They watch as the men get blown up with the boat. Steve asks who the men are and Bishop explains that they're Organization men, after him because he broke a rule by not asking them to start training him. More men show up soon, leading to a car chase. Bishop blows up a car chasing them and then sends an exploding car into a roadblock set for him, and pushes the last pursuing car off the mountain road with a bulldozer he finds on the side of the road.
Back at their room, Steve offers Bishop a glass of the local wine he likes. Steve watches with interest as Bishop has a sip. Bishop insects the glass himself suspiciously before picking up his bag to go, only to double over in pain. Steve says "Brucine! You'll be dead in a few minutes. Listen, you'll really appreciate this. This stuff is absolutely clear when it's in solution. I just coated the inside of the glass with it and let it dry. When the wine hit it it went right back into solution. No trace. Looks just like a heart attack." Bishop keeps struggling on the ground in agony. Steve continues "You said every man has his jelly spot. Yours was you just couldn't cut it alone."
Bishop: Was it because of your father?
Steve: You killed him? I thought he just died. You see? There you are. They told you who to hit. Kept the whole idea from being what we talked about. You needed a license, their license. I'm gonna pick my own mark, hit when I want. Just like you said, standing outside. See Naples and die."
Steve heads to Bishop's place, as if making it his own. He picks up the ball Bishop would squeeze to strengthen his fingers and then gets into his car and finds a note taped to his rear view mirror. We hear Bishop reading it to him " Steve, if you read this it means I didn't make it back. It also means you've broken a filament controlling a thirteen second delay trigger. End of game. Bang, you're dead."
What about it?
While "The Mechanic" could be accurately billed as an action film, it's a very thoughtful one, using the model of the hit man to ask some existential questions such as, what does it mean to "live outside?"The hit man is often used for questions like this. To it's credit the movie doesn't throw these questions at characters until we realize the questions suit them. The sub text is delivered beautifully suggesting the psychological scars of the lead characters, without putting the camera to them directly. Bronson's Bishop has many issues with family, relationships and society in general. We first hear his father mentioned when Harry describes the younger Bishop almost drowning. Harry remembers that the didn't cry or scream, just stared up at his father who didn't move a muscle to help. "That was a long time ago." Bishop answers to dismiss the story, but we wonder if Bishop has really put it behind him. He tells Steve that his father was a "judge." for the organization, and that he didn't talk about the Organization to him. When Steve compares their fathers suggesting that they were cowards, Bishop takes exception, claiming his father was "the best." He works for the Organization that his father helped build and has the same job as the man from Chicago who killed his father. When told he has to "cowboy" a hit, Bishop claims he's not a "wild Cleveland shooter." and we get a possible reason for his meticulous planning and methods, Cleveland not being too far from Chicago and possibly where his father's killer hailed from. Bishop possibly hopes he can be better at his job than the man who killed his father, which would finally give him some power in their relationship, or at least his idea of it. This also affords him the idea that he is "outside the system" to which his father was devoted.
Bishop's justifications for killing echo the question wrestled with by Rasalnikov from Dostoevsky's classic, "Crime and Punishment." which is reinforced when Bishop tells Steve that Napoleon was a killer, the same thought that Dostoevsky's character had and wrestled with. Like Dostoevsky's character, Bishop can't put himself in the same place that Napoleon did, we see it suggested that his physical problems are psychologically based and possibly due to the stress and guilt from making a living killing people. Bishop imagines himself outside the rules, yet must admit that everyone has rules, the distinction he makes is that some people have their own rule book.
"There are killers and there are killers, to tell you the truth they all have a different book of rules. To get away with it depends on the book of rules you have in your pocket at the time, your own country, somebody else's country, or your own personal book of rules. All this (waves at the museum figures) heroes, half of them are killers. Napoleon was one you know, Pancho Villa, Genghis Khan, and the we have our own domestic brand, like Billy the Kid, Jesse James and John Dillinger. Yeah, they're about as famous as our own honest to goodness heroes."
He speaks contemptuously of those who "need a license" to kill, but Steve appears correct when he accuses Bishop of using the Organization to provide a license for him, a fact which we can surmise Bishop himself must have considered, and possibly the reason he "broke the rules." and brought Steve in without asking permission. Despite his challenging tone to "the man" in the Organization, we know that Bishop has spent most of his life enforcing contracts on other's who broke these rules, so ignorance is not believable. This is supported by his lack of surprise, finding Steve has taken his contract. Ultimately, we have a man so lost in his own contradictions, that he is ready and willing to orchestrate his own death. His disconnection from life is also illustrated in his paying a hooker, to not only have sex with him, but to convincingly act the part of his disappointed girlfriend, as if he can forge human contact by emulating it.
While evaluating Steve, after watching Louise cut her wrist, Bishop tells him "It takes a very special kind of person to pick up the tab for that kind of living. You say you dig it, but you're talking about something you really know nothing about." We know that Bishop himself is wrestling with "the tab." Choosing Steve as his protege is not accidental, having parallels to his own story. We know that Steve's father once saved Bishop's life, and that Steve considers himself outside the rules. It's Steve that points out that they both live "in their minds." While on the surface, we don't see Bishop with any ethical compunctions about killing, we do sense that his disconnectedness is becoming to much to bear and training Steve may be an assertion of his humanity, the chance to let someone into his head. Bishop plays out his death perfectly, not tipping Steve off in any way that he knows he's planning to kill him. Even when after the last hit, the Organization miraculously arrives gunning for him, knowing that only Steve could have tipped them off, he doesn't show the least suspicion. His own death is in fact, necessary to build Steve's confidence in order for Bishop's hit on Steve to work. Bishop doesn't succeed at living but can succeed in dying "by his own rules."
This is a solid film by Michael Winner, who seemed well suited to bring out the best in Charles Bronson (also notably collaborating in Death Wish.) The opening sequence is brilliant and you become so involved in Bishop planning his hit that you don't realize you've witnessed 16 minutes without any dialogue whatsoever, as close as we can get to living in the character's mind. This paints the character beautifully and is particularly good for Bronson, an actor who acts with his stony face, more than with anything he says. Jan-Michael Vincent is great as Steven, a cocky kid, too full of himself for his own good. And it's also a treat to see Bronson with Jill Ireland, his longtime wife, although her part was small here. The action sequences are exciting and original, and this is as much an action film as it is a dramatic one, which is suitable for the questions it poses.
Bronson is great as a hitman and the term "Mechanic" suits him. his disconnected, technical approach to killing makes the taking of someone else's life an engineering problem, rather than a cruelty. He shows no emotion even when killing Harry, an old family friend who he remembers from childhood. Yet, we do get glimpses of emotion turning behind his eyes. He considers things obsessively, yet his stoic determination and adherence to his own rules puts any qualms at bay, yet, not completely enough that his subconscious lets him off the hook. He does, "live in his mind." but his longing for some sort of connection must be placated somehow.
"Be dead sure or be dead!" Bishop tells Steve, and this observation hits in a couple ways. Bishop is no longer sure about many things, and sees this as a logical choice, accepting the latter. Steve says he'll "Try to remember that" but Bishop tells him "Don't try. Remember." Steve doesn't have time to grasp the full meaning of the advice, and pays for it, his sudden explosive ending the only fitting reminder for not considering all the angles. "The Mechanic" examines the "tab" that must be picked up by those who think to "live outside." presenting it as an inevitable fact, which you will pay eventually, even if you're too skilled to be forced to pay it by anyone but yourself.
*There is a remake coming out shortly, directed by Simon West (Con Air) starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster, and Donald Sutherland. I'll be curious to see how it turns out but can't imagine it will top the original classic. Jason Stathams a solid action guy, but you can't compete with Bronson.
Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) is an architect, enjoying a day at the beach with his lovely wife,Joanna (Hope Lange) She isn't thrilled to be going home from vacation, and we soon discover that home is in the city. They get back into their life quick enough appearing to have a quiet and peaceful existence.
Once Paul gets back to work, he's greeted by news of crime rates by his co- workers. He discusses the situation calmly, making his position known.
Sam Kreutzer: You know, decent people are going to have to work here and live somewhere else.
Paul Kersey: By "decent people," you mean people who can afford to live somewhere else.
Sam Kreutzer: Oh Christ, you are such a bleeding-heart liberal, Paul.
Paul Kersey: My heart bleeds a little for the underprivileged, yes.
Sam Kreutzer: The underprivileged are beating our goddamned brains out. You know what I say? Stick them in concentration camps, that's what I say.
Joanna however, is not so lucky, and faces the crime problem much more personally when three young thugs, (including Jeff Goldblum) discreetly follow her home from the grocery store where she's spending time with her daughter, Carol Toby (Kathleen Tolan) Carol answers a knock at the door,and the thugs claim they have a grocery delivery, which she believes. They force themselves in as soon as the door opens and demand money. The two women are terrified and Joanna offers them Carol's purse. Angry that she only has four dollars, they start beating on Joanna, and sexually abusing Carol. They have no mercy at all, even spray painting Carol when they're done, then beating Joanna further. Carol calls her husband, Jack Toby (Steven Keats) when the thugs run off and he calls Paul at the office.
Paul and Jack meet at the hospital, the doctors tell them that Carol will be Okay, but they have her sedated. Paul isn't as lucky as they tell him Joanna has died. We find them next at the funeral, which happens during a snowstorm. Paul indicates he hasn't been home, and Carol seems to be barely aware of anything going on around her. Jack tries to talk him into staying with them, but Paul insists that it's time for him to go home. Paul stops at the police station and asks for the officer working on his case. They bring him to Lt. Briggs, who tells him what they know, asking if he can get his daughter to look at mug shots. He asks the Lt. about the chances.
Paul Kersey: Any chance of catching these men?
Lt. Briggs: There's a chance, sure.
Paul Kersey: Just a chance?
Lt. Briggs: I'd be less than honest if I gave you more hope, Mr. Kersey. In the city, that's the way it is.
Carol is still severely traumatized, shrieking in terror when Jack barely touches her. Paul looks out the window and sees some criminals running and seems to have an idea. He gets two rolls of quarters the next morning. At work, his boss offers to send him on an assignment to Arizona, for the change of scenery. Paul explains that he doesn't want to leave New York for a week or so. Paul visits Jack and Carol (who is constantly sedated and sleeping) He expresses concern to Jack that she's sleeping too much. Jack says they're following doctor's orders. and he has to take her for a change of scenery, which Paul can't be a part of, as he might remind her of her mother.
Paul starts walking the streets alone at night, looking for criminals. When a mugger attempts to rob him, Paul smacks the mugger with the quarters in a sock, sending him running away. He experiments with the quarters in the sock later and finds the sock breaks open easily. He then heads for Arizona, where he meets Aimes Jainchill (Stuart Margolin) who brings him to see a fake gunfight at a fake western town in Tucson. often used for movies. Paul gets along well with Aimes as they work on the building project together. Paul throws himself into the project staying until midnight, prompting Aimes to check on him. Aimes invites him to go to dinner at a gun club. Paul tells Aimes that he was a conscientious objector during the Korean War, which amuses Aimes.
Ames Jainchill: You're probably one of them knee-jerk liberals that thinks us gun boys would shoot our guns because it's an extension of our penises.
Paul Kersey: Never thought about it that way. It could be true.
Ames Jainchill: Well, maybe it is. But this is gun country.
Paul takes to the gun immediately, shooting a bulls eye dead center on his first try. He explains that he grew up with guns but hasn't touched one since his father died in a hunting accident years ago. Aimes is very pleased that Paul has respected his wishes while drawing up the project and he slips a present into Paul's bag which he's checking for the flight.
Jack meets him at the airport, and reveals that Carol has not gotten better and is now hospitalized and practically a vegetable. Paul blames Jack for handling it wrong, but Jack insists there's nothing else he can do. Paul starts going out for walks at night right away. He gets followed by a mugger with a gun and shoots him rather than give him money. He runs home and panics, throwing up in reaction.
The cops find the mugger dead and it reaches the newspapers. Paul's boss is happy with the project, but Paul's main interest is getting back out on the streets. He runs into a group of three criminals next, but one of them lives. He doesn't have any interest in giving the cops a description though. Visiting with Jack, Paul gets into a discussion prompted by Jack's resignation to being helpless.
Paul Kersey: Nothing to do but cut and run, huh? What else? What about the old American social custom of self-defense? If the police don't defense us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves.
Jack Toby: We're not pioneers anymore, Dad.
Paul Kersey: What are we, Jack?
Jack Toby: What do you mean?
Paul Kersey: I mean, if we're not pioneers, what have we become? What do you call people who, when they're faced with a condition or fear, do nothing about it, they just run and hide?
Jack Toby: Civilized?
Paul Kersey: No.
The police start making the vigilante their top priority, Detective Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia) leads the efforts, directing them to search for people who've lost family members to muggers. and decided to tell the press they have leads, when they don't. Paul resumes his nightly strolls, trying the subway next and killing two more muggers who pull knives on him. He barely eludes the police who discover the bodies in the subway when people start screaming. Paul smiles, listening to a police press conference, begging the vigilante to turn himself in. The police deny a reporter's claim that mugging has gone down since the vigilante started working.
Paul goes out again. Killing another mugger, and wounding another, who manages to cut him. He escapes the police. The wounded mugger dies at the hospital but reveals that he cut the man who shot him. The news starts covering people who are standing up to muggers inspired by the vigilante. The police try to narrow down their list of suspects to a local area. Paul turns up on the list of suspects, but his status as a former conscientious objector makes them skeptical. Ochoa, even breaks into Paul's apartment while he's out for a walk and discovers a collection of articles and magazines on the vigilante case, as well as a bloody tissue. He takes the tissue, to match against the knife taken from the mugger. Before he can take things further, the District Attorney summons him for a meeting, informing Ochoa that they don't want him arrested or killed but they want him to stop. They reveal that mugging has gone down to an impossibly low level, which they can't reveal for fear of other vigilantes turning up. Ochoa is instructed to scare him off.
Ochoa calls Paul at the office and informs him that he's under surveillance. Ochoa directs a group of officers to stop and frisk him, while Ochoa is visible parked behind them. Paul sneaks out of the house, while the police are watching. and sneaks past Ochoa in the street, by hiding behind a group of people in Halloween costumes. Ocoa soon realizes Paul is gone and heads out to look for him. Paul heads back to the office to get his gun leaving just before Ochoa arrives. Paul hits the streets.
Paul soon ends up trapped on a stairway by a group of muggers. He shoots two of them and then chases the other two, shooting one and getting shot himself by the other. He continues chasing the last mugger, and when he catches up, points the gun at him and makes a John Wayne reference, saying "Fill your hand." The mugger doesn't get the reference, so Paul says "Draw" The mugger just looks confused, and Paul passes out before he can shoot the mugger. Police find him quickly, getting him into an ambulance. Ochoa takes Paul's gun and tells the responding officer to forget he saw it. Ochoa confronts Paul at the hospital and tells him that if he'll have the company transfer him to an office in another city, he'll drop the gun in the river. Paul responds,
"By sundown?"
Paul makes good on the agreement, arriving in Chicago, greeted by his new boss. He notices some punks hassling a woman and helps her pick up her bags that they knocked all over. He looks at the group smiles, while simulating, firing a gun with his thumb and pointer finger.
Death Wish is a movie which is definitely marked by the times it was made in. It's one of the first major films to show an average guy in a modern setting fighting back against violent criminals. It produced a good deal of debate, as rampant crime was a big concern in 1974 when it was released. The New York that Winner constructs here, is certainly exaggerated though. It's presented as inevitable that if someone walks along minding his business, a mugger will show up quickly. These circumstances that make it almost understandable to walk around armed and waiting to shoot. Paul Kersey, however, is excused even further, as he's cleaning up the streets out of revenge. I find it interesting that he never catches the thugs that killed his wife. Perhaps it's a dose of realism, or a statement that killing one mugger is as good as killing another.
This is the movie that made Charles Bronson a household name. The real pleasure is watching him proceed stoically in his long coat, rarely changing expression. He doesn't throw out snappy one liners, just waits for the crime and executes. He's efficient, and once he commits, unyielding, eventually you could say he's addicted to the killing, as he couldn't stop himself from going out even under surveillance. He's not flashy, but he is believable as a character who could turn from a "bleeding heart liberal" to a merciless vigilante simply by changing his mind. All of the decisions occur in his head. He doesn't need to explain them, he's a man who trusts in his own authority. The saying "you've got to look out for the quiet ones" could have been made with Bronson in mind. The whole story is told in those impossibly resolute eyes.
Death Wish has certainly had a major impact on movies since. The "man who's pushed too far" is a regular staple now, but it all started here, at least in a non Western setting. Winner directs efficiently, getting us into the story as quickly as possible. I believe Kersey's wife is killed within the first ten minutes. We get right to where we're going. He does a good job showing just the right amount of information, so that we never feel that Kersey is a mad dog. Each time we watch the crime, the revenge, and Kersey walking away. The score is terrific as well, which is a result of having Herbie Hancock do it. It fits well in the movie, enhancing but never overpowering. With everything that happens to Kersey, you might think that this is a movie about sadness, but it isn't, although the sadness is there, it's all about action. Kersey knows he'll never find the right muggers, but he has to do something. He thinks like an architect, not a hit man. I can find a lot of holes in the film's message, but I personally view the message as purely a reason to get Charles Bronson where he needs to be. In this world I'll cheer for the vigilante, but Death Wish a long way from the real world.
Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) is an architect, enjoying a day at the beach with his lovely wife,Joanna (Hope Lange) She isn't thrilled to be going home from vacation, and we soon discover that home is in the city. They get back into their life quick enough appearing to have a quiet and peaceful existence.