Lee Marvin plays Walker. A crook who is betrayed and left for dead by his best friend, gangster Mal Reese. Reese takes Walker's share of a robbery and his wife. Unfortunately for Reese, Walker isn't dead and does the impossible, swimming to the shore from Alcatraz. Once his wounds are healed, he begins a mission to retrieve his $93,000 share of the loot and exact vengeance on his wife, Reese and the rest of the accomplices.
This is a very stylised thriller. Marvin's Walker is a very unsympathetic anti-hero, though his seemingly unstoppable nature is to be admired. Someone just give him his money! The use of single names is used throughout and acts as a mystery to the identity of the mysterious head honchos. Who is Fairfax?
Boorman's use of flashback throughout is well motivated. From the opening scene where we see the apparent death of the main character to the repeated imagery in the frequent scenes of violence and death, each point is hammered home.
Angie Dickinson as Chris, Walker's sister-in-law, is on great form and the neo-noir genre does leave you guessing about her character's motivations. Is she a femme fatale? Is she Fairfax?
It is a great on the edge thriller and has many traits of a classic noir. Boorman's makes great use of wide screen and colour palate to make the most beautiful views look bleak.
No comments:
Post a Comment