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97.125.113.116
I think it shows that Peckinpaugh, for all of his vast reputation, was more of an accomplished stylist than great filmmaker.
This film plows the same ground (no, not as well but none have) as 1946's, "The Killers," and many others: a man on the run from a crime syndicate and merrily getting along in his new life finally is tracked down for vengeance by hit men.
This excellent entertainment has several powerful forces working in its favor: the debut of Tim Roth, good but not yet the force-of-nature he was in "Pulp Fiction" for instance, Terence Stamp, John Hurt, and the Spanish countryside. The writing, which in less skillful hands could have become ludicrous, was interesting. It is no mean feat to keep an audience from laughter when a Cockney lowlife (the lowest rung of robbers are the getaway drivers) waxes philosophical, extemporizes on metaphysics--- specifically, on the meaning of life and death. Stamp's performance, seemingly playing a bit off his star turn as the Christ-like "Billy Budd," also is an interesting nuance.
What keeps the film from the top rank is its quite unfortunate centering upon the character of John Hurt, the lead executioner. He is a cipher, a man of almost no words, and ultimately, of a very twisted sense of morality, even for a criminal. For Frears to exalt him, and make no mistake that he does in the final crucifixion-like scene, throws the high-mindedness of the film from the very serious to the want-to-be-serious pile.
Still, the Stamp character is interesting and the film is a clever attempt at hijacking a crime film to a philosophical one.
Frustrating exercise but definitely a very good film: its strengths are prodigious.
Follow Ups:
dd
with 3 of my favorite actors, a witty story and nice music too - I think I will rent it again soon...
thanks
Phil
but I've yet to decide just why; perhaps there is indeed too much focus on the near-mute "Mr. Braddock" ( Hurt ) or "Willy Parker" ( Stamp ) is just a bit too bright + philosophical... There is an imbalance somewhere, corrected, that would elevate this film to one of the true greats
Not Tim Roths debut; he was in a Mike Leigh film earlier than "Hit" ( which strangely enough, was Gary Oldmans debut film ) Not one of Leighs better efforts, either ( don't recall the title )
Music from the Hit is ( mostly ) Eric Clapton, very salvageable!GW
Edits: 01/20/10
by having Stamp so skillfully, bravely, and almost successfully defend himself from the four young thugs right at the beginning, we are led to believe in his bravery, setting us up for that base end. Good direction has no need of shenanigans like that. Frears went on to improve, of course. (I know he wasn't the writer but directors get the glory so they should get the howls, too).
statement.
Clapton's music is lovely.
I guess I also was put out by the character of Stamp being a bit of a set-up, a moral "gotcha!," as if someone with those beliefs had to be hypocritical. Hurt's character, being the film's center as the director acknowledged, was too mute to hold it together. When Stamp fell away, the film tottered a bit.
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