Seeing Patrick McGoohan and Lee Van Cleef in the same film, is reason enough to seek out "The Hard Way". McGoohan plays an Irish hit-man, obsessed with guns, who unexpectedly wants to retire. Van Cleef urges him to do one last difficult job for him, threatening McGoohan's wife for leverage. Eventually McGoohan reneges on the hit and kills a couple of hit men who are sent after him, leading to a cat and mouse climax between Van Cleef and McGoohan. The finale takes place in a booby trapped mansion and the confrontation and ending are both exciting and satisfying. For fans of either McGoohan or Van Cleef, this is a must see film. - MERK
17 Reviews
Quiet Isn't Always Smart
TanakaK16 December 2019
This is, indeed, a quiet film with little dialog and few characters. Unfortunately, that style of filmmaking relies heavily on expert acting, an extremely sharp screenplay, and top-notch cinematography to succeed. The cinematography was fine. But the rest, not so much. McGoohan and VanCleef were both fine actors. McGoohan made his career by saying as little as possible so he fits perfectly into this style. But when they're asked to actually speak ... ugh. The dialog is generally hackneyed and stiff. The story elements, in general, were quite cliche'd even by 1979.
Overall I'd recommend watching it if you're a McGoohan or VanCleef fan. But otherwise you won't at a loss for missing it.
Overall I'd recommend watching it if you're a McGoohan or VanCleef fan. But otherwise you won't at a loss for missing it.
A slow moving and confused movie that will irritate the viewer
irivlin5 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A dour, rather slow and muddled film. I can't say it was one of McGoohan's best.
Did they have to make this film such a kitchen-sink drama? Think of the bright, colourful photography of the 1964-1966 "Dollars" Sergio Leone movies. The Hard Way, in contrast, was dark, shadowy (in a bad way, not in a Third Man or Citizen Kane way) - cheap looking and miserable. I urge anyone with bipolar mania to watch this film when they're on a "high". This movie will bring 'em down in ten minutes flat.
There were lots of annoying lapses of attention to detail. Some of them have already been commented on. In this movie, we have someone who's supposed to be one of the best marksmen in Europe - and the baddies send three buffoons after him, in open countryside, A blind man on a galloping horse could have picked them off. No surprises that the goons failed.
Sarcastic trivia:- Watch at 31 minutes, 0 seconds. You'll see the world first fully recoilless rifle. In fact You'll see lots of things in this film that have yet to be invented.
Did they have to make this film such a kitchen-sink drama? Think of the bright, colourful photography of the 1964-1966 "Dollars" Sergio Leone movies. The Hard Way, in contrast, was dark, shadowy (in a bad way, not in a Third Man or Citizen Kane way) - cheap looking and miserable. I urge anyone with bipolar mania to watch this film when they're on a "high". This movie will bring 'em down in ten minutes flat.
There were lots of annoying lapses of attention to detail. Some of them have already been commented on. In this movie, we have someone who's supposed to be one of the best marksmen in Europe - and the baddies send three buffoons after him, in open countryside, A blind man on a galloping horse could have picked them off. No surprises that the goons failed.
Sarcastic trivia:- Watch at 31 minutes, 0 seconds. You'll see the world first fully recoilless rifle. In fact You'll see lots of things in this film that have yet to be invented.
Tragic, poignant, and definitely under-rated - less is more
carolv_brady25 July 2005
'Less is more.' A Tribute to The Hard Way and to Patrick McGoohan.
Since happening upon this film a few years ago when I managed to win it at auction for just a few pounds - I have become so obsessed with it that I have made pilgrimages all over Ireland in order to pay homage to it, and to its leading actor, Patrick McGoohan. He is, sadly, no longer with us, along with many of the other fine actors who make up the supporting cast (Lee Van Cleef; Donal McCann; Peter Brayham; Joe Lynch). The re-release of the film on DVD, almost 30 years to the day of its original screening, is long overdue but better late than never! It may have taken a very long time but the best things in life are always worth waiting for.
In writing this review, I have struggled long and hard to articulate my feelings into words. I hope that I do justice both to the film and to Patrick McGoohan. I believe that this appearance is arguably his finest, most understated and underrated acting role ever.
The plot ambles along; it is heavy and slow; there is hardly any dialogue, and very little action. Anyone looking for a fast moving 'gangster' movie peppered with gunfire (as the trailer included in the DVD's special features seems to suggest) will certainly be disappointed.
The use of speech is so sparse it is almost conspicuous by its absence. Most of the scenes are eerily quiet. However, this only serves to build up the tension. The use of body language to convey mood and meaning is very subtly done; especially in the bar room 'stand off' between the two main protagonists. The way in which John Connor (Patrick McGoohan) gently menaces his 'handler' McNeal (Lee Van Cleef), and resists the latter's attempts at persuasion with a quiet, stubborn resolve, is just breathtaking to watch. I can only applaud when the former leaves with quiet dignity, then slams the bar room door behind him to signify, and release, his clearly pent-up anger. That beats any 'shoot out' I've ever seen! In my opinion, Patrick McGoohan's portrayal of the Irish mercenary who wants to retire is extremely sympathetic. He shows a man who is not just a cold-blooded killer. John Connor is very human, and has many redeeming qualities, including that of moral courage borne out in the parting words of Kathleen (Edna O'Brien), John Connor's estranged wife, in the final scene "A waste of a man." I have to admit that, in spite of his past deeds, I have to weep for the man I can't help it. Such is the power of the actor's presence and the skill with which he takes on the mantle of this complex character.
In this respect, great credit must also be given to the skillful direction of Michael Dryhurst. Having heard that the actor and the director were very like-minded, I can well believe it when I watch the results.
In addition, the stunning cinematography of Henri Decae enhances the production. Sweeping panoramic shots of the Irish countryside and the mountains contrast sharply with the claustrophobic and depressing settings of seedy hotels and dark, dingy city streets. The way the scenes are lit is also very creative and effective.
The accompanying soundtrack consists of just three pieces, all of them instrumental, and each is cleverly employed to illustrate the mood of their respective scenes. 'The Dear Irish Boy', an Irish air beautifully rendered by the solo violinist Tommy Potts, and 'Events in Dense Fog,' (from Brian Eno's 'Music for Films') which accompany John Connor's sad, reflective moments, and the forlorn speeches from his estranged wife, tug at the heartstrings and bring tears to the eyes. 'Patrolling Wire Borders,' also from Music for Films (not 'A Measured Room', as is stated on the film credits), is spine-tingling, stark and sinister and is well suited to the more grimly cynical scenes of violence and turmoil in the twilight world of the jaded hit man.
Very little is explained to us. There is so much we don't know; for instance, how did a man like John Connor become a mercenary? Why are his children in apparent exile in the States? And why did Kathleen, his estranged wife, then remain behind in Ireland? But somehow, this isn't all that important to know; in fact, it can only add to the appeal of the film. Not being spoon fed such details somehow piques the appetite and that's partly why I chose not to reveal too much about the plot in this review.
To cut a long story short; less is definitely more in this case. Please take the time to watch this film; be patient; and make sure you read between the lines.
Since happening upon this film a few years ago when I managed to win it at auction for just a few pounds - I have become so obsessed with it that I have made pilgrimages all over Ireland in order to pay homage to it, and to its leading actor, Patrick McGoohan. He is, sadly, no longer with us, along with many of the other fine actors who make up the supporting cast (Lee Van Cleef; Donal McCann; Peter Brayham; Joe Lynch). The re-release of the film on DVD, almost 30 years to the day of its original screening, is long overdue but better late than never! It may have taken a very long time but the best things in life are always worth waiting for.
In writing this review, I have struggled long and hard to articulate my feelings into words. I hope that I do justice both to the film and to Patrick McGoohan. I believe that this appearance is arguably his finest, most understated and underrated acting role ever.
The plot ambles along; it is heavy and slow; there is hardly any dialogue, and very little action. Anyone looking for a fast moving 'gangster' movie peppered with gunfire (as the trailer included in the DVD's special features seems to suggest) will certainly be disappointed.
The use of speech is so sparse it is almost conspicuous by its absence. Most of the scenes are eerily quiet. However, this only serves to build up the tension. The use of body language to convey mood and meaning is very subtly done; especially in the bar room 'stand off' between the two main protagonists. The way in which John Connor (Patrick McGoohan) gently menaces his 'handler' McNeal (Lee Van Cleef), and resists the latter's attempts at persuasion with a quiet, stubborn resolve, is just breathtaking to watch. I can only applaud when the former leaves with quiet dignity, then slams the bar room door behind him to signify, and release, his clearly pent-up anger. That beats any 'shoot out' I've ever seen! In my opinion, Patrick McGoohan's portrayal of the Irish mercenary who wants to retire is extremely sympathetic. He shows a man who is not just a cold-blooded killer. John Connor is very human, and has many redeeming qualities, including that of moral courage borne out in the parting words of Kathleen (Edna O'Brien), John Connor's estranged wife, in the final scene "A waste of a man." I have to admit that, in spite of his past deeds, I have to weep for the man I can't help it. Such is the power of the actor's presence and the skill with which he takes on the mantle of this complex character.
In this respect, great credit must also be given to the skillful direction of Michael Dryhurst. Having heard that the actor and the director were very like-minded, I can well believe it when I watch the results.
In addition, the stunning cinematography of Henri Decae enhances the production. Sweeping panoramic shots of the Irish countryside and the mountains contrast sharply with the claustrophobic and depressing settings of seedy hotels and dark, dingy city streets. The way the scenes are lit is also very creative and effective.
The accompanying soundtrack consists of just three pieces, all of them instrumental, and each is cleverly employed to illustrate the mood of their respective scenes. 'The Dear Irish Boy', an Irish air beautifully rendered by the solo violinist Tommy Potts, and 'Events in Dense Fog,' (from Brian Eno's 'Music for Films') which accompany John Connor's sad, reflective moments, and the forlorn speeches from his estranged wife, tug at the heartstrings and bring tears to the eyes. 'Patrolling Wire Borders,' also from Music for Films (not 'A Measured Room', as is stated on the film credits), is spine-tingling, stark and sinister and is well suited to the more grimly cynical scenes of violence and turmoil in the twilight world of the jaded hit man.
Very little is explained to us. There is so much we don't know; for instance, how did a man like John Connor become a mercenary? Why are his children in apparent exile in the States? And why did Kathleen, his estranged wife, then remain behind in Ireland? But somehow, this isn't all that important to know; in fact, it can only add to the appeal of the film. Not being spoon fed such details somehow piques the appetite and that's partly why I chose not to reveal too much about the plot in this review.
To cut a long story short; less is definitely more in this case. Please take the time to watch this film; be patient; and make sure you read between the lines.
McGoohan and Lee van Cleef - what could go wrong?
ColonelPuntridge5 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I love Patrick McGoohan, and I love Lee van Cleef, so I thought this'll be fantastic! But it bored me. It's a simple, straightforward story about a talented hit-man who wants to retire, but his boss tries to wring one more hit out of him by threatening his wife. So he kills the boss' henchmen and has a drawn-out final shootout with the boss himself. I'm not sure what they had in mind with the minimal dialogue, but whatever it was, it didn't work. I kept waiting for something unexpected to happen and it never did. Also, there was never any reason to like the protagonist.
One of the things I usually like most about Patrick McGoohan is that he is brave enough to appear in bad movies, and to play one-dimensional roles like the Warden in ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ and self-mocking roles like Roger Deverill in SILVER STREAK, and straightforward love-to-hate-them bad-guys like King Richard the Long Shanks in BRAVEHEART - he is great in these because he makes so much impact out of a very small amount of screen-presence - but this was too much screen time and too little development of character. Sure, he's visually intense, but static. He's the same guy with the same desires at the end of the flick as he was at the beginning.
Eventually I just started distracting myself by counting the number of obviously-bald actors wearing really bad hairpieces. There are many of them in one of the scenes in a pub, and their hairpieces are really bad.
One of the things I usually like most about Patrick McGoohan is that he is brave enough to appear in bad movies, and to play one-dimensional roles like the Warden in ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ and self-mocking roles like Roger Deverill in SILVER STREAK, and straightforward love-to-hate-them bad-guys like King Richard the Long Shanks in BRAVEHEART - he is great in these because he makes so much impact out of a very small amount of screen-presence - but this was too much screen time and too little development of character. Sure, he's visually intense, but static. He's the same guy with the same desires at the end of the flick as he was at the beginning.
Eventually I just started distracting myself by counting the number of obviously-bald actors wearing really bad hairpieces. There are many of them in one of the scenes in a pub, and their hairpieces are really bad.
Expertly shot tale of an ultra-repressed killer
oOgiandujaOo_and_Eddy_Merckx27 June 2010
I had to do a double take looking at this one whilst deciding whether or not to see it at this year's Edinburgh Film Festival IMDb voters score it a measly 4.9/10 currently, and yet on the other hand, it's produced by John Boorman, photographed by Henri Decaë, starring Patrick McGoohan and Lee van Cleef, with a soundtrack by Brian Eno? Did all those guys really screw up? The answer is manifestly no, and we have yet another inexplicable IMDb rating, perhaps caused by people voting for a different movie called The Hard Way (there are several)? So the film is shot in the UK, in Ireland, and in Paris, and is just gorgeous. The locations are dingy, all green stains, brown stains, darkness. The script is quite generic, it's about a hit-man (John Connor - McGoohan) who wants to retire but has the "one last job" forced on him, no added value in the plot structure at all. What is really poignant though is that throughout the movie we get a running commentary on Connor's character from his wife in eerie soliloquies. He is a very terse man, who only speaks when absolutely necessary and appears to have no personal connections, except with guns, for which he is an absolute nut. His wife says that he "never knew who he was or what he wanted", which is one of the saddest things I've ever heard, and made me feel quite weepy. He seems to have believed in his family as an abstract concept though and sends them quite unsolicited cheques after each job. His daughters, we are told, are in America doing well, which strangely makes the film quite beautiful, an effect perhaps like a robin flitting through a mouldy cemetery.
You would think in a low budgeter that the action scenes would be quite bad, but in fact they are really visceral and abrupt, done perfectly each time. Van Cleef plays middle man McNeal with whom there has to be a showdown following the refusal to allow McGoohan to retire. He does well but generally appears in the film's weaker scenes. You get the feeling that whoever wrote the script for this one was looking to do something entirely different to Decaë and McGoohan; Tombleson and Grogan the two credited writers have no other writing credits to their names, no idea why Boorman picked the script. There's some claptrap talk about mercenary assaults in Africa which caught the public imagination of the era, and McNeal does implausible juggling acts with the amount of missions on his plate. The final showdown, whilst very beautiful also looks to play on an antagonism between the two men which the film quite simply hadn't established, and wasn't the point of the movie. These men were set up by the movie as soulless automata, Connor capable of rage, but only as a defensive measure, he's the ultimate introvert. Despite the fact that the scriptwriters and the other creative dynamos in the film weren't on the same wavelength, I think it causes only subtle elements of discord to arise and in fact the film feels quite the masterpiece on reflection.
You'll notice that I haven't spoken about director Michael Dryhurst. There must be a story here, because this is the only film he has credit for directing, having been either an assistant director or producer all his career. It seems he took over when original director Tombleson (whom I mentioned also wrote the script) was taken off the movie as the result of a personality clash with McGoohan. It's quite possible that this allowed Decaë and McGoohan to take up the reins, though that's pure speculation on my part.
You would think in a low budgeter that the action scenes would be quite bad, but in fact they are really visceral and abrupt, done perfectly each time. Van Cleef plays middle man McNeal with whom there has to be a showdown following the refusal to allow McGoohan to retire. He does well but generally appears in the film's weaker scenes. You get the feeling that whoever wrote the script for this one was looking to do something entirely different to Decaë and McGoohan; Tombleson and Grogan the two credited writers have no other writing credits to their names, no idea why Boorman picked the script. There's some claptrap talk about mercenary assaults in Africa which caught the public imagination of the era, and McNeal does implausible juggling acts with the amount of missions on his plate. The final showdown, whilst very beautiful also looks to play on an antagonism between the two men which the film quite simply hadn't established, and wasn't the point of the movie. These men were set up by the movie as soulless automata, Connor capable of rage, but only as a defensive measure, he's the ultimate introvert. Despite the fact that the scriptwriters and the other creative dynamos in the film weren't on the same wavelength, I think it causes only subtle elements of discord to arise and in fact the film feels quite the masterpiece on reflection.
You'll notice that I haven't spoken about director Michael Dryhurst. There must be a story here, because this is the only film he has credit for directing, having been either an assistant director or producer all his career. It seems he took over when original director Tombleson (whom I mentioned also wrote the script) was taken off the movie as the result of a personality clash with McGoohan. It's quite possible that this allowed Decaë and McGoohan to take up the reins, though that's pure speculation on my part.
I'm Being Generous Today - Two Stars
palainausa10 May 2019
Low-budget and slow, but effective and well acted.
bjgaines2 August 2001
I second the "worth a look" rating. McGoohan and Van Cleef are both excellent and the film makes wonderful use of a few tracks from Brian Eno's Music for Films. It is not action packed, but it is suspenseful just the same.
Poetry of the eloquent silences
emanson28 November 2001
When it comes to dialogue, less is more, in this epic of the unspoken word. Patrick McGoohan, Lee Van Cleef and Irish backdrop make for pleasurable after-pub eye candy. Blink and you might miss nothing - or you might miss everything. See it once and you'll never forget it - no matter how late you got home after the pub. Top stuff.
Very Good minimalist Noir
ster200121 October 2004
What's the deal with the ratings here? Hardly anyone voted below 4 and its got a 3.6??? This is a very well made low budget minimalist neo noir set in Ireland. McGoohan and Van Cleef are very effective in their roles as underworld hit men. Sparse dialouge and good cinematography. Direction is slow but assured and suits the tone of the story well. Has the production feel of those late seventies British thillers like "Mystery" that played over here in the sates. But this has a dark tragic tone that separates it from those TV shows. Who would have thought you'd see Lee Van Cleef in an Irish Film Noir. Definitely worth a look if you can find this ultra rare flick.
A quiet late 70's Film Noir shot entirely in Ireland.
vonnoosh29 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
You know a movie is obscure when IMDb couldn't even find a single screen capture of it to put on the movie's webpage listing. For awhile they had an image that show Lee Van Cleef as Hauk from Escape From New York.
If you are a fan of late 40's and early 50's Film Noir, you could call this a late 70's representative of the genre. The movie has dark characters engaging in dark actions and the climatic scene even pays homage to how the early Film Noir films were shot. Heavy shadows dominating the screen.
I call this movie quiet because there is very little dialogue throughout it. This isn't a criticism mind you because the movie works well without it. The main character, played ably by Patrick McGoohan is himself a very quiet character.
Fans of McGoohan's work in the 60's would remember The Prisoner. That is about a secret agent who resigns from the service for undisclosed reasons and is later abducted by either one side or the other to find out why he resigned and to either extract the information from his mind or to be sure any information he has remains hidden. The initial premise of someone leaving his job for his own reasons and suffering the consequences of his actions is the basis of 'The Hard Way'. McGoohan this time plays an assassin called Connor who retires from being a hit-man for his own reasons. Lee Van Cleef plays his employer who refuses to accept his resignation and there's your premise, your conflict and you can basically guess the resolution almost 10 minutes into the film.
And that's the major flaw I find in this movie for me as a viewer, there is little doubt of the fate of some of these characters almost immediately. This was planned. This was put into the script and it plays throughout as a kind of character development but it also plays as a spoiler for me. While some movies like the original Get Carter (also a 70's era modernized Film Noir) left visual clues, this has spliced in dialogue which comes across as deliberate foreshadowing. I didn't appreciate that aspect of this but since it was planned out, clearly scripted, I can't say it hurts the film for other viewers. These brief scenes do what the filmmakers had intended.
The film is shot entirely on location in Ireland and it is visually appealing. The often gray skies, lush countryside do work well as a backdrop to the story. The setting itself plays a key role in the story.
Some feel this movie is slow but it didn't come across that way for me. It's low on dialogue but being quiet doesn't mean it isn't a thriller in its own way. The Naked Prey was low on dialogue too but the action movie nature of the film wasn't undercut by that in any way.
The Hard Way is definitely worth seeking out but as I said in the opening, this is not easy to find, the fact that the screen capture had Hauk sitting at his desk talking to Snake Plissken for a long time says it all.
If you are a fan of late 40's and early 50's Film Noir, you could call this a late 70's representative of the genre. The movie has dark characters engaging in dark actions and the climatic scene even pays homage to how the early Film Noir films were shot. Heavy shadows dominating the screen.
I call this movie quiet because there is very little dialogue throughout it. This isn't a criticism mind you because the movie works well without it. The main character, played ably by Patrick McGoohan is himself a very quiet character.
Fans of McGoohan's work in the 60's would remember The Prisoner. That is about a secret agent who resigns from the service for undisclosed reasons and is later abducted by either one side or the other to find out why he resigned and to either extract the information from his mind or to be sure any information he has remains hidden. The initial premise of someone leaving his job for his own reasons and suffering the consequences of his actions is the basis of 'The Hard Way'. McGoohan this time plays an assassin called Connor who retires from being a hit-man for his own reasons. Lee Van Cleef plays his employer who refuses to accept his resignation and there's your premise, your conflict and you can basically guess the resolution almost 10 minutes into the film.
And that's the major flaw I find in this movie for me as a viewer, there is little doubt of the fate of some of these characters almost immediately. This was planned. This was put into the script and it plays throughout as a kind of character development but it also plays as a spoiler for me. While some movies like the original Get Carter (also a 70's era modernized Film Noir) left visual clues, this has spliced in dialogue which comes across as deliberate foreshadowing. I didn't appreciate that aspect of this but since it was planned out, clearly scripted, I can't say it hurts the film for other viewers. These brief scenes do what the filmmakers had intended.
The film is shot entirely on location in Ireland and it is visually appealing. The often gray skies, lush countryside do work well as a backdrop to the story. The setting itself plays a key role in the story.
Some feel this movie is slow but it didn't come across that way for me. It's low on dialogue but being quiet doesn't mean it isn't a thriller in its own way. The Naked Prey was low on dialogue too but the action movie nature of the film wasn't undercut by that in any way.
The Hard Way is definitely worth seeking out but as I said in the opening, this is not easy to find, the fact that the screen capture had Hauk sitting at his desk talking to Snake Plissken for a long time says it all.
A brooding tale of tragedy; under-rated and worth a look
Glaschu15 August 1999
A brooding film in which one feels the angst of the retiring Irish hit-man (Patrick McGoohan) who foolishly agrees to do one last assassination. This quiet film is poignantly "narrated" by the gunman's estranged wife whose memories enter the story to provide a framework and background for the tragic figure and his family. Any "Prisoner" fan will see parallels between aspects of this plot and McGoohan's previous series: an agent who wants to give up his covert work but is not let off the hook so easily by his masters. The agent decides to leave anyway and is pursued relentlessly by his former bosses. In "The Hard Way" this pursuit takes us through rural Ireland to a dramatic showdown with Lee Van Cleef. An understated, interesting study, worth a look.
Must see, if you can find it.
FatherCrow24 March 2015
Amazing film, especially for a low budget Irish TV Movie. Bone chilling, sparse, and lovely canvas. McGoohan is as always unmissable, and Lee Van Cleef though in another low budget movie, really shines in this.
I saw this originally in 79' when I was seven, it left an indellible mark on my psyche and I was 40 before I was able to find a copy of it, I was wondering if it was going to be as good as I remembered. I need not have worried, it was even better.
This really needs a DVD release, as if seen by a wider audience would increase both McGoohan's and Van Cleef's reputations (not that either need it, but it's a gem in both their careers.)
Peace and Hope
FatherCrow
I saw this originally in 79' when I was seven, it left an indellible mark on my psyche and I was 40 before I was able to find a copy of it, I was wondering if it was going to be as good as I remembered. I need not have worried, it was even better.
This really needs a DVD release, as if seen by a wider audience would increase both McGoohan's and Van Cleef's reputations (not that either need it, but it's a gem in both their careers.)
Peace and Hope
FatherCrow
Good Mix of Tension, Drama and Action
kevinjmiller-715397 April 2020
The mix of understated drama and taut plot, superbly punctuated with just the right amount of dramatic action,makes this a good flick for an evening watch. The acting is quite good enough, particularly Lee Van Cleef and Patrick McGoolan, as is the cinematography.
Man, what a great movie.
efffigie5 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
How do things like this get lost? This is a terrific Noir starring the one and only Patrick McGoohan at his stony best. Religious, brooding, dark to the point of blackness, and violent as hell, this is a near- masterpiece of cinema.
I have a visceral love of formula and/or B-movies that use familiar, even clichéd structures to do or say something different, and this one fits that definition perfectly. The worn-out 'plot' of reluctant-hit-man- does-one-last-job is almost totally irrelevant here: it's just a frame to hang the movie on. It's about life, or the absence of it.
Other reviews here demonstrate that certain people have found this movie extremely important, and I admit I'm one of them, too. I first saw it on a late-late show on broadcast TV (back when local TV stations would show almost ANYTHING in the middle of the night!) in, probably, the mid- 1980s, and never forgot it. I finally tracked down a decent VHS copy and watched it again recently, and it's lost not one bit of its power.
Maybe you have to be a certain kind of person. I suspect anyone who didn't like it just didn't even watch it long enough to form a negative opinion, and remembered it not at all; others watched it once, and it was seared in their brain.
Watching it again I just had to think, feel, "Man, there is just nothing left of this guy." Was there ever anything there? Was he ever a... person, a human being, at all? If so, 'what a waste of a man'.
I'm giving it 8 not because it's not terrific, it is, but certain parts of it irritated me intensely for reasons I can't really articulate; it's possible it's just me, the intense irritation, and possible I just don't like being confronted with some aspect of myself. Why else would I feel so strongly about such a seemingly minor thing?
Why else would it find such a strong place in my memories?
I have a visceral love of formula and/or B-movies that use familiar, even clichéd structures to do or say something different, and this one fits that definition perfectly. The worn-out 'plot' of reluctant-hit-man- does-one-last-job is almost totally irrelevant here: it's just a frame to hang the movie on. It's about life, or the absence of it.
Other reviews here demonstrate that certain people have found this movie extremely important, and I admit I'm one of them, too. I first saw it on a late-late show on broadcast TV (back when local TV stations would show almost ANYTHING in the middle of the night!) in, probably, the mid- 1980s, and never forgot it. I finally tracked down a decent VHS copy and watched it again recently, and it's lost not one bit of its power.
Maybe you have to be a certain kind of person. I suspect anyone who didn't like it just didn't even watch it long enough to form a negative opinion, and remembered it not at all; others watched it once, and it was seared in their brain.
Watching it again I just had to think, feel, "Man, there is just nothing left of this guy." Was there ever anything there? Was he ever a... person, a human being, at all? If so, 'what a waste of a man'.
I'm giving it 8 not because it's not terrific, it is, but certain parts of it irritated me intensely for reasons I can't really articulate; it's possible it's just me, the intense irritation, and possible I just don't like being confronted with some aspect of myself. Why else would I feel so strongly about such a seemingly minor thing?
Why else would it find such a strong place in my memories?
And now for something different
jortegasa31 May 2019
Sometimes you come across gems not because someone tells you about them or because you saw them of some list, no sometimes gems are discovered by mistake. This movie was one of those movies that Amazon Prime just happen to have and it said i might like because I had recently seen the Charles Bronson movie, The Mechanic. I thought I was going to get a movie long those lines but what I got was something so much better. When you find these kind of gems all you want to do is tell everyone in the world about it.
So what is this British made for TV movie all about? Well John Conner, played by Patrick McGoohan, is a hitman who wants out of the game. Well of course those who need his services can not take no for answers so they force him into another job. When Conner double crosses them, a game of cat and mouse between Conner and his boss, played by Lee Van Cleef, starts. What makes this movie so much different is the production values for again a made for TV movie. The story is well written and the action is never over the top but enough to make the story interesting. Another aspect that adds a touch is an ongoing dialogue from Conners wife as she seems to be speaking to the viewer. Of course the twist is given at the end of the movie which is satisfying.
This movie is by no means for everyone. Some people might find it predictable or slow at times, and I will admit that it is both of those things. But sometimes its good to find movies that have something fresh or new to say and in different ways.
So should you watch this? If you like action movies then I would say that at some point you should watch it. It is not perfect but it is a good little ride that you wont regret.
So what is this British made for TV movie all about? Well John Conner, played by Patrick McGoohan, is a hitman who wants out of the game. Well of course those who need his services can not take no for answers so they force him into another job. When Conner double crosses them, a game of cat and mouse between Conner and his boss, played by Lee Van Cleef, starts. What makes this movie so much different is the production values for again a made for TV movie. The story is well written and the action is never over the top but enough to make the story interesting. Another aspect that adds a touch is an ongoing dialogue from Conners wife as she seems to be speaking to the viewer. Of course the twist is given at the end of the movie which is satisfying.
This movie is by no means for everyone. Some people might find it predictable or slow at times, and I will admit that it is both of those things. But sometimes its good to find movies that have something fresh or new to say and in different ways.
So should you watch this? If you like action movies then I would say that at some point you should watch it. It is not perfect but it is a good little ride that you wont regret.
There is no chasm deeper than the empty soul
Moor-Larkin14 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I had managed to find a copy of this several months ago but had held off watching it; not quite Tantric, but waiting for the right moment. Thank Heavens I didn't wait any longer! What a brilliantly empty piece of nihilism and what a brilliant combination McGoohan and Van Cleef turned out to be. The one and only discordant note was the over-cooked 'maniacal cackling' by Van Cleef at the very end. I chose to ignore this on the basis it was the sound editor's fault!! The cold emptiness of the two protagonists is offset by the warmth of Edna O'Brien's 'lost wife' narrative extracts. Her off-stage contributions add pathos and the ultimate explanation of her presence is clever enough to resist the clichéd visit to a headstone. The viewer is left no sentiment to wallow in, right to the end.
McGoohan plays a Hit Man. Nothing to do with the IRA, just a gangsters' tool. The gangster, Van Cleef, associates with dark intra-governmental organisations. McGoohan has killed and killed again for money. He has lost family and all meaning but has enough moral strength left to demand his retirement. What he could possibly retire for, or to, is impenetrable. My sense was that he was a being, and like all life-forms his base instinct was to stay alive, and like all base creatures he knew not why.
His one redemption was his wife and children however and he clung to their safety and survival like a drowning man to a life-belt. Like the drowning man, in a freezing sea, he clung to the life-belt, even when it became obvious he could not survive. He might have done better to let go and sink down but he struggled and fought the hard way, unto death.
ITC made this film. Where on earth have they hidden it? John Boorman is credited as Executive Producer...come on John, get it OUT there!
McGoohan plays a Hit Man. Nothing to do with the IRA, just a gangsters' tool. The gangster, Van Cleef, associates with dark intra-governmental organisations. McGoohan has killed and killed again for money. He has lost family and all meaning but has enough moral strength left to demand his retirement. What he could possibly retire for, or to, is impenetrable. My sense was that he was a being, and like all life-forms his base instinct was to stay alive, and like all base creatures he knew not why.
His one redemption was his wife and children however and he clung to their safety and survival like a drowning man to a life-belt. Like the drowning man, in a freezing sea, he clung to the life-belt, even when it became obvious he could not survive. He might have done better to let go and sink down but he struggled and fought the hard way, unto death.
ITC made this film. Where on earth have they hidden it? John Boorman is credited as Executive Producer...come on John, get it OUT there!
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