The Mechanic (1972)

Of course, we all remember that explosive end to this film about an aging hit-man, who makes one dire mistake, by taking on a new young protégé, which he shouldn't of. Was it out of loneliness, or has this guy, found out there's no meaning to his life anymore? His pad is unbelievable, it almost made me think of taking this career path. Made just before Death Wish, cragged faced Bronson, does what he does best. The first fifteen minutes, that has Bronson, setting up one hell of a hit, sniper rifle and all, was so impressive, where rigging that guy's apartment, tampering with the gas stove whatever, you really wondered how the hit was gonna go down. In contrast, with this part of the film, being so wowing, it makes the rest of the film look ordinary, amongst some thrilling bits, involving the other hits. Jan Michael Vincent, doesn't give his role enough clout, as the all American nice guy, a hounding and avid learner, where his intentions were clear from the start, such a predictability. The motorcycle chase was the worse one in history, as well as boring and dull, I couldn't wait for it to be over. The young girl suicide scene was absolutely pointless and stupid, where Bronson's and Vincent's indifference to it, made them at that moment, almost unlikeable. Bronson was strong in this, a mixture of good and bad, where his acting partner didn't do him justice, and really two scenes with Jill Ireland, his girl here, were almost forgettable. What The Mechanic serves to do as a film in simplistic plot, is show you shallow the life of a hit-man can be, and what attitudes you have to adapt to, and not let personal issues get in the way. But also it makes you wonder, is it time to get out of this life when the goings good. It's a choice that worries us, concerning Bronson's character. Near the end, the last turning point was exciting to see, who was gonna be gotten to first, where I guess in one sick sense, they both came out even. I have a way good feeling the remake is better and of course, more action packed and exciting, though. It just would of been great if the rest of the movie kept up it's end of bargain, to it's explosive starting, where mostly the rest of the film, sad to say, is just one of ordinary. The "Keeping up the end of the bargain" factor, is a failing that can movies really suck. Even back in 1972.

A package comes. In it there is a name and photograph of someone, along with some details about where they live and work. You might know this person, you might not. Either way you study this person's life, where they go, what they like to do in their spare time, who they hang out with until you get a call that simply states something like, "we'd like you to proceed as planed" and then click. You've just been given the green light to take out your target and tale him out you will in the most efficient and cleanest way possible without getting caught because that is your job, you are "The Mechanic". Charles Bronson plays the title character here, Arthur Bishop, and creates one of the best performances of his career. With his trademark quiet but tough demeanor and cold steel eyes, Bronson is able to bring us into the treacherous world of Mr. Bishop, a highly proficient killer working for a shadowy mafia type group who takes pride in his profession and then goes back to his beautiful mansion when the job is done. But living in this world has its costs as Arthur does not have much in the way of friends and suffers from anxiety attacks, which only become worse after he is forced to kill one of the few friends he has, Harry McKeena (played by master character actor Keenan Wynn). Things start to look up a bit when Harry's son, Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent in an early but very competent performance) begins hanging out with Arthur and it doesn't take long before he takes him under his wing as his protégé. But in the world of assassins, sometimes getting close to someone can be more dangerous than the people you hunt. Even though the movie centers around a character that most would characterize as a sociopath, we come to like Arthur and can't help but be fascinated by him as he talks to Steve about his thoughts on killing and about how different societies hold certain people up as great figures of history, despite the fact that they're killers (Genghis Khan, Billy the Kid anyone?). The film is masterly directed by Michael Winner of "Death Wish" fame and is made more in the way of a thriller than it is an action movie. In other words, it's not just about explosions and violence; it's about the story and about the realities of living in an immoral world. You'll find no redemption here, which make this one of the most realistic portrayals of a hit-man ever and all leads up to an ending you won't see coming. If you're fascinated by the shadowy world of hit men and assassins or if you just want a good story, "The Mechanic" is one film you won't regret seeing. Also starring Bronson's real life wife Jill Ireland in a small but memorable role of a prostitute.

The first 15 minutes has no dialog whatsoever. Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a hired killer and we see him at work as he stalks his target for the opening of the movie. He is the iconic lone gunman. He ends up with a young protégé Steve McKenna (Jan-Michael Vincent). Jill Ireland plays a call girl.The action is a cross between gritty brutality and unlikely Bond action. It's somewhat watchable. There's enough explosions to keep us entertained. It's violent but it doesn't have a viewpoint like Death Wish. If you're a Charles Bronson Death Wish fan, you'll like this. Or then again, maybe you're a Jan-Michael Vincent fan.

Mechanic, The (1972) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Cult action picture about an aging hit-man Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) who prefers to work alone but even he knows that nothing lasts forever so he decides to take a young kid (Jan-Michael Vincent) under his wing and teach him the trade. Things start off smoothly until some wise guys find out and they don't appreciate Bishop bringing someone in without their permission. THE MECHANIC isn't the greatest film Bronson made during the 70s but it remains a fairly interesting one and there's no question that it features some nice performances and some very good direction. I think most people will be disappointed if they go into this film expecting a flat out action picture because it pretty much stays away from the predictable standards of the genre and instead tries to tell a real story about these two men as well as their profession. The opening sequence runs over fifteen-minutes and contains some of the best drama of any action movie from this era. There's not a line of dialogue and instead we just see Bronson stalking his target, putting his plan into action and then executing it. Director Winner does a terrific job with this sequence because he not only builds up suspense but he also manages to wink at the viewer because you expect the hit to go a certain way and then we get hit with something else. I thought the relationship between Bronson and Vincent was a pretty good one as both men sell their parts well enough and the screenplay gives them a father-son relationship that really works. Bronson was born to play this type of role and he certainly doesn't disappoint. Vincent is also quite good in his role and we even get Keenan Wynn in a quick bit and Jill Ireland shows up for one scene. Even though the film goes for a lot of drama we still get some excellent action pieces. There's quite a few gun battles and a few excellent explosions. One of the highlights is a scene where a car gets pushed off the cliff, which has to be one of the greatest examples of this from any movie in history. Cars have been going off cliffs since the silent days but the execution here and how they were able to capture it on film is just terrific. Fans of Bronson's Cannon period might be shocked to see this type of action film but it certainly has a European flavor and this works well for the film.