Sitting Target is a 1972 movie directed by Douglas Hickox.
WHAT HAPPENS?
An inmate escapes from prison after learning his wife has left him.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Sitting Target is a raw crime movie that features a brilliant, intense Oliver Reed performance.
THE ACTORS
Oliver Reed inhabits Harry Lomart, a prisoner who seethes with rage after his wife declares she’s both pregnant and leaving him. Reed’s passion is endearing but he exhibits a dangerous rage. The initial scene with Jill St. John’s Pat is a frightening display as Reed’s Harry busts through a glass pane to choke her. Reed’s character maintains his intensity throughout but also shows a tender side. After their escape, he splashes like a kid in a bubble bath. The moment is fleeting as he is viciously tracking his ex-wife.
Ian McShane is fun as the sardonic Birdy, who breaks out with Harry. Birdy’s attitude alternates between carefree and a voice of conscious. The tone shifts darker as Harry secures a machine gun – an event that moves the plot into a deadlier place. Jill St. John is a scene stealer as Pat. Her ulterior motives reveal a character who is entangled with all sides of an emerging plot. As the movie progresses, she becomes the most intriguing character.
THE DIRECTOR
Hickox creates a lean crime narrative that features terrific shootouts and action sequences. The movie seems to separate into thirds – the first is a prison break movie, the second a revenge mission featuring a machine gun and the third reveals a plot twist. One of the few complaints of Hickox’s direction is the attempt to make Reed’s Harry a sympathetic character towards the movie’s end. This is truly a difficult feat considering he spends the majority of the movie trying to kill his wife.
THE BEST – Best Supporting Actor
McShane and St. John are terrific but Harry’s machine gun wins the award. Reed’s Harry mows down everyone in his path and would appear otherwise vulnerable without the weapon.
THE BEST Part Two – Hanging Laundry and Broken Mirrors
Hickox creates some fun sequences as Reed’s Harry is pursued by motorcycle cops along building tops. The chase navigates a maze of hanging drawers and leads to some great visual exchanges. Similarly, Reed lurks among cracked mirrors as he pursues Frank Finlay’s Marty in a pseudo mod flat.
THE BEST Part Three – The Ending
Without giving away spoilers, the ending is both tragic and oddly sweet – especially given that Reed’s character is a vicious killer and St. John’s Pat reveals a nefarious nature.
THE WORST – Setting Up the Twist
Again – no spoilers here. However, to fully appreciate the movie’s final moments, I feel more character development was needed. An accurate reading of the finale suggests that everyone enabled Harry’s behavior in an incredibly casual manner, then reaped the benefits.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4/5
Sitting Target is a terrific, lean British crime movie featuring excellent performances from the movie’s leads. If you’re a fan of the genre – or of Oliver Reed – it’s a must watch.
