Tag: Oliver reed

Sitting Target

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.

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The Hunting Party

The Hunting Party is a 1971 movie directed by Don Medford.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A rancher hunts down the men who kidnapped his wife using long-range rifles.

ONE LINE REVIEW

The Hunting Party features a superb cast of actors but the true star of the movie are a collection of long-range rifles.

THE ACTORS

The impressive cast is highlighted by Gene Hackman’s impossibly callous and vicious Brandt. His hunting trip is interrupted by his wife’s kidnapping – which leads to Reed’s crew of bandits becoming human prey. Hackman is dangerous and vile in his treatment of women – associating his wife with property. It’s a cold, cruel role and Hackman delivers.

Reed’s presence is felt throughout the movie, although physically he appears miscast as outlaw Frank Calder. His role suggests a tenderness but is lost in a series of disjointed scenes. Similarly, Candice Bergen’s Melissa is a confusing role. While she expertly conveys her character’s anger and grief, the motives are never clear.

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Revolver

Revolver is a 1973 movie directed by Sergio Sollima.

Revolver tells the story of Vito Cipriani, a jail warden whose wife is kidnapped. In order to save her, Vito has to unravel the layers of a crime syndicate and rely on a recently freed prisoner.

There’s a basic Eurocrime movie formula: an international actor duo confronts the rotten pillars of the “system”, a hippie element is introduced and wild car chases and shootouts ensue. Revolver doesn’t stray far from the blueprint, yet it transcends the genre, proving itself as a smart, stylish crime movie.

Revolver’s place as one of the best Eurocrime movies is predicated on an accomplished Spaghetti Western director in Sergio Sollima and two terrific leads in Fabio Testi and Oliver Reed.

Testi displays his usual charming and cynical qualities in portraying Milo Ruiz, a prisoner with murky underworld connections. Testi’s sardonic nature provides a counter to Reed’s intensity.

Reed is extraordinary – particularly as the movie progresses. He plays a hardened prison warden whose life is unraveled when his wife is kidnapped. Reed’s expressions of shock and rage are perfect for Eurocrime cameras – his intense eyes convey the desperation of his character.

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