Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Outfit (1973)



          An action thriller with an effectively unvarnished style, The Outfit presents a believably grim portrayal of life among professional criminals. The picture also features a tasty cast—led by Robert Duvall, in one of his first star turns after achieving notoriety with The Godfather (1972)—plus contributions from a pair of top action specialists, composer Jerry Fielding and cinematographer Bruce Surtees. Orchestrating the onscreen violence is writer-director John Flynn, arguably best known for helming a subsequent tough-guy flick, Rolling Thunder (1977). If dwelling on peripheral information suggests that trivia pertaining to The Outfit is more interesting than the movie itself, that’s somewhat true. While the movie is not without its pulpy merits, the content and vibe are so perfunctory that The Outfit fails to leave much of an impression (unless you’re Quentin Tarantino, who devoted an entire obsessive chapter in Cinema Speculation to this flick).

          Based on a novel by bestselling crime guy Donald E. Westlake (via his Point Blank alias Richard Stark). The Outfit stars Duvall stars as Macklin, a small-time hood who once helped rob a bank controlled by Mobsters. In the aftermath of the crime, Macklin ended up in jail and his brother, who participated in the robbery, ended up dead. That’s why Macklin and the third robber, Cody (Joe Don Baker), embark on a campaign to rip off Mob-controlled operations until they compel the Mob into paying them off. Unsurprisingly, the Mob—personified by big boss Mailer (Robert Ryan)—doesn’t like the idea of caving to blackmailers, so a war ensues, with Macklin and Cody alternating between raiding Mob establishments and engaging in shootouts with enforcers. Caught up in the action is Macklin’s companion, Bett (Karen Black), who occasionally serves as an accomplice. 

          Although The Outfit neither presents a discernible theme nor transcends its genre limitations, the picture accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish. The shadowy look of the movie suits the frontier-justice milieu. Some flourishes are intense, as when Duvall’s character shoots a thug’s hand to demonstrate dominance. Regarding the actors, second lead Baker’s country-fried blend of charm and menace lends helpful dynamism given how extremely Duvall underplays his role; laconic Hollywood vet Ryan gives one of his characteristically seething late-career performances as the main villain (his main scene with Duvall is a highlight); future Blade Runner costar Joanna Cassidy turns up in her first significant role, playing Ryan’s irritable arm candy; and Richard Jaeckel, Bill McKinney, and Sheree North add verve to small roles.


The Outfit: FUNKY

3 comments:

Clay Poupart said...

"Gunsel" doesn't really apply to Joe Don Baker's character. It's a Yiddish word meaning "gosling" and obsolete slang for the younger partner of an older homoexual. Dashiell Hammett threw it into "The Maltese Falcon" and John Huston retained it in the film to get around the studio censors. Then as now most people thought it meant a gun-toting heavy.

Jocko said...

Funny how besides Duvall, three other actors played the same character Parker from the books, just with different names in the movies. Mel Gibson in 'Payback,' as well as Jason Statham in 'Parker.' The best one though was Lee Marvin in 'Point Blank.'

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and some of the grubby locations in this movie. Plus, being a huge boxing fan, I enjoyed the presence of Archie Moore and Roland LaStarza in bit parts as goons. Both fought and lost to Rocky Marciano.

Jocko said...

Oh, and I almost forgot, Jim Brown played the Parker character in 'The Split.'