The hit
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The hit |
| Original title | The hit |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1984 |
| length | 94 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Stephen Frears |
| script | Peter Prince |
| production | Jeremy Thomas |
| music | Paco de Lucía |
| camera | Bob Smith |
| cut | Mick Audsley |
| occupation | |
| |
The Hit is a British feature film released in 1984 . He was also known as The Professional Killer and The Professional Killer shown.
action
The film is set around 1980 and begins with a flashback.
A: Flashback
London circa 1970: Willie Parker, a habitual criminal, testifies as a key witness in court against his former boss, Mr. Corrigan and his former pals. They threaten him in court together with a chant that the day will come when they will see each other again.
B: 10 years later in Spain
Willie Parker, now around 50 years old, who is still under a witness protection program and has the bodyguard Juan with him, lives in a remote house in Spain, where he has developed particularly intellectually. The ex-buddy Corrigan, betrayed by Parker, has hired the professional killer Braddock to kidnap Parker to Paris.
Braddock found Parker in Spain and has four young Spaniards kidnap him. Juan is knocked over. Parker knows from the start that his abduction is linked to his past.
After Parker was handed over to Braddock and his assistant Myron, three of the four young Spaniards were killed by a suitcase prepared as an explosive device by Braddock; the fourth Spaniard survives by chance and is able to describe the vehicle, Braddock and Myron to the police.
When Braddock learns that the authorities have taken his trail, he decides that the trip will not go directly to France, but first to Madrid, where he wants to change cars. Arriving in Madrid, they meet the Australian Harry and the young Maggie in an apartment that is actually uninhabited, who have apparently nested there without the knowledge of the owner. In order to silence Harry, Braddock decides that Maggie has to go with her.
From now on, the four drive towards the Spanish-French border. While Braddock retains the initiative and control despite the adverse circumstances - so he first shoots Harry and then a gas station attendant to eliminate witnesses - Myron is conspicuous by a high level of nervousness, insecurity, mistakes and violence. He is a teenage gangster who made his debut as a hit man with this assignment. Myron loses control of himself and the situation several times when he tries to quarrel with locals while buying drinks, threatens his boss with a gun and falls asleep while guarding Parker. While combative young Maggie is ready to flee at any time, Parker makes no attempt to escape captivity and certain death. In any case, he thinks he will have time until the arrival in Paris and he tries to convince Myron with subversive methods that Braddock has lost control of the action.
Myron, who has developed sympathy for Maggie and Parker, no longer wants to participate in the killing of the two and asks Braddock to kill the two without his help. Braddock agrees, first shoots Parker, who is completely surprised about the immediate execution and loses his self-confidence, tries to run away to help and then Myron too. Before Braddock can shoot Maggie, a fierce battle begins that ends with Braddock sparing Maggie and knocking unconscious on a whim. A helicopter finds Maggie and she can identify Braddock at a border crossing, disguised as a Frenchman and armed with forged papers, trying to cross the border. Braddock then tries to escape and is shot by the police.
music
The introduction of the film (flashback) is determined by the music by Eric Clapton , supported by Roger Waters . The action in Spain is mainly accompanied by Paco de Lucía's guitar music.
criticism
“Meditative crime film that deals with human behavior in extreme situations. The topic is not always developed convincingly, but the excellently played film provides plenty of food for thought. "
Awards (selection)
- John Hurt was in 1985 as Best Actor with the Evening Standard British Film Awards awarded.
- Tim Roth was nominated for the British Academy Film Award in the category Most Outstanding Newcomer to Film .
Web links
- The Hit in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Hit. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .