Interesting though strange picture plenty of flashbacks , slow-moving and a difficult pace . Being based on the book "Hunter" by Donald E. Westlake or Richard Stark and rightly adapted by Alexander Jacobs , David Newhouse and Rafe Newhouse . After being double-crossed by his partner (John Vernon) and left for dead by unfaithful wife , a mysterious man named Walker (Lee Marvin) single-mindedly tries to retrieve the rather inconsequential sum of money that was stolen from him and he seeks reckoning with a strange Organization (Lloyd Bochner, Carroll O'Connor) , a crime syndicate to which he belongs that takes on all comers . He is betrayed and becomes determined to exact vendetta on his betrayer , no matter how great the odds . There are two kinds of people in his up-tight world : his victims and his women. And sometimes you can't tell them apart .
Noir film dealing with a complex intrigue that contains action , thrills , suspense , violence and high body count : 8 . Violent story grows more exciting with each new plot twist . Main cast is frankly magnificent such as a sensational Lee Marvin , a gorgeous Angie Dickinson and the nasty John Vernon . Lee Marvin was Boorman's favorite actor , he told : ¨I learned more from Lee about filmmaking than from anyone , he has this incredible economy and brilliant camera technique ; most actors are completely spastic when it comes to moving properly, but Lee has the economy and quickness¨ . Excellent support cast such as Lloyd Bochner , Keenan Wynn , Michael Strong , James Sikking and special mention to Carroll O'Connor . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by good director of photography Philip H. Lathrop , being filmed on location , as this was the first major picture to film on location at Alcatraz Island after the closure of the federal prison in 1963 . Imaginative and haunting score by Johnny Mandel . ¨Point Blank¨ and its taut remake Payback (1999) by Brian Helgeland with Mel Gibson,Gregg Henry , Deborah Kara Unger , David Paymer , Bill Duke are both based on the book "Hunter" by Richard Stark or Donald Westlake . The picture was ignored during its premiere but now regarded as one of the best films of the 60s .
The motion picture was well directed by John Boorman . He's a real professional filmmaking from the 6os , though sparsely scattered and giving various classics . John started as an assistant direction and his friendship with Lee Marvin allowed him to work in Hollywood as ¨Point Blank¨ (1967) and ¨Hell in the Pacific¨ (1968) from where he returned to the UK and directed ¨Leo¨ (1970) , a rare Sci-Fi titled ¨Zardoz¨ (1974) or the ¨failure Exorcist II¨ (1977). His films are without exception among the most exciting visually in the modern cinema . He became famous for Excalibur (1981), the best of them , ¨Emerald forest¨ (1985) with a ecologist denounce included and his autobiographic story ¨Hope and Glory¨ (1987) and which brought him another Academy Award Nomination after ¨Deliverance¨ . ¨Point blank¨ rating : Better than average . Wholesome watching .
