Scorpio (1973)

During the Cold War, the CIA orders free-lance operative Scorpio to assassinate his former CIA mentor Cross and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

David W. Rintels (screenplay), Gerald Wilson (screenplay)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Paul Scofield

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Cross
Alain Delon	...	Jean 'Scorpio' Laurier
Paul Scofield	...	Zharkov
John Colicos	...	McLeod
Gayle Hunnicutt	...	Susan
J.D. Cannon	...	Filchock
Joanne Linville	...	Sarah
Mel Stewart	...	Pick (as Melvin Stewart)
Vladek Sheybal	...	Zemetkin
Mary Maude	...	Anne
Jack Colvin	...	Thief
James Sikking	...	Harris
Burke Byrnes	...	Morrison
William Smithers	...	Mitchell
Shmuel Rodensky	...	Lang

Storyline

Cross is an old hand at the CIA, in charge of assassinating high-ranking foreign personalities who are an obstacle to the policies of the USA. He often teams up with Frenchman Jean Laurier, alias "Scorpio", a gifted free-lance operative. One day, the CIA orders Scorpio to eliminate Cross -- and leaves him no choice but to obey. Scorpio is cold-blooded and very systematic; however, as a veteran agent, Cross knows many tricks. He can also rely upon a network of unusual personal contacts, some dating back to the troubled years preceding WWII. A lethal game of hide-and-seek is programmed, but what are the true motives of every single player?

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Plot Keywords:

espionage | one word title | surveillance | cia agent | blackmail | 

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Taglines:

...Code Name for a Killer!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Scorpio File

Filming Locations:

Washington Dulles International Airport - 45020 Aviation Drive, Sterling, Virginia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation, Scimitar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the contrary of the CIA shooting measures, the Orly airport shooting sequence was very difficult to make. The production had to bribe someone Alain Delon knew at Orly airport, in order to obtain the authorization. And security was at the maximum. Each crew member had to provide passports and badges with their photos on it.

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Goofs

Lancaster disarms two agents by putting his car into reverse and slamming into their car in a narrow alley. Then he pulls forward and does it again. But on his second pass, there's a shot of the back of his car completely undamaged before it makes the second hit. (In that final shot, the car is damaged as it should be.)

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Quotes

Cross: Toasting himself and Zharckov "Here's to dinosaurs".

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Connections

Referenced in Ninja Mission 2000 (2000)

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Soundtracks

Hannibal Brooks
(uncredited)
Music by Francis Lai

User Reviews

Good spy?

The movie hasn't aged well, but it still lives with great performances by it's lead actors. The editing and pace feel a bit odd (or off) and it's not only, because it's a slow moving movie, but because some choices seem "wrong".

If you can overlook those "flaws", you can surely enjoy the movie. The story is pretty complicated though and you might feel a bit confused at the ending. But this confusion can be a good thing, too. And the more I think about the ending, the more I like it. While it could have a better set-up, it still delivers and gives the movie one final punch, that will leave you surely with some sort of taste in your mouth (as the saying goes). If you like spy movies, this is essential, otherwise be aware of it's flaws and downfalls.