The Hit (1984)

Ten years later, after ratting on his old mobster friends in exchange for personal immunity, two hit men drive a hardened criminal to Paris for his execution. However, while on the way, whatever can go wrong, does go wrong.

Director:

Stephen Frears

Writer:

Peter Prince

Stars:

Freddie Stuart, Ralph Brown, A.J. Clarke

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Freddie Stuart	...	First Man
Ralph Brown	...	Second Man
A.J. Clarke	...	Third Man
Terence Stamp	...	Willie Parker
Lennie Peters	...	Mr. Corrigan
Bernie Searle	...	Hopwood (as Bernie Searl)
Brian Royal	...	Fellows
Albie Woodington	...	Riordan
Willoughby Gray	...	Judge
Jim Broadbent	...	Barrister
Manuel de Benito	...	Juan (as Manuel De Benito)
Juan Calot	...	Priest
Enrique San Francisco	...	Kidnapper (as Quique San Francisco)
Will More	...	Kidnapper (as Joaquin Alonso)
José Luis Fernández 'Pirri'	...	Kidnapper (as Jose Luis Fernandez)

Storyline

Ex-gangster Willie Parker has betrayed his former "colleagues" and now lives in Spain where he thinks he can hide from their vengeance. But one day, ten years later, two hitmen (Braddock and Myron) show up and kidnap Willie. They are ordered to escort him back to Paris where he should stand trial. But it is a long way to Paris...

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Plot Keywords:

spain | road movie | neo noir | british renaissance | philosophical | 

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Taglines:

Vengeance Knows No Boundary.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 March 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tilinteon hetki

Filming Locations:

Torre de Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,211, 10 March 1985, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$876,775

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zenith Entertainment,Recorded Picture Company (RPC),Central Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two of the film's most exotic Spanish locales were the waterfall and The Lago del Espejo (Mirror Lake). These are situated at the Monasterio de Piedra (Monastery of the River Piedra) at Nuévalos, Zaragoza, Aragón in Spain. Special billing for permission for filming there was featured in the film's closing credits roll.

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Goofs

Various crew members reflected in Tim Roth's sunglasses when Myron tells Braddock 'He's up to something' during their stop at the windmills.

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Quotes

[to Maggie]
Braddock: You've got birdshit in your hair.
[Maggie involuntarily touches her hair, revealing that she knows more English that she's admitting to]

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Connections

Remade as The Hit

User Reviews

Reformed(?)Criminal Willie Looks More Like a Guy On a Picnic Than One Who's About to Have the Walls Decorated With His Brains!

...........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA....and ORLANDO, FL

Sometimes a little reflection helps put things in perspective. The review you're reading now is vastly different from the one I sat down to write last night. The HIT seemed to have betrayed itself and short-changed the viewer by radically violating the principals set down throughout the course of the film. But that was last night. Today, at lunch, I "got it"! Last night it was 5.5*.

Luckily, patience, plus a little reflection, seem to have paid off: Today you're getting the 8.5* Deluxe REIEW Version! Willie Parker (Terence Stamp) is a former criminal who has had years to reflect on life, in general, and death, in particular! He has taken up reading books on philosophy, history, poetry, psychology and pretty much anything he can lay his hands on. For a man in his 40's, he strikes one as a bit young to be retired. Well, He isn't.

Willie is in rural Spain in the European Union's version of the Witness Protection Program; seeing as how he ratted out his buddies back in England, 10 years earlier. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to buy Willie's explanation that "He had seen the light! It felt like the right thing to do". Willie's day of reckoning comes when his ex-blokes have him kidnapped and brought to justice, EU Mafia style.

Throughout his entire ordeal, Willie looks more like someone going on a picnic than a guy who's about to have the walls decorated with his brains! His captors, an icy jaded pro (John Hurt) and his hapless, hot-tempered apprentice (Tim Roth, in a breakthrough role) stand incredulous before Willie's apparent calm and indifference to his plight.

Remember how SNL's Rosanna Rosanadana used to say: "It's always SOMETHING!" Well, in the course of transporting their victim to the slaughter, it's one constant "Something" after another! When The HIT is over (assuming you "get it") you'll have a slight smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye...just like the icy hit man's!

8.5* STARS....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!