Starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickerson, Keenan Wynn,Carroll O'Conner, Sharon Acker, and John Vernon
"Double Crossing Friends, Cheating Wife, Crime Organizations, and All he wants is the money they owe him"
Point Blank has become a forgotten film in recent years and has a been remade in a way, but this 60s classic starring one of cinema's ultimate bad ass leading men Lee Marvin is worth more respect then what it gets.
The Plot is some what simple but not completely as in the films opening moments a man known only as Walker(Lee Marvin) is shot and left for dead on Alcatraz Island by his best friend Mal(John Vernon) and Walker's Wife Lynne(Sharon Acker) right after they have stolen $93,000, i guess it was two much money to split two ways in Mal's eyes so he had to take out Walker and take his woman as well.
Some how Walker survives(we think) as sometime has gone by(its never explained in the film) Walker is well and hell bent on finding his old friend and his wife. Walker meets a man name Yost(Keenan Wynn) who also is looking for Mal, who at this time has gotten in good with a well known crime syndicate that he owed exactly $93,000 too.
Point Blank which at the surface seems like its just a typical revenge movie, but its not with Walker's almost ghost like presence through out the movie makes this movie appear to be a lot deeper then what you actually are seeing.
In some scenes the movies has a surreal feel to it, most notable are the flashbacks to Walker's body on Alcatraz and in a fight between him and two goons in a night club. the finale leaves you with more questions then answers...
but thanks to great performances by Lee Marvin who is just a cool guy on screen in this movie never losing control of his emotions and ruffling his hair except in the fight scene i mention makes people realize there was a time when the strongest man didn't have to win, the largest man didn't have to win, but the smartest one is who came out on top.
Marvin defiantly is the lead of this movie, no question. but its supporting players help shape this movie into what it is. Angie Dickerson is somewhat underused as Lynne's sister but serves a purpose, Keenan Wynn as Yost is very mysterious and almost other worldly even more so then Walker. Carroll O'Conner(pre All In The Family) is great in his role as the Crime Underboss, John Vernon as Mal Walker's best friend in one of his very first roles shows flashes into the actor that he will become and why he is well respected and also if anybody could make him cry and beg for his life only a tough guy like Lee Marvin could.
The fact that this movie has become forgotten over the years kind of makes it even more that much of a hidden treasure when it is discovered by newer viewers because anybody who has seen 1998's Payback starring Mel Gibson will think that they have been there seen that if they've seen Payback before Point Blank.
Both movies are the same from plot and even some scenes are the same but where Point Blank outshines Payback(which is a good movie in its own right) is the whole surrealism that surround Point Blank as i stated earlier, there are hints of weather or not Walker is actually dead and his ghost has come back to right the wrongs of his past life and he couldn't cross over to the other side until that issue was resolve.
All in all if you enjoy films from the 60s and anything with Lee Marvin like i do, i highly recommend this film.
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