The Hit [Criterion Collection]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

In this offbeat crime film, Willie Parker (Terence Stamp) an English mobster turned informant, has been given a new identity and has been living in a small, isolated village in Spain for 10 years. Unfortunately for Parker, the men he has betrayed have ascertained his whereabouts and send Braddock (John Hurt), a professional hitman, and his apprentice Myron (Tim Roth) to bring Parker to Paris where his ex-associates await. After kidnapping Parker, nothing goes as planned. Now they are followed by a Spanish policeman (Fernando Rey) who seems to anticipate each of their moves, and they are burdened by Maggie (Laura del Sol), the mistress of a fellow mobster they were forced to kill. What should have been a routine hit becomes a psychological battle between all the participants as Parker, in a fight for time and for his life, plays one against the other. Set against the bleak Spanish landscape and featuring evocative and memorable theme music, the film builds to a surprising conclusion where the true nature of all the characters is revealed. Terence Stamp develops the character of Parker in a subtle but surprisingly comic performance and Laura del Sol shines as a woman who will do what is necessary to survive. Tim Roth, in his film debut, plays a brutal, but oddly endearing thug. But it is John Hurt, in a sensitive and nuanced performance, who brings a perceptive intelligence and depth to his role which adds a philosophical and psychological dimension to the film. Hurt plays his difficult role without a misstep and with a rare economy of action. Thoughtful and frequently amusing, The Hit, superbly written by Peter Prince, is both a compelling and suspenseful crime drama and also a deep and profound meditation on life, death and courage. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (Alternate Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Commentary featuring director Stephen Frears, actors John Hurt and Tim Roth, writer Peter Prince, and editor Mick Audsley
  • A 1988 interview with actor Terence Stamp from the television show Parkinson One-to-One
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Graham Fuller

AWARDS

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Nominated Best Foreign Film - 1985 (Stephen Frears)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       John Hurt - Braddock
       Tim Roth - Myron
       Laura del Sol - Maggie
       Terence Stamp - Willie Parker
       Bill Hunter - Harry
       Fernando Rey - Chief Inspector
       Emeko Olazagasti - Young Basque
       Joaquin Alonzo - Kidnapper
       Albie Woodington - Riordan
       A.J. Clarke - Third Man
       Enrique San Francisco - Kidnapper
       Jim Broadbent - Barrister
       Bernie Searl - Hopwood
       Carlos Lucena - Uniformed Officer
       Willoughby Gray - Judge
       Xavier Aguirre - Young Basque
       Camilo Vilanova - Kidnapper
       Lennie Peters - Mr. Corrigan
       Juan Calot - Priest
       Sheila Trezise
       Brian Royal - Fellows
       Jose Luis Fernandez - Kidnapper
       Ralph Brown - Second Man
       Miguel Garmendia - Tavern Keeper
       Carlos Tristancho - Garage Attendant
       Freddie Stuart - First Man
       Patxi Barko - Young Basque
       Carlos Zabala - Young Basque
       Manuel de Benito - Juan, Willie's Bodyguard
       Jeremy Thomas

• Director:

  Stephen Frears

• Producer:

  Jeremy Thomas

• Screenwriter:

  Peter Prince

• Cinematographer:

  John A. Alonzo, Michael Molloy

• Composer (Music Score):

  Paco de Lucía

• Editor:

  Mick Audsley

• Production Designer:

  Andrew Sanders

• Art Director:

  Julio Molina

• Associate Producer:

  Joyce Herlihy

• Set Designer:

  Luciano Arroyo

• Costume Designer:

  Marit Allen

• Makeup:

  Karen Dawson

• Special Effects:

  Reyes Abades, Alan Whibley

• Camera Operator:

  Bob Smith

• Musical Performer:

  Eric Clapton

REVIEW:

• This relatively early feature effort from Stephen Frears set the tone for his justly celebrated The Grifters six years later, but it also stands on its own as an acute psychological mood piece. Despite its mid-sized cast and its variety of settings, from British courtrooms to the Spanish countryside, The Hit summons up a claustrophobic intensity from the tension-fraught interaction of four key players on a road trip to hell. From John Hurt's rumpled, tight-lipped hit man and Terence Stamp's cockily zen informant to the fresh-faced but ferocious Tim Roth and the nervy, vivacious Laura del Sol, each of the principals contributes top-notch work. The result is an efficient case study in the playing of mind games -- one where sun-bleached stillness and sudden violence share an equal capacity to fray the nerves of both audience and characters. The economical script, by future Waterland scribe Peter Prince, certainly made the director's job easier. But considering that the film was released a mere year before My Beautiful Laundrette, a very different sort of effort from Frears, The Hit offers further proof that the British director is a jack of all trades and master of many. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi