The Hit (1984) Starring Terence Stamp
British Film Maker Stephen Frears’ Underappreciated Action Movie
Apr 28, 2009
Perhaps because Americans were entrenched deep within the halcyon days of the conservative revolution of the 1980's, getting their rocks off to the pulsating rhythm of synchronized music and the stylized violence of Michael Mann's Miami Vice, the British character-rich action yarn The Hit was not a hit at the American box office.
While Americans were more than happy to indulge their inner hedonist with homegrown depictions of sex, drugs, and violence, like that of Brian DePalma's Scarface; they preferred their British films to stay Victorian; satisfying their insatiable Anglophilia with the British invasion of films like A Room With A View; while avoiding the unclean, violent Britain displayed in the Bob Hoskins masterpiece The Long Good Friday.
Terence Stamp - The Hit Men Hit The Road
Terence Stamp stars as Willie, a mob informant, or supergrass, who has spent the last 10 years of his life hiding out in a quaint sunny Spanish village, relaxing with his books and quiet meditation. There arrives a day when Willie's peaceful escape is disrupted by the arrival of two hit men, looking to drag Willie back to face his bloody past.
The two hit men are the elder Mr. Braddock and his young assistant Myron. Braddock is played with the steady hand of character actor John Hurt ; Tim Roth is Myron, in his first major role, as the petulant man child, training to become a full-fledged killer.
John Hurt arrives on the scene sporting a slick off-white, tailored suit, slicked back hair, and Ray Bans. Mr. Braddock is cool as a cucumber, as he directs the action in and around removing Willie from his sun-drenched villa.
After a quick stop off, to knock off another stool pigeon holed up in Madrid; Braddock and Myron find themselves in possession of another passenger in the form of the aforementioned stool pigeon's girlfriend, Maggie (Laura del Sol).
Once out of the city, the hit men have every intention of killing the Spanish beauty, before transporting Willie to Paris for execution. But, alas, Myron's youthful desire for the Spaniard, brings out the fatherly instinct in Braddock, causing him to allow Maggie a little more time on earth.
So, Braddock heads off to Paris in his vintage Mercedes-Benz, loaded with his assistant and two soon-to-be dead passengers, on a road trip through the Spanish countryside, destined to encounter unexpected obstacles and sidetracks.
Terence Stamp - Movie Star Interrupted
Terence Stamp stands out like a sore thumb in The Hit. Not because he doesn't belong, but because every time he's on screen, his charisma and charm instantly provokes questions as to why this guy didn't become a bigger movie star.
Did he not possess the maniacal work ethic of his contemporary Michael Caine? Or was he sidelined by drugs and alcohol? Maybe he was never lucky enough to land a career making role the way Anthony Hopkins did with Silence of the Lambs.
Stamp's performance in The Hit is endlessly entertaining to watch; as a man being transported to his death, his character incredulously rolls with the punches, with a zen-like acceptance; and Stamp never falters, carrying himself with all the bravado of an actor half his age (incidentally, the Jimmy Cagneyesque Tim Roth was 22; Stamp, 45).
His role in The Hit was considered something of a comeback for Stamp, after having only sporadic success since making a splash in the 1960's; before withdrawing from film for 10 years to live in India. Which makes it all the more frustrating to know The Hit didn't receive the mass audience it deserved.
For further proof of Terrence Stamp's appeal, The Limey (1999) by indie auteur Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape) honored the actor's skills, while mining similar cinematic ground as Frears.
We're Here and We're Not Here
During the 10 years Willie left his former self behind, John Lennon was murdered (in the early scene of Willie being taken from his villa, a picture of Lennon is seen hanging on the wall).
And in a brilliant exchange late in the film, Braddock asks Willie how he can be so calm and unafraid of imminent death; Willie quotes an article he read in the wake of Lennon's murder, which put into perspective the futility of being weighted down by a fear of dying. Willie caps his philosophical defense by saying: We're here, and we're not here- it's as natural as breathing- why should we be scared?
Willie's words of wisdom will echo through the final minutes of the film, as the violent deaths occur in rapid succession; adding a certain poignancy to the carnage not seen again until Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.
Action Need Not Be Mindless
The Hit was directed with the keen eye for detail that has served Mr. Frears well for 40 years, culminating in his oft-considered artistic departure from the darker themes, the much heralded and Oscar-nominated The Queen from 2006.
The fact that The Hit was written by British novelist and playwright Peter Prince, is another hallmark of Frears work; as his best films have been written by novelists and playwrights (see Dangerous Liasons and High Fidelity).
If nothing else, The Hit proves that an action film need not be mindless to be exciting and entertaining.
The previously mentioned scene and others of equal depth furthers an argument that could be made, that Stephen Frears' The Hit is not only one of the most unusual and original action films of the 1980's, but one of the very best action films, period.
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