Point Blank (1967)
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A betrayed thief embarks on a violent, fractured quest for revenge against a crime syndicate.
The story
After a botched robbery on Alcatraz Island, a man named Walker is left for dead by his partner, Mal Reese, who flees with their loot and Walker's wife. Recovering from his injuries, Walker seeks out the mysterious Yost to help him track down Reese and reclaim his share of the money. His journey takes him to Los Angeles, where he navigates a dangerous underworld to confront the crime syndicate known as 'The Organization.' As Walker pursues his targets, he faces a series of violent encounters and personal betrayals, driven by a singular, obsessive need for retribution.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Walker is betrayed by his partner Reese during a robbery on Alcatraz Island. After recovering, Walker seeks help from Yost to find Reese and his $93,000. He discovers Reese has fled with Walker's wife, Lynne, who eventually dies of an overdose. Walker tracks down Reese's sister-in-law, Chris, who helps him infiltrate Reese's penthouse. During a confrontation, Reese accidentally falls to his death. Walker then targets the syndicate's leadership: Carter, Brewster, and Fairfax. After a failed money drop where he finds only blank paper, Walker is led to Brewster's house. There, he has a sexual encounter with Chris before ambushing Brewster. Brewster reveals the money is in San Francisco. At Fort Point, a sniper kills Brewster. Yost/Fairfax appears, revealing he was the one who orchestrated the elimination of his own underlings. He offers Walker a partnership, but Walker remains silent and retreats into the shadows, seemingly disappearing.
- First release year
- 1967
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Boorman
- Writers
- Alexander Jacobs · screenplay; David Newhouse · screenplay; Rafe Newhouse · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Lee Marvin · Walker; Angie Dickinson; Keenan Wynn; Carroll O'Connor
- Genres
- crime; thriller; neo-noir
- Themes
- revenge; dehumanization; memory; existentialism
- Tone and mood
- stylized; sadistic; dream-like; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; noir; revenge; gangster
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Hunter (1962) by Donald E. Westlake (writing as Richard Stark)
- Franchise connections
- Parker series
- Reception
- The film is considered a cult classic and a masterpiece, praised for its stylized noir mood and performances. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · review count: 46; Metacritic · score: 86 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Awards and nominations
- Best Director · National Society of Film Critics Awards · 1967 · nomination
- Production trivia
- It was the first film shot at Alcatraz Island.; The film was screened in Brazil in 1968 to protest the murder of a student.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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