Review: Point Blank (1967)

Point Blank is a an unconventional film noir that is mostly dialogue free compared to the classic fast talking film noirs of the 40’s. Set in Los Angeles, the city’s sunny vistas act as an ominous backdrop to the violent events carried out by some of its inhabitants. This unique vision helped spawn the same stylizations that would later emerge with Roman Polanski’s vision of Los Angeles in Chinatown. After a disorienting opening, it’s apparent that director John Boorman approaches the rather conventional plot with ingenious pacing and style, including his use of a rich color palette and the expansive anamorphic widescreen ratio. Utilizing cross-cutting flashbacks and expressive framing, Point Blank stands out from the average revenge film to one worthy of its cult status. The violence is done realistically and, at times, brutally. Essentially a revenge film, the film works because of Lee Marvin’s fantastic performance as Walker, a one man wrecking crew seeking revenge after he’s betrayed in a botched Alcatraz heist by his wife, Lynne (Sharon Acker) and best friend, Mal Reese (John Vernon). The performance is raw, unmannered and expressive, all without feeling calculated. It’s as if Marvin’s performance transcends the self-reflexive genre conceits. Just look at Brick’s main performance to know what I mean. Walker’s moral crisis helps flesh out the film and brings a resonance to the rest of the story. His identity is so central to this end goal that if he stops, even after his wife dies and he kills Mal, he risks living a meaningless existence. A nice touch has Walker ask, “What’s my first name?” No one knows, only his last name exists.

Richard Saad
© Cinephile Magazine, 2006