Talking 'Point'
Boorman's commentary reveals much about his influential color noir
By Andy Klein
If the 1940s and early '50s were the glory days of film noir, such films became less common in the late '50s and '60s, as color cinematography almost obliterated black-and-white productions from Hollywood. Black-and-white seemed one of the most essential elements in the genre.
John Boorman's 1967 Point Blank was among the earliest attempts to develop a color noir style. Boorman's only previous feature had been the oddball Dave Clark Five vehicle Having a Wild Weekend, which was a more self-serious knockoff of A Hard Day's Night. On Point Blank, his timing was perfect: The studios were in a period of confusion, trying to catch up with the burgeoning cultural upheavals. That, together with the steadfast support of star Lee Marvin, enabled him to make an arty, elliptical, European-inflected thriller ... at MGM, no less.
In this adaptation of The Hunter - a terrific pulp novel by Donald E. Westlake (under his Richard Stark pseudonym), which was also the basis for the 1999 Mel Gibson film Payback - Lee Marvin plays Walker, a criminal who is betrayed by his wife and his partner. Shot at point-blank range and left for dead in a cell on the abandoned Alcatraz, he inexplicably - perhaps even supernaturally - survives and becomes a relentless revenge machine. It was Boorman's conceit that Parker may actually be dead: Point Blank is filled with fragmented flashbacks and surreal landscapes through which an impassive Marvin stalks like a zombie. The bleak and intimidating worldview that in earlier films was depicted with dark shadows is here translated into cold, harsh colors - impersonal urban landscapes that are bright, sharp, and antiseptic.
The print used for the DVD transfer appears pristine; and the disc includes the trailer and two "behind the scenes" shorts, produced for the original release. But the big extra here is a commentary track, in which Steven Soderbergh - whose The Limey was highly influenced by Point Blank - chats with Boorman.
The result ranges from thematic concerns (like what Boorman's intentions were) to technical issues (what equipment was used) to highly amusing and informative gossip/anecdotes. For instance, Boorman explains that Marvin asked him for an opinion on the original script; Boorman said it was rubbish; and Marvin threw it out the window, so they could start from scratch. "When the remake came out, it was very similar to the script we discarded. I fancy the idea that the very young Mel Gibson was walking beneath that window that day."
Not that Boorman is uncritical of his early work. One scene starts with a very "Look at me!" shot of Marvin and Angie Dickinson reflected in a broken mirror. Soderbergh seems about to praise it when Boorman says, "Well, this shot was too stylized."
Point Blank was presumably influenced by Arthur Penn's existential mob film, Mickey One (1965), and, in turn, informs Penn's 1975 Night Moves, which is also newly available on DVD. Like Boorman's film, this neo-noir suffers from in-your-face thematic self-consciousness, but it picks up steam about halfway through, as detective Gene Hackman finds himself between Jennifer Warren (sexy and mature) and Melanie Griffith (sexy and underage). It was Griffith's first major role and one of her best; the cast also features a pre-stardom James Woods.
The DVD includes the trailer and the original promotional short. It's a shame there's no commentary track, since, in interviews, Penn has spoken eloquently about the movie.
Published: 08/18/2005
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