Point Blank

This grim, violent, virtually metaphysical thriller was the US directing debut of John Boorman (he'd previously made a feature with the Dave Clark Five in Britain). It's a gripping and sexy (X-rated in its day) action movie, with a magnificent performance from Lee Marvin as the revenge-seeking Walker, the ultimate lethal weapon, whose insane quest to retrieve Mob money assumes mythical proportions. Philip H Lathrop's cinematography brilliantly captures the Los Angeles night locations, while the subtle complexity of the storytelling and characterisations are such that this demands repeated viewings. Based on a novel by Richard Stark (the pseudonym of Donald E Westlake), the film is a markedly superior and powerful work. Incredible as it seems, MGM executives were so worried by the rushes that it took the intervention of David Lean to ensure Boorman remained on the picture.