The Hit (1984)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Hit (1984) – S. Frears

Stephen Frears’ first film of the ‘80s is a stylish “noir” shot beautifully in broad daylight in Spain where two hitmen, John Hurt and Tim Roth, finally catch up with Terrence Stamp who ratted out his bank robbing colleagues 10 years before. It’s also a road movie as we follow these three (plus hostage Laura del Sol) as they trek toward France where the gang leader, previously betrayed, awaits. (Deliciously, they are trailed by the cops led by Fernando Rey, of all people). Finally, it’s a mediation on death: Stamp declares that he is ready for it (reading a sonnet by John Donne to prove it) but others do not believe him. I guess it is a sort of existential threat to a hitman’s sense of meaning if death is not feared and John Hurt does seem to gradually lose his bearings across the film. Frears to his credit manages to keep the tension high even though the vibe is often “family vacation”. This is also essentially Roth’s debut (with blond hair) and you can see why Tarantino (a fan of this film) chose him for subsequent projects. Definitely worth a look.