Taste the Anticipation - The Mechanic (1972)

Director: Michael Winner

Cast: Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vinent, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland

Country: United States

Rating: PG

Run Time: 100 minutes

Taste the Anticipation is a series dedicated to reviewing films in anticipation of a newer up and coming release. Whether it a previous franchise installment, a forgotten film within a director's immense oveure, or a thematically similar venture, anything is fair game as long as it relates to a newer cinematic product of sorts that I am anticipating.

It's been a while since I've reviewed some classic Bronson on my blog. Therefore, I thought that I'd give The Mechanic a revisit. I also wanted to revisit this film along with Simon West's remake in the wake of the announcement of the sequel; Mechanic: Resurrection. It's weird to say it but I guess The Mechanic has become a franchise of its own now. But alas, Statham is returning and that means more guns, bullets, and assassinations "Mechanic style."

If you ever need evidence of Bronson's bad-assery, look no further than his films from the late 1960's and early 1970's. These films feature Bronson at his most chiseled, fashionable, and bad ass. If I were to be more specific though, I would say to look towards the films that Bronson collaborated on with director Michael Winner. Bronson and Winner team ups like The Stone Killer and Death Wish showed how natural and simple it was to make a bad ass action movie in the 1970's. One of their best collaborations though is The Mechanic, an assassin film with great action and a great twist ending.

That's what you call an awesome title card.

Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a mechanic, or an assassin, for an unnamed group of people who use him to eliminate targets of theirs. Bishop is an expert planner who takes his time and plans his assassinations. He never rushes in like a cowboy or takes out someone unless he studies all of their habits and background. When Bishop eliminates a man named Big Harry, he attracts the attention of Big Harry's son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) at the funeral. Bishop's comments about Steve's personality and characteristics triggers an interest in Steve as to Bishop's secret profession. After much questioning, Bishop agrees to let Steve in on the assassination profession since having a back up would make jobs easier for him. Bishop trains Steve in the ways of concentration, martial arts, and gun fire to prepare him for his first task. However, Bishop angers the unnamed group who uses him once they find out that an outsider has been brought into the business. Bishop also comes to doubt Steve's loyalty to the business and their partnership as he grows increasingly suspicious of Steve's actions.

Man, it really has been awhile since I visited a truly awesome Bronson film. I forgot how bad ass and stylish the guy is. His outfits are amazing in this movie! I wish I dressed as good as he did. Anyways, Arthur Bishop is a great character because he isn't like every other movie assassin or Bronson character. He's a detached loner who likes to keep to himself, uses a prostitute to fake a real relationship, takes his time with his assassinations, and keeps up on his extracurricular activities. He's in to going to the aquarium, shooting skeet, scuba diving, and even karate. He also refuses to pay hospital bills. He just crumples that crap up tosses it in the garbage. Arthur Bishop is a great character brought to life by Bronson's real life detached and lonely personality.

We learn everything that we need too about Bishop in the film's slow burn opening sequence. Within 16 minutes, we see Bishop stalk a target, prepare to kill him, and than take the guy out. However, there is no dialog in all of these 16 minutes. Director Michael Winner relies purely on visual storytelling to introduce us to Bishop and his profession. It's truly masterful filmmaking. Winner doesn't hold our hand or incorporate any unnecessary narration. He just lets the visuals do all of the work.

The weary mentor and the young apprentice.

I also can't go without mentioning co-lead Jan Michael Vincent as Steve. Much like Bronson, Vincent is cold and emotionless. He makes for a good co-lead who holds his own next to Bronson. He and Bronson also have a great mentor/apprentice relationship that makes the film a passing of the torch kind of story. I typically love films about passing the torch from the older generation to the younger generation in one way or another.

When The Mechanic was originally scripted, Steve and Bishop were written as gay lovers. However, the film's producers found financing hard to come by. Therefore, changes were made and the two became simply friends. Even though I already love the film the way it is, I am very curious as to how the film would have played out with the two being homosexual. A dynamic like this would have added far more to the film and made it that much more unique and complex in contrast to other hit man and assassin pictures of the time. This homosexual dynamic is either unintentionally or intentionally teased during Steven and Bishop's first meeting as they trade interesting eye glances at one another before even saying, "Hello." If you asked me, there is something going on in their eyes.

Bronson's wife Jill Ireland (Death Wish 2) also pops up as a prostitute that pretends to be Bishop's lover. Even though her appearance is simply a cameo, Ireland's role as the prostitute is important in explaining how distant Bishop is from reality and world. 

I always love a good motor cycle chase.

The Mechanic is surprisingly only rated PG even though it includes a heavy body count, implied sex, explosions, and a scene where Steve's girlfriend slices her wrists with razor blades. Man, how the ratings system has changed over the years. I also read up on reviews of the film's initial release and found it interesting to note that critics disliked the film for its many action scenes (note: there are a whopping two set pieces, that's it). This is quite humorous to read considering how ridiculously action packed the likes of John Wick and The Raid 2 were this year and yet both of those films received very positive reviews. Man, how critics have change over the years!

As far as slam bam action comes, The Mechanic keeps its action to a minimum, opting for quality over quantity. The two stand out set pieces (the only one's I might add) are the motorcycle chase after Steve's first assassination and the big car chase and shootout in Italy. I can't remember the last time I saw an action film devote some time to a motorcycle chase but I love the one found here. As Bishop chases after a target on motorcycle, the two traverse through hills, ride over a man's parked car, and crash a rich family's pool party. You have to love a chase that ends with a dummy going off of a cliff on a bike into a firey explosion.

The action scenes, 70's fashion design, and Italian setting found in the final act makes the film look like a Euro-crime thriller a-la Enzo G. Castalleri's The Big Racket or Street Law. Bishop and Steven have a great gunfight between a helping of assassins that makes for great entertainment. Bishop lands the best kill of the film when he jump starts a bulldozer and plows an assassin inside of his car off of a cliff. Talk about an overkill.

As many fans of The Mechanic know, the film ends with a great twist ending that sort of puts the cherry on top of the whole experience. In a film that is all about people killing one another, the final moments are saddening yet satisfying. Unfortunately, I think that the ending is a tad rushed. I'm talking about the very final shot of the film that delivers the ultimate bang to the twist. If Winner had slowed the ending down and allowed more time for the audience to take in the surprise, than I think that it would have worked far better. It's surprising to see Winner rush the finale in contrast to how slow he allowed the rest of the film to play out. However, it's still a great ending.

No one pumps a shotgun better than Bronson.

Winner's The Mechanic is a special kind of action film that pairs the typical lonely assassin story with a completely unexpected ending. Critics of 1972 would love this film in contrast to today's slam bam action flicks. It takes far more time with its characters and their mentoring than any film of today does. I also think that Bronson delivers one of his best roles here too. The role feels slightly reflexive in how it incorporates Bronson's true to life detached personality. In conclusion, I would place The Mechanic on the list of other great lone assassin/hit men films like Leon: The Professional, The Bourne Identity, Le Samourai, The American, and Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai. Highly recommended!

Rating: 8/10 - One of Michael Winner's best action films. Check it out!

Franchise:
The Mechanic (dir. Michael Winner, 1972)
The Mechanic (dir. Simon West, 2011)
Mechanic: Resurrection (dir. Dennis Gansel, 2016)