Organizzazione crimini

Robert Duvall is as cool as can be in this well-shot, efficiently paced production adapted by director John Flynn from the Richard Stark (a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake) novel. Duvall plays Earl Macklin, who's just getting out of prison after having robbed a Mafia (or "Outfit") controlled bank. The Outfit has already knocked off Earls' brother Eddie (Edward Ness), so he's ripe for revenge. Hooking up with another cohort from the robbery (Joe Don Baker), he makes a nuisance of himself until The Outfit is forced to deal with him.

Under-rated action filmmaker Flynn, whose other credits include "Rolling Thunder", "Defiance", "Lock Up, "Out for Justice", and "Brainscan", keeps things moving along nicely, telling an entertaining (if familiar) story in fine fashion. The film is effectively violent without going overboard on the gore, so less squeamish viewers shouldn't be bothered. Overall, the film is fun, in the tradition of tales about bad guys who are up against WORSE guys. Of course, with this narrative, you're never in much doubt that our protagonists will manage to keep their heads and take on all comers.

Duvall and Baker make a good team, sharing a relaxed chemistry as they work to stay one step ahead of The Outfit. The always welcome Karen Black is engaging as Duvalls' lady friend, who doesn't find it that easy to stand by her man. (For one thing, in order to stay ahead, she, Baker, and Duvall have to keep moving from hotel to hotel.) But what's truly nice is that so much of the supporting cast is occupied with known actors. One might argue that some of these people don't get enough to do, but it's a joy to see them just the same: Robert Ryan as the top-dog mobster, as well as Joanna Cassidy, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel, Sheree North, Marie Windsor, Jane Greer, Henry Jones, Elisha Cook Jr., Bill McKinney, Archie Moore, Roy Roberts, Emile Meyer, Roy Jenson, John Steadman, and Francis De Sales.

Flynn keeps the tale gritty and reasonably realistic, aiming it towards an effectively action and suspense packed finale. If the prospective viewer is a fan of this genre, this is a film worth catching.

Seven out of 10.

Jerry Fielding was a great composer. The edgy sense that follows "The Outfit" from scene to scene is helped immeasurably by his soundtrack. The music builds up, adding a lot to the tension factor. The music is economical, not flashy at all. It has a very close to the bone quality to it. So why do I start by talking about the music? Because it's just so rare that a soundtrack adds so much, it actually makes a better film.

Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker have a very natural interplay, a sort of grimy half-drunk friendship that feels immediately true to life. Karen Black is very good as well. The plot itself is basic, with shades of "Point Blank" and various other revenge-oriented films. John Flynn is not the most imaginative director, so it's a little low on the style end of things visually. Somehow, it all comes together. Good acting, really great soundtrack, and a fast pace. You'll get into this one.

Everyone else has covered this movie well. It is indeed a tight, well-made crime drama with an excellent under-played central performance by Duval along with many very good scenes by classic character actors like Richard Jaeckel, Joanna Cassidy (who should have starred in Jim Thompson's "Hell of a Woman"), Marie Windsor, Henry Jones and many others. But the real stand-out (to my mind) is Karen Black. In the kind of roll that is generally reduced to an over-sexed gun-moll, Karen gives her character a real humanity. In one scene during a shoot out, she saves Duval and Baker by driving into and pinning against the wall the two mob men who are just about to take down our two guys. And in another scene she calls home on a pay-phone and is very chilly with her mother, but just about breaks down in asking her father if she can "come home for a while". She has never looked better in a film.

Having read all of the Richard Stark books (Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald Westlake), the film catches the stripped-down, hard-boiled tone of the novels and it's central character who is on a controlled journey into vengeance. In fact the film is very much like many of the great Gold Medal paperback originals published in the 1950's and 1960's. If you like this kind of story, look for authors like Peter Rabe, Charles Williams, Milton Ozaki, Lionel White and many others. "Hard-Boiled America" by Geoffrey O'Brien (recently reprinted) covers the genre and it's authors very well and is highly recommended.

I have to comment on the music and sound in the film - absolutely top notch! Many other crime films of the period would fill scenes with unnecessary music to amp up the suspense. "The Outfit" is very restrained and the music is used mostly to accent scenes and help transitions. Excellent score by Jerry Fielding. The sound work is great as well. The guns have a meaty sound without being to loud and dry. In one surprising scene, Joe Don Baker punches out a female receptionist and you hear her intake of breath, his fist whacking her jaw and the sound of her falling on the chair. All done with great finesse despite the brutality.

One previous reviewer got it right when he talked about the last part of the film descending into a Quinn/Martin television style. I think the director, John Flynn, is responsible. "The Outfit" seemed to me to be a lot like TV - with the old, wide master shoot to establish, cut to over-the-shoulder, back to the other close-up and end with the master. The director didn't have a real sense of the style of the film. I disagree that his work is like a "shaker chair". I think John Flynn directed it blandly, not simply, because he has a limited imagination. So many scenes could have benefited from a moving camera or more imaginative lighting. Flynn's work just didn't measure up to the excellent script and the great performances. Still, he didn't kill the film and even today (2004) it remains a little gem of the seventies that deserves a DVD release with extras.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed The outfit. Robert Duvall is great in his role as the not so likable ex con Earl Maclin, on a revenge mission against the outfit(sort of a non Italian mafia) for killing his brother. The film does this in a very different way, in that Maclin, doesn't go about the clichéd "Kill everyone" approach. Instead he demands monetary compensation and warns the outfit that he'll bleed them dry until he gets it. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the film that deal with Maclin and his accomplice Cody(Joe Don Baker(who was also great in his role)) and how they go about robbing the outfits operations. The finale goes a bit too exploitation and OTT for my liking, which is something of a disappointments. The other problem I had was Maclins relationship with his moll(who only seems to make about 2 major appearances in the film) which i felt was underdeveloped. Overall, The Outfit is a nice little film, that deserves a bit more attention than it got.

"The Outfit" was forgotten for years after its theatrical release, though in recent years it seems to have been revived and starting to find an audience. For the most part, it does deserve its rediscovery. It's directed in an engaging '70s style that sets it apart from many other man against the mob movies. The style is not polished, and gives the movie a rough and dirty feeling that makes what happens on screen seem more realistic. The violence doesn't come constantly, but when it does happen it gives the movie a serious kick, despite the movie in the end earning just a PG rating. Duvall does well, not making his character a superman, but someone who is (believably) well skilled and crafty. Baker makes a good sidekick. If I have any complaints about the movie, they are that there isn't a terrible amount of plot, and that Robert Ryan's character doesn't get quite enough footage. But despite those problems, the movie works well, and is a must for those who are fans of cynical '70s movies.