Point Blank is a 1967 crime film directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin, adapted from the pulp classic The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake, writing as Richard Stark. The film is sometimes credited with kicking off "American neo-noir... [and] a new mood in American cinema for fetishising blood and violence." Andrew Pulver.

The film combines the harsh crime novel with stylistic touchs of the European nouvelle vague, psychological themes, complex flashbacks and rapid rhythm changes, and Boorman's own favourite myth elements. The opening ten minutes demonstrate a menu of cinematic devices, a "measured frenzy" that continues throughout the film.

The plot centres on an implacable and remorseless Walker (Lee Marvin, Parker in the novel) as a man shot by his adulterous wife (Sharon Acker) and double-crossed by his partner Reese (John Vernon's first major role). Now out of prison Walker sets out to recover his lost money, chasing Resnick - now a member of the corporate crime union, the Syndicate. Walker pursues his money in a series of murders up the managerial structure of the Syndicate - which completely misunderstands and misjudges his intentions

Remade as Payback in 1999, directed and written by Brian Helgeland, starring Mel Gibson.

"Point Blank is a masterpiece... iconographic... urban thriller... a crucial film in the development of cinema's portrait of... organized crime." David Thomson

External link

• http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue8/pointblank.html

The same title has also been used for a wretched 1997 film and a Canadian television comedy series of 2002. The Swedish crime film Rånarna (2004) is sometimes seen with the international English title Point Blank.