Two legendary Hollywood hard men, Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman, go head-to-head in this interesting thriller from director Michael Ritchie. Hackmann can act, Marvin just plays his stock character, but it's actually the latter to exudes more charisma, although the script is on his side: this is very much a Lee Marvin vehicle, structured not unlike 'Point Blank'. But that film had a distinctive, alienating air and ultimately showed clearly that its hero was no different, no better, to those he was pursuing. In 'Prime Cut', however, the villains of piece are (more typically, and more disappointingly) shown to be so depraved that Marvin is justified in sub-machining them down. Moreover, the sub-plot that explains this, their involvement in the trafficking of women to the sex trade, is presented in such a way as to seem sexist in itself. In other ways too the film appears dated: the editing is stuck somewhere between naturalistic and slick (not quite feeling like either), and the undeniably effective soundtrack is also horrid. What's more interesting is the setting: the story takes place in rural Missouri, but this is not America the beautiful. Instead, its the land of agribusiness and as such portrayed with an element of truth: although Ritchie does appear caught between emphasising its differences from the city, and its similarities.
'Point Blank' was a film ahead of its time in terms of style and tone. 'Prime Cut' is more like a typical thriller from the early 1970s. But either way, they don't make men like Marvin any more.
'Point Blank' was a film ahead of its time in terms of style and tone. 'Prime Cut' is more like a typical thriller from the early 1970s. But either way, they don't make men like Marvin any more.