While it might be easy to associate British cinema with highly ornate period pieces and costume dramas, the impact that English filmmakers had on the development of the neo-noir crime genre can’t be denied. Even if American directors likeQuentin TarantinoandDavid Fincherput a fresh spin on crime cinema in the 1990s, British gangster films had been making transgressive moves ever sinceGet Carter, The Day of the Jackal,andThe Offencein the 1970s. The subsequent decade may have seen the film industry leaning into more populist fare, but1984 saw the release of the brilliant, unusual road trip crime thrillerThe Hit, which featured a team-up betweenTerence Stamp,John Hurt,andTim Rothin one of his first roles.
DirectorStephen Frearsis one of the most underrated filmmakers of all time, as he often helped to identify young talent by giving breakout roles toDaniel Day-LewisinMy Beautiful Launderette,Gary OldmaninPrick Up Your Ears,Keanu ReevesinDangerous Liaisons,John CusackinThe Grifters, andChiwetel EjioforinDirty Pretty Things. AlthoughThe Hitfollowed in the footsteps of classic gangster thrillers, its dark sense of humor and lean, mean approach marked the birth of a new voice in filmmaking.Stamp, Hurt, and Roth are now recognized as some of the greatest British actors of all time, but they were rarely better than they were inThe Hit.
What Is ‘The Hit’ About?
The Hitstars Stampas the London gangsterWillie Parker, who is sentenced to ten years in prison after handing over evidence about his employers to law enforcement in exchange for a more tame sentence. Although Parker is released and able to live comfortably in Spain, his traitorous ways stoke the anger of the kingpin that he helped to indict, who sends a group of youths to kidnap him. Parker may have been able to handle four young, inexperienced hoodlums, buthe is soon apprehended by the kingpin’s professional hitman Braddock, played by Hurt.Braddock is a tough, no-nonsense enforcer, but he’s also taken the opportunity to train his young apprentice Myron, who is played by Roth. After the trio break into the apartment of the middle-aged Australian man Harry (Bill Hunter), which contains important items for them to collect. Parker throws a wrench in their plan by disclosing their identities, so Braddock decides to take Harry’s young girlfriend, Maggie (Laura del Sol), as insurance. The unusual group takes part in an extended road trip to the French border but slowly begins to realize that they might have more in common with one another than they initially expected.
The “road trip comedy” formula has been iconicsince the Golden Age of Hollywood, as it has inspired such diverse films as theBob HopeandBing Crosbycomedies andThe Muppet Movie. However,The Hittakes a much darker take on the genre because the characters are all facing devastating consequences for their actions; Parker knows that he is supposed to be assassinated, Braddock knows he will be reprimanded should he fail, Myron isn’t sure if he wants to be an assassin,and Maggie must face the reality that she will never see Harry again.Given that each of the characters is in such a vulnerable place, they begin to open up to one another and discuss the futility of their mission. Although it’s initially funny to see such cold-hearted characters deal with the common annoyances involved in a road trip,Frears is able to make them surprisingly relatable.This makes it even more shocking when the film breaks out into violence, as it serves as a reminder that each of these men would kill to improve their circumstances.
‘The Hit’ Perfects the Neo-Noir Dark Comedy Formula
The Hitsucceeded in getting its stars to act outside of their comfort zones, which made the film feel more dangerous and transgressive. While Stamp had been established as a very conventionally attractive heartthrob after hisAcademy Award-nominated roleinBilly Budd,The Hitallowed him to play a wry, self-deprecating criminal who has existential musings about his purpose in the world. Hurt had been established as one of the most likable and empathetic actors of his generation with his acclaimed roles inAlien,The Elephant Man,and1984, but his performance as Braddock is genuinely terrifying. Even if Braddock shows the occasional sympathy to Maggie or gives advice to Myron, he’s quick to remind everyonethat his skills are lethal.
The Hitwas Roth’s theatrical film debut, and it certainly explains why he would become a beloved actor for filmmakers likeQuentin Tarantino,David Lynch, Woody Allen,andFrancis Ford Coppola. Myron is a character who it is hard not to sympathize with, as he both recognizes that Braddock is a loose cannon who can’t be trusted and grows weary about Parker’s flippant attitude. Although Myron is given the opportunity to voice some of the concerns that the audience may have had about how unsustainable the situation is,he is hardly presented as a hero; in fact, Myron’s youth and relative lack of experience mean he has even less awareness of the value of human life. His performance is beautifully contrasted by del Sol’s, as Maggie is a character whose innocence and optimism take all of her captors off guard.
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The 2002 movie also stars Cole Hauser and Terrence Howard.
The Hitdeals with the inevitability of death in profound ways, but it also features the type of snarky, clever dialogue that would become favored by British directors likeGuy RitchieandMatthew Vaughn. Although it only got minimal recognition at the time of its release (with Roth receiving a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Newcomer), it has gone on tobe a favorite ofChristopher NolanandWes Anderson.It clearly predated more recognizable achievements for each of its stars; Stamp would return to the noir genre withSteven Soderbergh’sThe Limey, Hurt would give memorable villain roles inOwning MahownyandThe Proposition, and Roth earned an Academy Award nomination for his terrifying performance inRob Roy. Even if its influence is apparent,The Hitdeserves to be remembered as a British masterpiece in its own right.
