Watch The Mechanic For Free

Wow! Such a good movie.

To me, this movie is perfection.

Thanks for the memories!

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Charles Bronson plays Arthur Bishop, an experienced hit man with a real skill at what he does. His work is almost like art - very morbid art, to be sure, but he's not content to merely drop victims with a bullet to the head. Unfortunately, he ends up ordered by his bosses to eliminate his old family friend, Harry McKenna (Keenan Wynn). After reluctantly doing the job, he finds himself drawn to Harry's son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent), a cheerfully unambitious young man. Arthur decides that he will take on Steve as a partner, a move that will not sit well with the people for whom Arthur works.After their historic first teaming on the Western "Chato's Land", Bronson and director Michael Winner reunited shortly after, for what is essentially a character study. And that character, much like Bronson himself, is fascinating, revealing himself as a careful and precise person and also highly cultured. Not surprisingly, he has little time for such things as relationships (as shown in the scene with Arthur and a lady friend, played by Bronsons' wife Jill Ireland). There are fine action scenes here, to be sure, especially a motorcycle chase, and there are a couple of explosions along the way. But first and foremost, this is a film that takes a clinical look at two fairly icy men. The most telling scene occurs when Arthur and Steve debate how long it will take Steve's suicidal girlfriend (Linda Ridgeway) to succumb to the slashing of her wrists. Originally, screenwriter Lewis John Carlino had intended for the evolving relationship between professional killer and neophyte to be overtly homosexual, with the younger man at odds with his desires, but that idea was nixed, and in order for his script to get filmed, Carlino had to remove almost all of that subtext.Jerry Fielding supplies a terrific score, and the acting is efficient from our two main characters. Bronson is well cast, and Vincent holds his own quite well opposite his veteran co-star. Wynn is wonderful in his brief time on screen.Certainly the double twist ending is effective and "The Mechanic" is all the better for it. In the end, this is a good collaboration between a star and director that carried on to the iconic masterpiece "Death Wish".Seven out of 10.

A hardened and essentially ruthless contract killer Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) deals with death, handing it out clean and preferably in ways which suggest natural causes or suicide. Hence whenever such a specialist 'mechanic' is needed Bishop is there for the job. Unfortunately one of his employs mark his surrogate father figure Harry McKenna (Keenan Wynn). Despite his misgivings and inner turmoil Bishop carries out the hit like a true professional. Nonetheless with the remnants of human emotionality coupled with his heightened anxiety of continuing his profession he decides to take on his son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) as his protégé and slowly shows him the tricks of the trade.Admittedly I only came across the Bronson original due to the miserable 2011 remake, which - however poor a picture it was - had an intriguing premise, which instilled a sense of curiosity. "The Mechanic" (1972) may feel crude and sometimes understated by modern standard, whilst various script deficiencies are starkly apparent. Nonetheless the movie is made by the rough sensitivity of Charles Bronson counterpointed by the youthful haphazard exuberance of Vincent. Together they truly interact with half-glances, muffled exchanges and a building tension between the characters. Much more dark and lacking the contrition of the remake, "The Mechanic" feels honest and direct, murky in detail, much like the self-destructive life of the hit-man, whose only solace is that of a paid hooker pretending proximity and feeling. Isolated due to profession he is not quite the empty shell exterior that his profession requires from him, but a troubled individual decreased and no longer capable to further his work. The companionship of Steve offers him respite, whilst teaching him the brutal art of murder he forms a kinship to the boy.Director Michael Winner takes Bronson and delivers a memorable cinematic gem, which despite its narrative flaws wins through the well formed characters. Something that was sadly amiss in the remake.

The forty-two year old hit-man Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is frequently hired to kill without a trace and he carefully studies the profiles of his victims to find the perfect and clean way to execute them. When he is hired to kill "Big" Harry McKenna (Keenan Wynn), who was a former friend of his father, Arthur meets his son Steve McKenna (Jan- Michael Vincent) asking money to Harry at home. Later in Harry's funeral, Steve asks for a ride to Arthur and they become very close. Arthur finds potential in the twenty-four year old Steve to become a professional killer and he invites the youngster to form a partnership with him. However his attitude displeases the Powers that Be and Arthur is sent to Naples to kill a mobster. Arthur finds a file about him in a drawer at Steve's house but he invites Steve to travel with him to Italy. Sooner they learn that someone wants them to see Naples and die."The Mechanic" is an engaging film by Michael Winner with another great performance of Charles Bronson in the role of a "mechanic", meaning a hired hit-man that kills his victims without leaving a trace. One of the best lines in this film is when he tells to Steve that murder is only killing without a license. Jan-Michael Vincent has one of his best performances in the role of a youngster that believe that he has learned how to lure an experienced man. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Assassino a Preço Fixo" ("Killer at a Fixed Price")

This is an early '70s crime/action/thriller, so there aren't going to be an insane amount of edits and the picture is going to be more focused on fleshing out the story than giving motion sickness or temporary epilepsy. It includes some extended shots to make the viewer feel more at home than cutting right to the chase and moving from temporary place to place. There are zoom ins, interconnected shots, bell bottoms and side burns for that contemporary time stamp that it can't escape, though that doesn't take away from it being an effective character driven piece that still holds up today.The audience is introduced to the inner working of a "mechanic": someone who disposes of bad guys by making it look like an accident. Charles Bronson easily sells the part as Arthur Bishop with his rugged and tough looks, as well as a sarcastic and reserved outlook. Like he's perfectly capable of giving out harm at any time, but also has a certain amount of measurement and philosophy to what he does to make a system out of it. Bishop is a loner who doesn't show his emotions, which includes not speaking for the first fifteen minutes of the film and only first to his friend Harry (Keenan Wynn) who's having some trouble with the organization they work for. Harry knew Arthur's father well and he wants him to speak on his behalf to smooth things over, though the organization still makes their final decision by sending him a hit packet on Harry.The arrogant son named Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) could care less of his father's passing as he was a "pusher, pimp, thief, arsonist" and precedes to be as cocky and spoiled as he was before with raging parties and no sense for responsibility. A close woman called him and said she's going to kill herself for his attention and sympathy, though instead of showing concern he arrives with Arthur to watch with morbid curiosity. This sets up the ground work and with some active pursuit on Steve's part, including doing adrenaline junky type activities together, Arthur sees that he might have it in him to do the impassive line of work he does as a mechanic and takes him under his wing as an associate and possible companion.They patiently study their target's habits and wait it out for the perfect opportunity by finding a hole in their security. They plan one way and the job goes another, leading to the organization being a little worried that Steve is on board without their permission and in turn this leaves a possibility that he might ruin what's supposed to be covert operations in the shadows, not a motocross chase during broad daylight and where witnesses can see. To smooth things over they end up in Rome, Italy to do a "cowboy job," which means their target needs to be immediately taken out at whatever the cost, accident or no accident. From what starts out as a training and character development piece with partnership in the making turns into a climactic finale with a heated shootout with car chases and explosions when the characters get pushed against a wall. If that wasn't enough a twist happens, where one of them has an ulterior motive, but like a calculated game of chess so might the other.The cinematography, music and pacing are all well timed out. More times than not the camera and music are doing more talking and sharing than the players. It gives the film a solid backdrop and a particular atmosphere with extended strings and intermittent piano to make it intriguing and put all the clandestine operations into their respective places. This has some relating factors that include skipping the court system to see deserving bad guys immediately receive justice like "Dirty Harry" ignited just a year prior. It shows someone live the high-life, make their own hours, kill with purpose, sleep with escorts without consequence, though all at a cost of not having a productive social life with some consistency and true relaxation for what's around the next corner. Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent put on interesting performances though not all of the co-stars are very notable, with some that instead perform like caricatures of their type. There is also some misplaced dry humor when most of the film is rolling with a more serious structure. This has an abrupt ending but then again it's a cold business and closes the curtains more accordingly than, say, "The Italian Job," which ended up in the air. (Also submitted on Cinema Freaks, http://docuniverse.blogspot.com)