Sunday, January 9, 2011

Red Neck (1973)


Franco Nero and Telly Savalas star in the story of a trio of jewel thieves who take it on the lamb after the heist goes very wrong. Wrecking their car they take another unaware that there is a teenager hiding in the back. As the flight becomes more frantic, the young man is discovered upsetting the balance of the thieves (which wasn't that hard to do since Savalas's character is more than a bit nuts).

Dark disturbing film that has some strangely funny moments this is not a film for all tastes. There is a darkness about much of what happens that may not sit well with people who only know typical American movie fare. Children are shot, people are raped and there is a feeling of death hanging over the whole affair. It's a bleak film, who's humor, while eliciting laughs is often the sort that doesn't really sit well after the fact.

I like the film but I don't love it. It's the wrong sort of disturbing. Actually I think part of the problem is Telly Savalas, who's performance is a bit to "mannered" to completely work. The role feels wrong as if the completely self assured actor is pretending to be something else, and you can feel him pretending. I think it diminishes the film. Still if you want to see a crime drama that is not like any other out there give it a shot.

No comments:

Post a Comment