Der Killer und die Dirne

A professional hit-man is sent on a mission to Europe, but gets involved with a bubbly sexpot despite his strict code of self-discipline.

Disappointing melodrama that doesn't come off despite a sterling cast. There's a delightfully sexy Remick, a charmingly continental Palmer, a mysteriously wacky Meredith, and an imposingly sinister Hayden. Plus, starring in the central role, a wordlessly stone-faced Coburn. But despite this line-up, the screenplay is both over-long and needlessly elusive.

The key to the murky story, I'm guessing, is that the movie was made in the late 60's, during the 'Make love, not war' period. What writer-director Pogostin appears aiming at is a movie that applies the motto to a professional killer, of all things. At least, this is the narrative's trajectory even though the details are too often elusive. Much of the obscure philosophical palaver appears to concern just how wrong professional hits are in an era of mass political killing. It also serves, I think, to soften Cunningham's going unpunished despite his bloody record. Note too, how little attention is given to Cunningham's two professional hits, as if they're merely incidental to the overall story.

Whatever the narrative shortcomings, we get a pretty good travelogue of Western Europe as background. In fact, it appears Pogostin never shot in the same spot twice, which means the camera jumps around a lot adding to the feeling of a disjointed narrative. One way or the other, the movie's amounts to a disappointment given the talent involved. My advice is to catch up with a tight little b&w gem from 1958, Murder by Contract, which shows how the material should be done.

A paid assassin who only sleeps with prostitutes is sent to Spain to carry out an "assignment" and in the process meets a young woman. He bumps off a few victims but he's such a pro the viewer doesn't see much, if any, violence. This isn't a violent picture, though the ending will have you squirming a little as he drives a car load of people along a windy mountain road, seemingly contemplating whether to kill them all, as they beg him to slow down. James Coburn is excellent in the part, a combination womanizer/contract killer who seemingly doesn't have either the time or inclination to get involved, a classic casually immoral role in which he has an ongoing professional relationship with a prostitute played by Karen Black and later meets another sex professional in Belgium. It's almost too bad that Lee Remick's character interrupts this life of his, but she does bring out a more human and sympathetic side that confounds his supervisor, in a great part for Burgess Meredith.

i don't think anyone will just chose this movie to watch out of the blue. if you're watching Hard Contract you either are a Coburn or Remick fan. yes, like others said its boring but (like others said...) it's dullness is something in itself. Movies were more real (if one can make such a statement) back then - kind of raw, intelligent doesn't pander to the viewer. those times are gone but this Coburn movie along with "Duffy" can transport you back in time to 1968/70. The world of movies back then made you think - you didn't have everything spelled out for you. They also challenged your beliefs - if you do that now a days, the PC police will put you in your place.

I'm assuming the comments I read on this site were written by horny guys - the accolades to Lee Remick's beauty take up most of the comments. She is absolutely gorgeous and sexy in this movie, and I agree, she's the main reason to see this film.

James Coburn has a "Hard Contract" in this 1969 film about a top hit man, John Cunningham, who's sent to Europe by his boss Ramsey (Burgess Meredith) to kill three people, one of whom, Michael Carlson (Sterling Hayden) was his predecessor in the job.

Cummingham is a man completely detached from human emotion; he only pays for sex, won't kiss, and won't let a woman spend the night. While in Europe, he meets a beautiful woman, Sheila Metcalfe (the afore - and oft-mentioned - Remick) and her group of friends, including Adrianne (Lilli Palmer) and an ex-Nazi.

Sheila falls for Cummingham, the rest of the group adopts him, and before Cunningham knows it, he's become, for the first time, part of the human race. Carlson knows what he's there for immediately, and the two have a confrontation. Cunningham has started to realize there's something in the world besides killing.

This movie makes a great effort to be deep. It doesn't really know what it is; it lacks a point of view, but it does convey a message. Some of it is kind of cryptic. I actually thought there were lines of dialogue missing from the version I saw.

Coburn is very good as a man who finally realizes he can't avoid living; Remick as an outrageous, adventurous socialite gives a wonderful performance; Palmer as her dizzy friend is delightful.

Hayden, never a favorite of mine, was an unusual man in real life, and I think what made him special as a person comes through here. The retired hit man is one who thought a good deal about the meaning of life, as did Hayden, and found peace within himself.

Hayden, after his forays into Communism, his guilt over cooperating with the committee, and his basically going out to sea and writing, did the same thing. Karen Black has a small role as a prostitute in the beginning of the film.

A really wonderful cast, an uneven film, a kind of blah ending - still worth seeing for Remick and Coburn in their primes.

If you like hit man films, this one is not for you. But if you want to see some fine acting, there is a scene near the end of this film between James Coburn and Sterling Hayden which is absolutely superb. Coburn is the young hit-man (he's 41) and Hayden is the retired hit-man who has given up killing (he's 53 at the time).

Other than this, it's a pretty ordinary film and is less a hit-man film than it is an existential film

My favorite hit-man films are Leon: The Professional 1994, Pulp Fiction 1994, In Bruges 2008, La Femme Nikita 1990, The Killers 1964, This Gun for Hire 1942, The Long kiss goodnight 1996, The Bourne Identity (2202, Supremacy (2004), Ultimatum 2007, Kill Bill 2003. 2004, Gross Pointe Blank 1997, Hit-man 2007, Memory of a Killer (2003), Collateral 2004, and Colombiana 2011