En contra de la organización

Years later his imprisonment, ex-con (Robert Duvall)named Macklin is released from jail. He aware his brother has been justly murdered by two inquisitive hit men under orders of crime syndicate, but they robbed a bank was owned by the mobsters. The outsider ex-con reluctantly gets involved and seeks revenge and battles corrupts killers. Then, he visits to mobster Mailer(Robert Ryan), responsible for his brother's death. Macklin is only helped by a tough thief(Joe Don Baker )and his fiancée(Karen Black), thirsting for vengeance.

This is a tough , action filled, suspenseful, and violent thriller. It's a tense and engagingly movie , ignored in 1974, but now regarded as a top film of the decade of the 70s. Solid main cast, Robert Duval, Karen Black and Joe Don Baker; furthermore veteran supporting cast helps with several known secondaries, such as Elisha Cook, Timothy Carey, Marie Windsor, Shree North, Henry Jones, Jane Greer, among others . This well directed motion picture is based upon a novel by Donald E Westlake, writing credits as Richard Stark. Atmospheric cinematography by Bruce Surtees, son of Robert Surtees, and usual cameraman of Clint Eastwood. Stirring musical score by Jerry Fielding, Sam Peckinpah's habitual. Director John Flynn who gave magnificent performances to Tommy Lee Jones (Rolling Thunder), Jan Michael Vincent , James Woods (Bestseller), here gave immense credibility to Robert Duvall . Rating : Good, the result is a strong outing of action thriller.

The first hour is dazzling: Robert Duvall, a bank-heist guy screwed over by the mob, decides he wants $250,000 as recompense. And like Lee Marvin in POINT BLANK, he doesn't take no for an answer. The director, John Flynn, is one of the most underrated in crime cinema on the basis of this picture and ROLLING THUNDER alone: he takes a pretty familiar man-against-the-syndicate story and shoots it with a plainness so eloquent the movie takes on the dignity of a Shaker chair. Duvall is an extraordinarily expressive hard case, especially in his brutally unsentimental scenes with his uncertain moll (a lyrical and volcanic Karen Black). Maybe it's the Donald Westlake source novel, but all the bit parts are beautifully, almost journalistically characterized (with none of the cutesy color of Elmore Leonard). The last act detours into Quinn-Martin territory, but that's not the worst thing in the world, is it? Almost everything in this movie is just incredibly articulate: check out the scene between Robert Ryan, an aging, cock-of-the-walk, but rather insecure mob boss, and the beautiful, put-together young wife (Joanna Cassidy) whom he loves but treats like dirt. A single argument about listening to a Rams game on a car radio speaks novels about their relationship in four terse lines. Flynn could give today's neo-noir directors seminars in the beauties of haiku-like plainspokenness.

Earl Macklin is released from prison to find that his brother has been killed and he is a target of a hitman. Having dealt with the killer he discovers that a bank job he did had been owned by the mob. Macklin joins with partner Cody to continually hit the organisation until they pay him $250,000 to make amends. However can two men take on the whole mob?

I approached this as someone who has seen plenty of tough 70's mob movies – both good and bad. However my wariness soon vanished as this turned out to be genuinely hard boiled stuff. From a great script the plot follows the two men as they repeatedly hit the mob. The dialogue is hard but also informative – not just tough for the sake of being tough. The action is also quite shocking – women being beaten etc, even for this type of movie it was quite pretty harsh.

Duvall is excellent – many actors may have played it a bit softer to try and keep the audience but he goes all the way as a cruel violent man. Baker is more affable but is less effective for just that reason. Black has a small role but makes the most of it. The mob support cast is good but really Duvall takes this and makes it his own.

Overall if you like the 70's hard boiled thriller genre then this is for you. Even if you don't then there is still much to appreciate here – not the best film in the world (plot is a little linear) but still a good tough thriller.

"The Outfit" was forgotten for years after its theatrical release, though in recent years it seems to have been revived and starting to find an audience. For the most part, it does deserve its rediscovery. It's directed in an engaging '70s style that sets it apart from many other man against the mob movies. The style is not polished, and gives the movie a rough and dirty feeling that makes what happens on screen seem more realistic. The violence doesn't come constantly, but when it does happen it gives the movie a serious kick, despite the movie in the end earning just a PG rating. Duvall does well, not making his character a superman, but someone who is (believably) well skilled and crafty. Baker makes a good sidekick. If I have any complaints about the movie, they are that there isn't a terrible amount of plot, and that Robert Ryan's character doesn't get quite enough footage. But despite those problems, the movie works well, and is a must for those who are fans of cynical '70s movies.

A man called Ed Macklin (Edward Ness) is murdered at home by two hitmen from the mobster organization The Outfit. Soon his brother Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall) is released from prison and while in a motel with his girlfriend Bett Harrow (Karen Black), is shot by a hitman. He escapes and Bett discloses that she was tortured by The Outfit that wants to kill him since he robbed a bank owned by the mobsters with his brother and his friend Jack Cody (Joe Don Baker). Earl decides to revenge his brother and meets Cody to rob The Outfit members. When The Outfit leader Mailer (Robert Ryan) promises a reparation but double-crosses Earl, he decides to go further in his payback time.

"The Outfit" is a crime movie from the 70´s that has not aged. The suspenseful plot of revenge is simple but full of action with great performances of the cast. The film has no surprises or plot points but it is highly entertaining and worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Quadrilha" ("The Outfit")