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In Paris, CIA operative Cross (Burt Lancaster) uses freelance assassin Jean 'Scorpio' Laurier (Alain Delon) to kill. It's their sixth or seventh assassination together. CIA don't usually do the killings themselves. They try to take out Cross within the Agency and fail. They do a deal with Scorpio to kill Cross. In Paris, Cross is given a safe house from his Soviet opposite Zharkov.

Cross and Scorpio need to be closer. There is a connection but a deeper emotional connection would make the chase more compelling. Scorpio can't be an outsider especially considering their conversation later in the movie. They talk like teacher and student. It doesn't really fit their relationship as described in the beginning. I still like their connection. It just needs some minor changes. On the other hand, Cross and Zharkov are almost perfect. They are both world-wearied warriors on their last legs. The movie does drag a bit too long after the explosive climax in Paris. Despite that scene, the movie could use a good action car chase in the city. It could use some more action and it needs to get to the ending faster. Overall, it has some interesting aspects of the genre but it's not one of the memorable ones.

Whereas Ian Fleming and Robert Ludlum tended toward the super-hero approach to international espionage, John Le Carre preferred it's more-realistic side: the tawdry shadow-world of betrayal, futility, and the brutal exploitation of human weakness. It looks like screenwriters Daniel W. Rintels and Gerald Wilson and director Michael Winner took a page from the Le Carre playbook when crafting this 1973 thriller.

Scorpio ranks with The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and The Looking Glass War as one of the best espionage flicks ever made. Burt Lancaster displays subtle depth as a veteran CIA agent who might be turning to the other side. Alain Delon excels as the young French assassin tasked with the liquidation of his old friend and mentor. Paul Scofield, John Colicos, and a young James Sikking all turn in fine supporting performances.

Scorpio is a lesser-known yet very satisfying classic from the Anti-Hero/Anti-Establishment era of the 1970's.

The movie hasn't aged well, but it still lives with great performances by it's lead actors. The editing and pace feel a bit odd (or off) and it's not only, because it's a slow moving movie, but because some choices seem "wrong".

If you can overlook those "flaws", you can surely enjoy the movie. The story is pretty complicated though and you might feel a bit confused at the ending. But this confusion can be a good thing, too. And the more I think about the ending, the more I like it. While it could have a better set-up, it still delivers and gives the movie one final punch, that will leave you surely with some sort of taste in your mouth (as the saying goes). If you like spy movies, this is essential, otherwise be aware of it's flaws and downfalls.

Back in the 1970s when Capitalism and Communism were fighting the cold war with undercover activities, a film such as this was able to play on our fears of the "good" guys as well as the "bad" guys. So, along with Burt Lancaster's aging C.I.A. agent, Cross, we can't know whom to trust. We like Burt, but we also like Alain Delon (Scorpio) the free agent assigned to assassinate him. We loathe John Colicos as the C.I.A. chief, yet he's supposedly working for our side. We like Paul Scofield's Zharkov, yet he's a commie. (Indeed, Scofield who is a master of cold characters has never been so charming.) The film offers great action scenes as well as unmitigated suspense. There is a superlative cast, and a lot of surprises. (Burt ain't named Cross for nothin'.) If you are a fan of thrillers, or even you aren't, this one's a must see!

Handsome Alain Delon is "Scorpio" in this 1973 spy film starring Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield, and featuring John Colicos, Arthur Hil and Joanna Linville. Cross (Lancaster) is an old CIA agent who assassinates foreign officials the U.S. needs out of the way. His some time parter is Jean Laurier, aka Scorpio, a freelancer. Scorpio is given the order to kill Cross - the agency feels he knows too much. Cross is very clever, but Scorpio knows him well enough to anticipate some of his moves. The two men play an international game of cat and mouse, and along the way, there are casualties.

This is a compelling if somewhat slow thriller, very typical of the spy films one saw in the '60s and '70s. What makes this one is the locations - having been to Vienna, I sat across from the opera house in the exact place where one scene was shot. The streets, the hotel lobbies and the rooms were unmistakably European. The cast is excellent, with Lancaster doing a great job - and his own stunts at the age of 59 - as a down to earth, tired agent. Scofield is effective as Zharkov, a Communist friend who helps Cross, and John Colicos is very good in a typical role for him as Cross' cold-blooded boss. Delon isn't quite in the league of these actors - he brings a kind of lethargy to his role and is almost too internalized, plus his accent is quite thick, so some of his dialogue is difficult to understand. You can't beat him for eye candy, though.

I've enjoyed other spy films better, but this one, written by David Rintels (my cousin's brother-in-law) is good with the right atmosphere and some dandy performances.

This is a convoluted espionage thriller with shades of John Le Carre. Unfortunately Michael Winner directs it like an early 1970s Europudding with most of the main actors sound like they have been dubbed.

Burt Lancaster is veteran CIA spook Cross who wants to retire and live in peace with his wife. He has accumulated a nice nest egg.

However Cross is now branded by his employers as a double agent. It helps them to know that Cross has leftist sympathies during the Spanish civil war. His protege codenamed Scorpio (Alain Delon) has been tasked to wipe Cross out, a task he has been forced to do.

Both play a cat and mouse game across various cities. Scorpio is not sure if Cross is a double agent or has merely been framed.

Winner has adopted a cynical look at spies. Both Cross and his Soviet counterpart Zharkov (Paul Scofield) are disillusioned old men, both of live and their countries.

There is plenty of good action but it is a muddled story and with a disappointing ending.

I had seen this years ago and thankfully it was shown again on thisTV out of Indianapolis.

Although this film is a great spy thriller, it is much more about friendship. Deep friendship. Between enemies and old friends. Not the fleeting digital facebook friendship where facebook folks are friended are defriended with the ease of changing lipstick. But deep, 'no questions asked' friendship of life threatening assistance. Do you have any friends like that? I think not. This is more a human story of old loyalties not nameless rule book bureaucrats.

There is a very poignant scene in the music hall where Max and Cross are listening to Brahms talking about the favor that Cross needs. Earlier in a cafe, Cross tells Max he needs a favor, and Max says he will do it no matter what and has the weekend free. Max is a music instructor. In the music hall, Cross says the favor may be painful, he needs a message delivered to his wife and it will probably kick back to Max. Max doesn't care, because after WWII, Cross was the one who liberated Max from the camps, where "he couldn't listen to Brahms without crying". Now, after being liberated he can. He dies helping Cross. Who has friends like that?

Cross friendships go deep, from the hood in DC to a Soviet spy. In fact, those friendships transcend race and politics.

Scorpio predates Casino Royale in a great foot chase through a construction sight and it also has the intrigue of 3 Days of the Condor. It also predates the Bourne Identity series in that Cross is one step ahead of the CIA most of the time.

GREAT LINE:

SCORPIO: "I think you better try McLeods chair for fit, it is going to be empty soon". Said to 2nd highest CIA guy after learning that an agent of McLeod killed Cross's wife.

I liked Cross's coterie of old friends that he relies on for his escape through Europe and in the US. A great entertaining thriller and with Burt Lancaster, Alan Deloin and Max Schofield you will have a delightful time.

A compelling title on one of the most compelling astrological signs and the movie is a 'tall order' to live up to, but brings it. The scenes go from scene to scene in a rapid pace to upkeep interest, maybe on a slight directorial ability to bring more out of the script which is good on the dialogue just could have a bit more action scenes , only because there is one main sequence for this about chasing down the main hero through a dilapidated/construction site. There are numerous assassinations though which are satisfying to checkout.. As for the dialogue it is nifty because of lots of spy talk , like mentioning 'get his posting' like getting his assassination gig job, or putting the 'net' on someone, boxing someone in, getting 'out' (exiting the assassin business), alluding cats not letting to go out because they could not survive since they are bred for debauchery like wh***s (?), wetowrk (?), wanting 'inside' (?), this does make a person know about spy stuff more, as they exchange these words in numerous offices, apartments, or even a bird sanctuary (!), and also rooms that look positively of a decor of yore (!) years, pretty elegant curtains, wooden surfaces. A discussion about Greek Gods clarifies the title, and one of the two main characters names who is a compelling person and I appreciate this bringing in mythology to this gritty raw spy thriller. One sequence went on too long involving two spies getting drunk in a living room, one being a Soviet and reminiscing of them being part of the 'old guard', which is cliche talk, other than that, there is some good sinister type music at parts, but not the construction/alley stuff which seems just *ok* but other music parts, piano type sounds. The two main characters Cross and Scorpio played by Lancaster and Delon are good. This is my first Delon movie, compelling intense guy. Lancaster is dope which I've noted from westerns.

In the 1960s, disenchantment among the Western populations led to the hippie movement and a new questioning of authority. Combining this with the Watergate scandal and you set the context for movies like SCORPIO and THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. Both films view our own government with great suspicion--particularly the CIA. Such films probably would NOT have been accepted by the public just a decade earlier, but in the 70s paranoia of this type was fashionable. So was the moral relativism that implied that the US and Soviet governments were pretty much the same.

In some ways, the plot to SCORPIO is pretty interesting--a CIA agent (Burt Lancaster) is perceived to be a double agent and is ordered to be killed. Oddly, Alain Delon, a Frenchman, is given this task but Lancaster seems too slippery and skilled to be easily taken. Unfortunately, after a while the film both becomes rather dull and is rather hard to believe. As one reviewer pointed out, the way that Lancaster and Scofield knew each other didn't really make sense, as an American serving with the Spanish Republicans would have been seen as an extreme leftist--not exactly a person you'd expect to later be in the CIA. Of course, this DID help the moral relativism being pushed in the film.

Aside from watching the acrobatic Lancaster do his own stunts and Scofield overact (in a fun way), this is a very low energy film--and you'd not expect this would be the case for an espionage thriller. It just seemed very detached and uninvolving. Overall, it's a passable film, but not one you should go out of your way to see.

"Scorpio" is a pretty good spy drama, though it's not for everyone. Before I explain that qualifying remark, a brief mention of the movie's positive attributes. Unlike a lot of other movies involving spies, the plot for "Scorpio" is pretty easy to follow. The movie also portrays the world of spies in a more realistic fashion; spying for the most part isn't action- packed, but instead involves a lot of humdrum stuff. The movie also has a very un-Hollywood-like ending that I thought was pretty refreshing. Those last two positive attributes, however, are two that will turn many people (mainly young viewers) off this movie. The lack of action will probably bore them, and the ending will probably infuriate them. But if you are a fan of older movies and their particular kind of storytelling, the movie is a good way to spend 114 minutes of your time.

Top assassin for the CIA Lancaster wants to retire and the CIA aren't keen and order his protégée Delon to kill him.

Enjoyable thriller from the largely dreadful director Winner. Good action sequences to be sure, but having three greats, Lancaster, Delon and Scofield helps making for a more convincing ride, particularly in the Lancaster/ Scofield relationship.

Lots of intrigue, with many characters and alliances/betrayals to follow through a number of varied locations. Cool to see Lancaster... at who is he aiming a Winchester? Cheshire cat skills by the Frenchman, who is inscrutable even to the smartest CIA FBI man.... Dusty suits at a cool construction chase scene, Mean double-crosses on both sides of the Atlantic Sea... Smooth car chases in a Cadillac, Opel, and Mercedes 240D. Technology from the '70s at the height of CCCP/USA rivalry.... can you guess who Scorpio may be? DEFINITELY American, French, Ethiopian, Austrian, Russian, agents gunning for each other, backstabbing like a mother***, backed by shadowy string-pullers, but the whole show is a bit duller. Could be 20 mins less. Yes, kind of a over-woven mess. Slightly recommended nonetheless.....

Lancaster, Delon, and Scofield are amazing in this complex, character-driven spy thriller. For some reason, Winner's direction has come in for a lot of criticism, but I thought it was superb (at least here; haven't seen any of his other works). The big action sequence is beautifully shot, edited, and staged -- I liked it far better than "The French Connection"; indeed, "Black Sunday" is the only '70s thriller I've seen with better action. It's just so realistic!

The biggest flaw I can see is that the major action sequence is so exciting that all the stuff that comes after it can seem a bit dull and overextended by comparison. Still, it's good, thought-provoking material with a cynical Le Carre edge. Without spoiling the end, let's just say that whether or not you think it "works", it certainly has an emotional impact.

The supporting cast (Joanne Linville, John Colicos, J.D. Cannon, Frederick Jaeger, Shmuel Rodensky, et al.) is quite good, and the script (co-written by famed TV producer David Rintels) is filled with quotable dialogue and subtle bits that illuminate the characters, as well as clever pieces of "spy business" that feel authentic (whether or not they are).

Bottom line: One of the best films of its kind.

An interesting mystery thriller awash with unsympathetic roles, good action scenes, sharp dialogue and pretty confusing script with lots of twists and turns. This crime thriller packs intrigue, suspense, noisy action-packed with exciting chases ,explosive excitement, thrills and violence. Wily, veteran agent Cross (Burt Lancaster) is an old hand at the CIA, in charge of assassinating high-ranking foreign personalities who are an obstacle to the policies of the USA. He often teams up with Frenchman Jean Laurier (Alain Delon) , alias "Scorpio", a gifted free-lance operative. But Cross may have turned traitor, and he's set-up to be killed by a CIA boss (John Colicos) . One day, the CIA orders Scorpio to eliminate Cross and leaves him no choice but to obey. Codename Scorpio has some trouble fulfilling his assignment The most incredible manhunt of them all!... Code Name for a Killer!.When Scorpio wants you... there is no place to hide!

OK tough espionage thriller in which crosses and double-crosses abound, alongside spectacular pursuits, shootouts and violence with grisly cold blooded murders. Burt Lancaster is very good at his most taciturn way as the agent who wants to turn it in, but inevitably cannot shake himself free of the spider's web cast by his organisation and finds another hitman -well played by Alain Delon as Scorpio, the cold-blooded and very systematic murderer- on his heels. They are supported by a notorious secondary cast giving sompetent performance, such as: Paul Scofield, John Colicos, Gayle Hunnicutt, J. D. Cannon, Joanne Linville, Mel Stewart, Vladek Sheybal, Mary Maude, Jack Colvin, James Sikking, among others.

It displays a tense and nail-biting musical score by Jerry Fielding and colorful cinematography by Robert Paynter; both of them were common in Michael Winner's films. The motion picture was professionaly directed by Michael Winner, though it has some flaws, imperfections and gaps. In the mid-70 Winner had great commercial hit in violent films with Charles Bronson, box office successes he repeated when badly in need of other hit smashes made similar movies, but both, Bronson and Winner teaming again, looked increasingly passionless and mechanical in the later years of their partnership. After directing the successful ¨Death wish¨ he made worst sequels in which Bronson-Paul Kersey goes on to torture and kill robbers, all of them inferior and the violence could be deemed excessive, they are the following: ¨Death wish II¨ with Jill Ireland and Vincent Gardenia, ¨Death wish III¨ with Ed Lauter and Deborah Raffin. Subsequently, Michael Winner career was failed, alternating some hit as ¨The sentinel¨ and various flops as ¨Firepower¨, ¨The big sleep¨, ¨The wicked lady¨, ¨Appointed with death¨, ¨A chorus of disapproval¨, and ¨Bullseye¨. While ¨Scorpio¨ had moderate but successs enough. Rating: 6/10. Passable and acceptable. The filck will appeal to Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon fans.

Retiring CIA agent Burt Lancaster is targeted for death by his own operatives for treason (seems he's been involved in some dirty dealings with Russian forces on the side); his assigned assassin, nicknamed "Scorpio", is the younger man whom Lancaster's been training to replace him, so he finds a workable partner in the trainee's girlfriend to form a defensive strategy. Handsome Michael Winner film, though not an exciting one. The drama feels like hollowed-out melodrama, with so many camera set-ups and crisscrossing action that it quickly becomes tedious in place of suspenseful. Jerry Fielding's score is lively, and the film is certainly intelligent and well-produced, but there isn't a soul here to sympathize with. *1/2 from ****