A Quadrilha

Jerry Fielding was a great composer. The edgy sense that follows "The Outfit" from scene to scene is helped immeasurably by his soundtrack. The music builds up, adding a lot to the tension factor. The music is economical, not flashy at all. It has a very close to the bone quality to it. So why do I start by talking about the music? Because it's just so rare that a soundtrack adds so much, it actually makes a better film.

Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker have a very natural interplay, a sort of grimy half-drunk friendship that feels immediately true to life. Karen Black is very good as well. The plot itself is basic, with shades of "Point Blank" and various other revenge-oriented films. John Flynn is not the most imaginative director, so it's a little low on the style end of things visually. Somehow, it all comes together. Good acting, really great soundtrack, and a fast pace. You'll get into this one.

Everyone else has covered this movie well. It is indeed a tight, well-made crime drama with an excellent under-played central performance by Duval along with many very good scenes by classic character actors like Richard Jaeckel, Joanna Cassidy (who should have starred in Jim Thompson's "Hell of a Woman"), Marie Windsor, Henry Jones and many others. But the real stand-out (to my mind) is Karen Black. In the kind of roll that is generally reduced to an over-sexed gun-moll, Karen gives her character a real humanity. In one scene during a shoot out, she saves Duval and Baker by driving into and pinning against the wall the two mob men who are just about to take down our two guys. And in another scene she calls home on a pay-phone and is very chilly with her mother, but just about breaks down in asking her father if she can "come home for a while". She has never looked better in a film.

Having read all of the Richard Stark books (Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald Westlake), the film catches the stripped-down, hard-boiled tone of the novels and it's central character who is on a controlled journey into vengeance. In fact the film is very much like many of the great Gold Medal paperback originals published in the 1950's and 1960's. If you like this kind of story, look for authors like Peter Rabe, Charles Williams, Milton Ozaki, Lionel White and many others. "Hard-Boiled America" by Geoffrey O'Brien (recently reprinted) covers the genre and it's authors very well and is highly recommended.

I have to comment on the music and sound in the film - absolutely top notch! Many other crime films of the period would fill scenes with unnecessary music to amp up the suspense. "The Outfit" is very restrained and the music is used mostly to accent scenes and help transitions. Excellent score by Jerry Fielding. The sound work is great as well. The guns have a meaty sound without being to loud and dry. In one surprising scene, Joe Don Baker punches out a female receptionist and you hear her intake of breath, his fist whacking her jaw and the sound of her falling on the chair. All done with great finesse despite the brutality.

One previous reviewer got it right when he talked about the last part of the film descending into a Quinn/Martin television style. I think the director, John Flynn, is responsible. "The Outfit" seemed to me to be a lot like TV - with the old, wide master shoot to establish, cut to over-the-shoulder, back to the other close-up and end with the master. The director didn't have a real sense of the style of the film. I disagree that his work is like a "shaker chair". I think John Flynn directed it blandly, not simply, because he has a limited imagination. So many scenes could have benefited from a moving camera or more imaginative lighting. Flynn's work just didn't measure up to the excellent script and the great performances. Still, he didn't kill the film and even today (2004) it remains a little gem of the seventies that deserves a DVD release with extras.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed The outfit. Robert Duvall is great in his role as the not so likable ex con Earl Maclin, on a revenge mission against the outfit(sort of a non Italian mafia) for killing his brother. The film does this in a very different way, in that Maclin, doesn't go about the clichéd "Kill everyone" approach. Instead he demands monetary compensation and warns the outfit that he'll bleed them dry until he gets it. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the film that deal with Maclin and his accomplice Cody(Joe Don Baker(who was also great in his role)) and how they go about robbing the outfits operations. The finale goes a bit too exploitation and OTT for my liking, which is something of a disappointments. The other problem I had was Maclins relationship with his moll(who only seems to make about 2 major appearances in the film) which i felt was underdeveloped. Overall, The Outfit is a nice little film, that deserves a bit more attention than it got.

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")

Upon reading the popular novel " The Outfit " by Don Westlake, one can well imagine how a movie of the same name would look like. That book later became the foundation for a movie directed by John Flynn. With a cast which includes Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker, the film is a great adaptation of the novel, so much so it's made for several remakes. The last one was with Mel Gibson and 'Payback.' Duvall plays Macklin one of two brothers who unwittingly rob a small town bank belonging to the Mob or Outfit. He goes to prison for 2 years, while the outfit presided by Mr. Mailer (Robert Ryan) kills Duvall's brother. Released from prison, Macklin vows revenge and is though insane for thinking he can go up against the outfit and win. However, the movie is interesting to watch as each dramatic scene develops into a more intense and exciting story. A fine supporting cast helps to insure it's success. Members included Richard Jaeckel, Elisha Cook Jr., Roy Jenson, Henry Jones and Karen Black. This is one of those movies which mirrors the novel and improves with age. Easilly recommended for Duvall and Baker fans as the two make for a rough and tumble team. ****