Escaped convicts Harry Lomart (<a href=">Oliver Reed) and Birdy Williams (<a href=">Ian McShane) are lying low before they prepare to skip the country. However, Lomart can't control his rage at being cheated by his wife, Pat (<a href=">Jill St. John), whilst he was inside, so he decides to kill her and her secret lover before he goes. This causes all sorts of complications to their escape plans. Imprisoned Harry Lomart is a vicious, brute of a man and yet he is prepared to do his long jail term as he is confident that on his release his beautiful wife Pat will be waiting for him, but a visit from Pat brings him his worst nightmare. To this day SITTING TARGET is one of the most bleak and disturbingly violent thrillers Britain has ever produced . I remember watching this one TV in the early 1980s and being slightly shocked as to how nihilistic it all was . If there's any type of message in this film it's that there's no honour amongst thieves and that it's bad news to drive a motorcycle while the petrol tank explodes . It's also one of the few British films to show the mind numbing living death of long term imprisonment and this alone makes it worth watching . It's also interesting to note that Ian McShane is playing a villain . It might not be surprising casting with hindsight since we'll all remember McShane for his scene stealing role in DEADWOOD but before that HBO series he was always cast as likable good guys A dramatic story of revenge and doublecrossing, as a criminal breaks out of jail and set out to kill his cheating wife. Just an appetizer for that great Michael Caine-thriller "Get Carter"(1971) from which it seems inspired. Not surprisingly -like "Carter"- in the end no one seem to win, reminding us on that old saying about digging your own grave. But it does have it's moments; like the escape scene, the biker cops and the laundry, and the car wrecking scene. A fine cast as well, including Edward Woodward as the cop out to protect St.John from Reed's wrath.
Garkaio replied
292 weeks ago