A tough crime thriller, styled like a western, bolstered by two hard man performances from the leads, some great action, and most importantly a simmering mood of heat and violence which you know is bound to erupt sooner or later. In PRIME CUT, we have a film where the atmosphere and look is more important than the plot, which is neither here nor there; a film which swaps the stony cities of THE FRENCH CONNECTION and DIRTY HARRY for dirty shoot-outs in bleached corn fields, wooden barns, and country fairs. Undoubtedly this is a flawed film, which doesn't offer a great deal of action and takes a little too much time dealing with the dialogue and extraneous characters instead of where the importance lies, but this matters not because there are some good scenes waiting to be enjoyed.
The standout moment for me is the corn field chase, in which Lee Marvin finds himself fleeing for his life with a young Sissy Spacek in tow as shotgun-wielding yokels move in for the kill. The ensuing battle with the combine harvester is classic, memorable stuff, as is the harvester's run in with the limousine which is surprisingly gripping stuff. A later moment in which a huge truck drives through a massive greenhouse is also similarly spectacular and portrayed with style. The various shoot-outs are also very exciting, as is the case with most '70s crime cinema, and one of the major reasons why the 1970s is still my favourite decade for film production.
As for the acting, most of the focus is on Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman, who vie for best performance and try to outdo each other all the time in terms of screen presence and power. Hackman has the edge, moving effortlessly from his honourable cop in THE FRENCH CONNECTION to a dirty, slightly psychotic villain, whilst Lee Marvin puts his typically gruff veteran hero stuff to good use in his charismatic performance as the lead. Most surprising of all is Sissy Spacek, looking young, beautiful and sexy (miles away from her creepy part in CARRIE) as an addict whose live is saved by Marvin and who subsequently falls in love with him. Also good value is Gregory Walcott as Hackman's demented brother (whose madness is encapsulated by a hilarious revelation at the climax), although Angel Tompkins' character of Clarabelle seems unnecessary and her scenes with Marvin slow the whole thing down. Not a classic movie, but offers plenty of entertainment for fans of hard boiled cinema.
The standout moment for me is the corn field chase, in which Lee Marvin finds himself fleeing for his life with a young Sissy Spacek in tow as shotgun-wielding yokels move in for the kill. The ensuing battle with the combine harvester is classic, memorable stuff, as is the harvester's run in with the limousine which is surprisingly gripping stuff. A later moment in which a huge truck drives through a massive greenhouse is also similarly spectacular and portrayed with style. The various shoot-outs are also very exciting, as is the case with most '70s crime cinema, and one of the major reasons why the 1970s is still my favourite decade for film production.
As for the acting, most of the focus is on Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman, who vie for best performance and try to outdo each other all the time in terms of screen presence and power. Hackman has the edge, moving effortlessly from his honourable cop in THE FRENCH CONNECTION to a dirty, slightly psychotic villain, whilst Lee Marvin puts his typically gruff veteran hero stuff to good use in his charismatic performance as the lead. Most surprising of all is Sissy Spacek, looking young, beautiful and sexy (miles away from her creepy part in CARRIE) as an addict whose live is saved by Marvin and who subsequently falls in love with him. Also good value is Gregory Walcott as Hackman's demented brother (whose madness is encapsulated by a hilarious revelation at the climax), although Angel Tompkins' character of Clarabelle seems unnecessary and her scenes with Marvin slow the whole thing down. Not a classic movie, but offers plenty of entertainment for fans of hard boiled cinema.