The Outfit
There's nothing especially clever about the plotting of 1973's THE OUTFIT, but I didn't much mind. When something is as coolly executed as this much is forgiven. A straightforward revenge tale, smoothly directed by John Flynn, who would return to these ideas four years later with ROLLING THUNDER . Here, a man's brother is gunned down by the Mob, er, the Outfit, a crime syndicate. The man strikes back, hard and often. In real life, this fella would be dead meat. In the world of Donald E. Westlake, nee Richard Stark, upon whose novel the director's screenplay is based, a noble mission usually metes out justice to the deserving. But there will be collateral damage; some caught in the crossfire. Robert Duvall stars as Earl Macklin, said man on a mission of vengeance. Just out of a two plus year stretch in prison, he will learn that the bank he and his deceased brother Eddie hit was Outfit run. Thus, a contract was placed on the Macklins. No ma...
