Bill Collins, Leonard Maltin's Australian equivalent, suggested that this movie has homosexual undertones ie. the relationship between Bronson's & JMV's characters. Frankly, I just though it was a good action movie but there you go. Any thoughts from others?
shareBronson's character went to a hooker and so he wasn't gay, as for Vincent's character he may well have been. He looks gay in the film, although his obsession with killing probably casts a shadow over any sexual thoughts.
Warner Classic
Warnerclassic has backed into the truth here. Bronson is so emotionally vacant that he has to go to a nutjob hooker to find some play-acting reality. Vincent isn't gay, but he is a sociopath and that means he may do anything he feels justified in doing to get what he wants. Watch his girlfriend bleed to death-so what? Betray his teacher-why not? Sleep with a man if it gets him whatever he wants-possible, isn't it?
Oh, well. Just bloviating here.
"You eat guts."--Nick Devlin
How do you look 'gay?'
shareNo I do not think they are gay. Bronson visits a prostitute and Vincent has a girlfriend, though he apparantly does not really care if she lives or dies. (the suicide scene) Also it is stated in the Vincent dossier Bronson works out, that his (Vincents) interests are fast cars, freaks and girls (and killing I might add). When Vincent sleeps over at Bronson he clearly sleeps in his own bedroom, using a single bed. At last: the very thought of Bronson being gay is impossible, the most macho actor ever!
shareWhat is this lunacy about homosexuality because of a 'buddy' concept? You might as well ask the same question about Riggs and Murtaugh, Tango And Cash, Starsky and Hutch, then you find out that it seems to be the 'in' thing to determine the sexuality of male/female characters because of a certain light they are portrayed in. its ridiculous. Another thing, The Mechanic is an action thriller starring Charles Bronson, you hear me? CHARLES BRONSON! You gonna suggest his character's a poof?!
shareIt's like that Movie Q & A where the character says, "You gays always accuse everybody else of being Gay". The same crap they tried to pull with Batman. Bob Kane clearly states in his Auto the reason why he created Robin; not the reasons everybody puts on it....Bronson & Vincent weren't Gay.
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"At last: the very thought of Bronson being gay is impossible, the most macho actor ever!"
You've got that right !
He and Rock Hudson were often seen with their girlfriends at the Polo Lounge.
According to Michael Winner, the original script had homosexual elements between Arthur and Steve. Winner decided to make the character straight. Winner mentioned that Charles Bronson would of refuse to be in the film if Bishop was gay.
Although it would be a very interesting an unique script..a GAY hitman!! lol
shareHow about the Gig Young and Robert Webber characters in "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia"?
shareAnd Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, which was before The Mechanic. The Jackal has sex with a man as well as a woman in Day of the Jackal in 1973, right after The Mechanic.
Then there's Camp Freddy in 1969's The Italian Job, altho he's more of a gangster, not specifically a hit man. And much later, James Gandolfini played a gay hit man in The Mexican.
...soooo, not first and not unique. Actually, about as trite as an albino hit man (Foul Play, Stick, Lethal Weapon, Da Vinci Code, Moby Dick*).
*lol
ninfilms can you tell where you find this? just to know your sources
thanks
I'd heard this as well, that the story was originally about two characters who's relationship was sexually ambiguous. There is a lot of dialogue here that supports that undercurrent. Personally, I found that element added something to the film, not detracted from it.
Bronson was probably afraid that playing an openly gay character in a major film back in 1972 would sound the death knell for his career. Hopefully he didn't have anything personally against gay people.
Bronson was probably afraid that playing an openly gay character in a major film back in 1972 would sound the death knell for his career.""
Ha,ha...his career would be over if he portrayed a gay man...but portraying a hit man is macho...and your career zooms.
According to Michael Winner, the original script had homosexual elements between Arthur and Steve. Winner decided to make the character straight. Winner mentioned that Charles Bronson would of refuse to be in the film if Bishop was gay.
I read in an online review that in the book, Vincent's character plants a kiss on the lips of a dying Bronson before he leaves the hotel room in Naples. So yes, there must have been some homosexual undertones in one of the early drafts. Few, if any, show on-screen.
What bothers me about the movie is that Bronson discovers Vincent wants to kill him from the file he finds inside Vincent's desk. Who sent Vincent that file? Their Mafia organisation hated the fact Bronson brought Vincent in on the deal without notifying them. Moreover, the Mafia tried to kill them both and at the end of the movie Vincent says he wants to be a freelance hitman (unlike Bronson). If he never had a boss, where'd he get that information file on Bronson from?
It's a hole in the script necessary for the Bronson character to find out Vincent's plan, to increase tension and have the cool surprise ending.
Well, maybe freelancing included gathering the info file on his own as well. If he did not collect that data, my only other guess would be that he lied when claiming he was picking his own targets and that in fact the organisation contracted him to remove Bishop, knowing that Bishop would find out and hopefully kill McKenna first. (They wanted McKenna dead, but Bishop wouldn't do it if they didn't 'force' him.)
As to the gay question: No, they aren't. Btw. McKenna does not even seem to sleep over at Bishop's house, the bedroom we can see him in later in the movie is in his OWN house (it's the same bedroom as earlier on, in the party scene).
??? A kiss on the lips?? Anyone familiar with Mafia history would see that a "kiss on the lips" is a kiss of death! nothing at all to do with being gay!
shareCheech & Chong...maybe, but Charlie Bronson? No way, man.
sharecalm down dears! ITS ONLY A FILM!
oh yeah. OH FOCK YEAH!
An excellent film one of my childhood favourites , i too considered a career when i was 15 but the thought lasted about a minute ! The gay bit is irrelevant cant say i noticed it, like Hardy kissing Nelson followed by years if ribbing ! Anyway a way cool movie full five stars . BRONSON=JILL IRELAND in my world (is that right ?)
shareKinda funny how MANY responses there are to this - I truly believe you could type the same question into ANY of the other message boards where there are two male leads and just watch the clucking and debating. I think ANY person can claim there are gay undertones in ANY film - you can see what you want to see. I dont feel there are in this particular film (it is a well made actioner) but heck - Butch Cassidy and Sundance? Clooney & Pitt in Ocean's 11? (I dont think so - just trying to illustrate the point)
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Who sent Steve that file ?
The file is identical to those he receives for his own assignments.
Wasn't Bishop just criticized for the messiness of the hit on the drug dealer ? His superior are losing confidence in him. They suspect he is past his prime. Losing his touch. And he does know too much. Steve is given the assignment of hitting him to 'retire' him.
Steve was connected through his family. The same boss Bishop reported to ("Nobody lives forever") sent Steve his new assignment.
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They're actually close to being asexual. Both guys are so cold-blooded and unfeeling (the needed qualities for hitmen) that they might as well have no relationships at all.
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How in the living hell did they come up with homo-tones?
The Divinci Load
The characters "The Mechanic" are as gay as the main characters in "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" that is to say, very gay indeed and if I may say so, rather obviously so. The whole film in fact, plays a gay porno without any actual sex. Until you have seen "The Mechanic" (or "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" for that matter) play in a bar full of out and happy gays you simply haven't seen the film. And as far as that goes, from my experience Charles Bronson was always a bit of a gay icon, and I thought Jan Michaels Vincents fan base wasz entirely gay.
Bishop and McKenna are never shown sleeping in the same house in the CA scenes.
In the Naples sequence we assume they are sharing a room, as only one is shown, but this could be Bishop's room and McKenna had his own room.
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