MovieChat Forums > The Mechanic (1972) Discussion > Arthur Bishop's 'girlfriend' was really ...

Arthur Bishop's 'girlfriend' was really a high class hooker

posted 12 years ago by jeffyoung1
5 replies | jump to latest

That was a strange scene revolving around professional hitman, Arthur Bishop, visiting his ostensible girlfriend, who is never named in the movie, but played by Bronson's real-life wife actress, Jill Ireland.

In the morning when Bishop is almost dressed and ready to go, his girlfriend rolls over and tells Bishop that it will cost one hundred dollars more for the letter she wrote for him. Then we see what's reality. The blonde is a high class prostitute of which Bishop is a regular client. Bishop can only pretend to live a 'normal' life outside of his real occupation. Bishop still harbors a deep-seated psychological need, existent in all of us, to be a normal man with normal desires such as having a girlfriend to visit, socialize, and make love. Bishop is no longer able to do that but he satisfies this need by enlisting the paid services of a high class hooker who is willing to perform men's fantasies, if the money is right. But in the end, a hooker is still a mercenary. More services cost more money. Bishop makes money hand over fist terminating high-value human targets, so the extra one hundred is nothing as he really did like the make-pretend, love letter. Don't forget that in 1972, one hundred dollars is equivalent to several days pay for a minimum wage laborer, about a week, give or take.

[–] MidnightThud 11 years ago

If you re-watch the scene it seems like Jill is acting really badly........ but look at the walls of her living room, covered in movie posters, indicating she is merely playing a 'part' - what people now call the girl friend experience.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Devans00 10 years ago

The fact that the woman's apartment was decorated like a bordello is what tipped me off that she was not a regular girlfriend. I was thinking mistress at first but then those naked lady posters all over the place was trying too hard.

The second thing was the whole interaction. She seemed way more into him than he was into her. But he wasn't getting annoyed. He was more like, let's just get on with it. Like a transaction.

No two persons ever watch the same movie.

[–] Fry-threethousand 9 years ago

Well... that was quite obvious. I don't see the purpose of your post.

[–] bronson69-653-5261 8 years ago

He could afford to indulge his fantasies, so the use of a high class hooker is not entirely surprising.

Also, in his profession, Bishop has to be flexible to go off on a job at very little notice, so cannot afford the distraction of a wife. A pretend one is cheaper and less troublesome.

Bishop is also clearly suffering from the stress that planning and executing hits is having on his psyche. It is not clear that he is ready emtionally for a wife.

John