MovieChat Forums > The Mechanic (1972) Discussion > What a great era for macho, non-PC movie...

What a great era for macho, non-PC movies

posted 15 years ago by Barney-Robel
13 replies | jump to latest

What a treat to come across this film the other night night on cable when I had some free time to watch. I turned 14 in 1972 and I would venture to the local thearter at least once a week. That was a great firm era for over-charged young teen aged boys to vent some energy and imagination in the theater. This film, Chuck's other films from that time (e.g.; Mr. Majestyk, Stone Killers, Chato's Land, The Valachi Papers, and Death Wish) along with Clint's Dirty Harry epics and Steve McQueen's "The Getaway" provided much fuel for my buddies and I to live vicariously through these film heroes.

[–] pacwarbuff 15 years ago

You got that right. I grew up in the '80s but my two best friends and I preferred the '60 and '70s actors like McQueen, Marvin, Coburn, Bronson, and Eastwood while the rest of our generation was obsessed with Star Wars and The Goonies. After seeing cinematic badassery from the likes of McQueen (The Great Escape; Bullitt) and Bronson (The Mechanic; Hard Times) how could Harrison Ford compare? How??? Needless to say, most of the kids we knew were completely ignorant of those great '60s-'70s stars and it came as a surprise to me when I discovered that lots of guys my age were *not* watching Charles Bronson films with their dads or grandfathers; of the few times the men in my family "bonded", it was when movies like these were on, and we would all watch together.

Consilio et prudentia

[–] ccr1633 14 years ago

pacwarbuff wrote:
"You got that right. I grew up in the '80s but my two best friends and I preferred the '60 and '70s actors like McQueen, Marvin, Coburn, Bronson, and Eastwood while the rest of our generation was obsessed with Star Wars and The Goonies. After seeing cinematic badassery from the likes of McQueen (The Great Escape; Bullitt) and Bronson (The Mechanic; Hard Times) how could Harrison Ford compare?"
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Meanwhile, relative to the illiterate schmucks who star in the action films today (i.e. The Rock, Vin Diesel, etc), Harrison Ford is the Marlboro Man.

[–] rexcrammer 14 years ago

Among current actors I think Jason Statham, Christian Bale and Josh Brolin fit that build.

[–] ccr1633 14 years ago

rexcrammer wrote:
"Among current actors I think Jason Statham, Christian Bale and Josh Brolin fit that build."
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They're okay. Kinda boring and monotone though, like Steve McQueen at his worst (i.e. The Getaway).

[–] rexcrammer 14 years ago

True, but then again Bronson played Arthur Bishop in a monotone expressionless fashion. Although, the character would probably exhibit those traits. McQueen was also like that in The Thomas Crown Affair. While I liked the movie his performance was pretty lackluster.

[–] ccr1633 14 years ago

Yeah, I agree that Charlie can be wooden too. However, and this is of course completely subjective, guys like Charlie and Clint had a certain nonchalant style that communicated both toughness and humor. Clint's classic sneer, a little lift of the upper lip, said a lot about what he thought of his immediate surroundings and company, and I don't think critics in the early days gave him enough credit for the fine acting that was really going on there. Bronson had a bit of that gift as well. Harrison Ford too. Doing a lot with little apparent effort. What I see lacking in Brolin, Bale, and Statham is an ability to emote in these subtle ways, and are particularly lacking in the humor department. They've got the muscles and the machsimo, no doubt, but to me they're lacking some of the more sympathetic human elements I enjoyed about the Lee Marvins, Lee van Cleefs, Paul Newmans, and the like.

Take a look again at the way Bronson looks at Jan Michael Vincent once he realizes he has been poisoned. He looks at him through his dangling hair almost like a wounded dog would, saying "You poisoned me. Really?" I think it's terrific acting. Charlie also had going for him a face unlike any other.

[–] rexcrammer 14 years ago

I saw The American this week. While it was a more cerebral movie, somewhat in the same vain as The Mechanic, George Clooney definitely lacks that something "extra" that Bronson has. I will have to agree with the original premise ... they just don't make them like Charles Bronson anymore.

[–] pacwarbuff 14 years ago

In a world where the likes of Shia Lebeouf, Ben Affleck, and those girly vampire boys are the poster children of a corporation-ruled world, Charles Bronson is a breath of menacingly fresh air.

Somehow I never get the feeling that guys like Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, and Van Cleef ever sat preening in front of their sister's wicker-framed mirror cooing over how they were going to be a big star one day. These guys lived in a much different world, one where a "lived in" face and going through hard knocks left its mark on your personality and how you dealt with the world. Showbiz must've been a cakewalk by comparison. I can't imagine Tom Hanks having served aboard a minesweeper or laboring in a coal mine on the toughest day he ever lived.

Yes, it's a much different world.

Consilio et prudentia

[–] jetliner-theduke 14 years ago

All true and well put....

[–] tensaip 14 years ago

Actually, Arthur is undergoing an internal meltdown, the entire unconscious reason for training Steve was to commit suicide by proxy.

The look on Bronson's face isn't "You poisoned me. Really?"
The look is "Did he know I snuffed Harry?"

[–] todtomorow 10 years ago

the monotone expressionlessness of Bronson was Zen-like at the start and tis a pity he hooked up with Jan Michael Vincent. If he would have stayed in character he Never would have given Jan Michael the time of day.

[–] jaddjamar 14 years ago

Well said OP! It's nice to find a person who can appreciate movie gold like this.

Do you understand the words that I am saying to you?

[–] photoe 11 years ago

There is something desperately missing in modern-day lead actors. Probably part of the reason Brian Cranston's Walter White became such a runaway hit, just like Buscemi in Boardwalk Empire.

My girlfriend is in her late 30s, and even she loves long-gone Lee Marvin, and upon researching his films, it's clear what a phenomenon he really was. Bronson wasn't the same kind of technician Marvin was, but Bronson was a huge box-office draw, so there was something very real there. Bronson, unlike all the others, even Eastwood, takes threats SO casually but brings an emotional weight that keeps him from being a blank.

Bronson apparently had to wear his sisters hand me down dresses he was so poor. It sounds impossible, but he does act like a guy who cannot be ruffled, and yet his physicality is undeniable, and he talked much about relying on this for much of his acting. That said, when it counts, Bronson can let you know he's happy, or enraged, or apprehensive, since he's not scared of much.

I would recommend greatly From Noon til Three with Jill Ireland - an amazing film, not macho in the least, but such a reworking of the American Western. It's a real showcase for a wide range of acting not always visible in Bronson's other films. I can't imagine the film getting greenlit today. No way. Studio just don't take risks anymore.

The end of this film is a masterpiece. Bronson's character clearly made plans in case of his demise, but you figure this was his general operational approach, and he really did want to value the friendship with the younger man he was training.
I kept imagining during the poisoning that Bronson would somehow come back to life but the kablammy note was a much better touch cinematically.