The year was 1973. Burt Lancaster, Hollywood icon, Academy Award winner, was 60 years old. Discovered late in life, he had been in films for approximately 30 years, Later his biographers would write that, as he aged, Burt eschewed taking cheap roles in B-movies, and instead "exiled" himself to Europe. There he selectively took smaller roles in international movies that he found interesting. Scorpio, made in 73, is essentially a story about the relationship between two spies, an older and a younger, was directed by Michael Winner, himself a director with a record for both hits and flops. (Charles Bronson, for example, liked to work with Winner for his action films.) To play the younger spy, Alain Delon was cast. He too was known for his physical attributes, considered at one point one of the best-looking men on the planet. Delon had just recently played the iconic killer in Melville's unforgettable film noire – "extra noire" in this case - Samourai, and was therefore, on paper, the perfect bookend to counterpart Lancaster. Lancaster was at the stage in his astonishing career where most the mannerisms and stylings -- the big hair, the big grin, the swagger, the big gesture -- that had worked for him for so long were no longer age-appropriate. He had learned to work more subtly, and he learned well. There is a plot to Scorpio, yes indeed, but you needn't bother. It is basically about the relationship between two jungle cats when suddenly it becomes clear that the jungle is only big enough for one of them. And in fairness to the reader, let's be crystal clear that this is not Lancaster's best film (not even close!) or Winners', or even Delon's. Also, the film has a serious pacing issue, the first 2/3 is slow and plodding, whereas the last 1/3 reminds you of a transmission where the gears finally connect. In fact, a bizarre argument could be made that this is one of the few films ever made where the ending is better than the movie! No more spoilers here, bottom line, this is a non-exceptional film made just a little more interesting by the casting and the ambitions of the director. That said, if you REALLY want to see a film about two friends duking it out against a backdrop of Viennese scenery done up proper, in ribbons and bows, forget this film completely, and rent/buy/download/borrow THE THIRD MAN.
Review of Scorpio
