This is a superb film noir, not only immaculately filmed in just seven days (boy, some contract that was!), but also with some subtlety and nuance about life and death, killing and murder.
Murder by Contract, directed by Irving Lerner, written by Ben Simcoe stars Vince Edwards as a supposedly unemotional contract killer, who lives under the radar of the authorities by avoiding even getting a speeding ticket.
On one level, it's about getting money for doing a job, albeit, an immoral one. On another, it's about justification for killing. At one point Claud opines about the different numbers killed by a rifle, a grenade...or a nuclear weapon. He betrays a moral nihilism, with hints his lack of humanity emanates from his attitude towards women - irritation at lipstick on a cup, an escort also wearing lipstick, ultimately disturbed by his big hit being against a woman - about to give evidence in a trial against the gangster employing him.
Philip Pine and Herschel Bernardi play the goons minding him during the days before the hit, Caprice Toriel is excellent as the holed up witness, playing a latter day Bette Davis, insulting everyone, playing the piano, escaping diabolical plots such as exploding televisions, some of which are almost cartoon-like.
The Italian-style music by Perry Botkin, helps create contrast and avoids the maniacal sombreness a more traditional dramatic score would bring.
Although not originally a commercial success, like The Wicker Man, this is something of a cult classic.
It's aged well. Sadly Claud's early victims didn't get the chance to do so.
Murder by Contract, directed by Irving Lerner, written by Ben Simcoe stars Vince Edwards as a supposedly unemotional contract killer, who lives under the radar of the authorities by avoiding even getting a speeding ticket.
On one level, it's about getting money for doing a job, albeit, an immoral one. On another, it's about justification for killing. At one point Claud opines about the different numbers killed by a rifle, a grenade...or a nuclear weapon. He betrays a moral nihilism, with hints his lack of humanity emanates from his attitude towards women - irritation at lipstick on a cup, an escort also wearing lipstick, ultimately disturbed by his big hit being against a woman - about to give evidence in a trial against the gangster employing him.
Philip Pine and Herschel Bernardi play the goons minding him during the days before the hit, Caprice Toriel is excellent as the holed up witness, playing a latter day Bette Davis, insulting everyone, playing the piano, escaping diabolical plots such as exploding televisions, some of which are almost cartoon-like.
The Italian-style music by Perry Botkin, helps create contrast and avoids the maniacal sombreness a more traditional dramatic score would bring.
Although not originally a commercial success, like The Wicker Man, this is something of a cult classic.
It's aged well. Sadly Claud's early victims didn't get the chance to do so.