Portrait of a Hitman (1979)

Takes itself way too seriously

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

A different way of telling a story

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

The first time I watched this I could have sworn it caused me pain, but the second time I watched it (years later) I didn't find it to be too bad...not great mind you...but not awful.Jack Palance (It can Be Done Amigo) is JimBuck, painter and hit-man and supreme mumbler who can't do a hit because it's on the head of his mate Bo Svenson (Snowbeast), a brilliant neurosurgeon who's about to operate on a guy who's going to rat on the mob. JimBuck can't go through with it, which enrages Rod Steiger (Duck you sucka), who is also Palance's friend. Can Jack put everything right and get out of the mob? Or will Richard Roundtree get 'his arse' as he says in his African accent.There's much navel gazing in this film and not much action. You'd be surprised to know that Rod Steiger does some shouting. I did kind of dig it up to a point but was supremely confused by the ending (what happened to Richard Roundtree?). Palance does get into a few gunfights but you'll have to be pretty tolerant of low budget films to enjoy this. Like me- I'll watch any crap these days. Palance does kill an awful lot of black guys, which is a bit alarming.To sum up - I had this film in my collection for years before I watched it. That should give you an indication of what to expect.

Watched this movie last night, didn't expect the production quality to be so poor. Cheaply made, amateurish editing.But man, this storyline/plot is actually really cool...it's got a great deal of potential, I think. But ol' Jack as "JimBuck" - I wrote it that way intentionally, because that's how Jack says it...like it's one word. He doesn't say "My name is Jim Buck" like a regular person, he says "My name is JimBuck," like it's just one word. Hilarious.The only reason I watched this was for Jack Palance, and it was worth watching it to see him. What else, what else...I think that about covers it. A low budget affair from 1977 that could be really engrossing and cool if remade today with a talented writer and director. The storyline is great - built, of course, on an interesting internal conflict (loyalty to a friend/humanity vs obligation to employer) and the required external conflicts (good guys vs the bad guys). Put a smokin' hot chick in there (adds yet another layer to the conflict), and you've got a movie.By the way, if anyone reads this and actually does make a movie out of it, is there any way I can get in on that?jacobnunnally.blogspot.com3/10

What in the world were Jack Palance and Rod Steiger thinking about when they agreed to appear in this film? It is so poorly written and the characters so shallow as to be beyond belief. It reminds me of the really trashy porn movies of the early 70's where plot and character development didn't feature, just the naked flesh. There is no porn here just the lack of plot and every other item that makes for an interesting and enjoyable film. The lack of realism is also evident and all concerned appear to be 'going through the motions' as if paying back some obligation . My vote is 1/10. why oh why did you do it Jack? you can't have been that hard up.

I rented this movie with my girlfriend years ago. I liked the cover at the video store. Unfortuanately that and the name were the only good aspects of this film. The first 2 minutes were good, and the rest of this film is one horrible ride. If he UN arm inspectors found this movie it would be labeled a weapon of mass destruction. I remember watching this films years earlier with my dad; I for got about it because the film was that bad and I only watched half of it. The second time I watched this insomnia cure the second half made me remember this film forever. At least this time I got to cuddle with my girlfriend. This film is incredibly awful, and will haunt your memory. Not too many films merit a 1 out of 10