Rating of
1.5/4
Bungled
Bribaba - wrote on 05/04/11
Joseph Losey’s film has acquired something of a reputation since it‘s release way back when, though it’s hard to see why. Stanley Baker as the eponymous villain is convincing enough but the script and characterizations are very weak. This is particularly evident in the prison scenes which comprise most of the film. Bannion (Baker) has been sent down after a racetrack robbery was bungled, and not just by the criminals. The ‘nick’ turns out to be full of stock characters so beloved of British films, the exception being Patrick Magee’s sinister prison guard. Aside from Magee ( (a Beckett favourite) the other outstanding feature is the photography from Robert Krasker which, ironically, suggests what a great film this could have been.
