The first generation of lone killers

Adolfo 2022-10-07 22:38:51

Round-brimmed top hat, closed lips, knee-length windbreaker, collar raised, hands in pockets... This image has become a model for lone killers in the past, starting from Lane in the "contract killer", from the "Lone Killer" Jeff inherited, until finally he was eliminated by the bart in "Buying the Murder and Shooting People".

Then there is the same line of plot: After the killer completes the task, he is betrayed by his employer, and he is chased by black and white at the same time. The killer fled all the way, killing countless Xiaoluo. But their escape was not negative, but positive: they were determined to find a black-hearted employer no matter what, and vowed not to stop without revenge. As a result, their endings are often the same: they killed their employers and were shot dead by the police.

At the same time, often in the middle of the movie, the director will use a lot of details to imply that death is the only way out for the protagonist. For example, Jeff of the "Lone Killer" gave his last glimpse of the residence before he left home. In the "Contract Killer", Ryan killed the cat he always thought would bring him luck. These ominous signs add to the fate of the film.

The original novel of "Contract Killer" was written in the mid-1930s. Everyone felt like a war was about to start. They cared about politics more than they cared for themselves. Therefore, although the story is about the killer seeking revenge from his employer, the ending must also be written as he uncovered the black-hearted arms dealer and delayed the outbreak of the war. This is in line with the circumstances at the time.

In the 1960s, anarchism, non-mainstream, counter-culture, and new thoughts rushed in. Simply put, it means that individualism comes first. At this time, the "Lone Killer" appeared at the right time. Except for a brief description of the perpetually harsh state apparatus represented by the all-pervasive police (in the film hundreds of police officers are dispatched to arrest Jeff alone, which is obviously hard to see in reality), the keynote of the film is still an individual's struggle. . The protagonist's almost extreme indifference and loneliness make the movie transcend the specific political background until the end of mankind.

Therefore, unless there is another major crisis that can be of concern to the whole world, the appeal of the "Lone Killer" is far greater than that of the "Contract Killer" when self-expression is still the mainstream.

In terms of female characters, both films have a warm woman who can soften almost any hard things, but can't walk into the heart of the indifferent male protagonist. The more gentle they are, the more heartbreak the audience is.

In fact, we love to watch the protagonist hide all his tenderness and blatantly refuse to care about his woman, we love to see his arrogant temperament, we love to see him disappear into the heroine’s sight as a back. Instead of looking back.

Go alone forever, killer!

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Extended Reading

This Gun for Hire quotes

  • Sen. Burnett: No mystery about me, just a hick lawyer the voters got stuck with.

  • Albert Baker: This is the gal.