Hail! Mafia (1966)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Captivating movie !

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Interesting jazz-fuelled crime film telling the tale of two hitman on their way to kill a fella in France. The man has to die because he could testify against a Mafioso who has been indicted, but one of the hitmen has a personal reason for whacking the guy too.This hitman is played by Quincy MD himself, Jack Klugman (I had to look that up),whose sister was knocked up and left alone by the victim, but the other hitman is played by Henry Silva, and his character is a no nonsense, pragmatic individual who likes to play everything 'clean'. Both men travel through France, discussing the business they find themselves in, discovering France, and complaining about the food.There's two separate sub-plots going on too, as we learn about the victim and his women troubles, and then there's guy sent to stop the hit as the Mafioso is released from prison and doesn't want linked to the forthcoming murder. I can quite happily report here that although this film lacks the car chases, chin-socking and violence of later Euro-crime films, the pay off is brilliant and the ending a classic. The strong actors help, as Klugman comes across as the more humane of the too, while the young Silva has eyes that would melt cement. Look out for future Italian exploitation star Donald O'brien as a rather violent mob bosses secretary

Very Very strange film, far from exciting, just two killers on the road to kill discussing about their "profession" or about anything they meet in France comparing it to States or not ("it looks like California").it's more a new wave gangster movie than traditional, and the cinematography by Raoul Coutard reminds me of Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard, with lot of ordinary conversation : for example, the two hit men discuss about the song they're listening on radio, "The House Of Rising Sun", saying "look what they've done about it" (I think I recognized Johnny Halliday singing).At last, there is some action in the end with the final confrontation. So we have a movie with lot of conversation (and even lot of shots showing places around with no particular help for the fiction) ending on a slaughter. Well, I wouldn't be surprised that Quentin Tarentino loves Hail Mafia. And even Wenders and Jarmusch.The main actors, Jack Klugman, Henri Silva and Eddie Constantine are perfect in tough guys, it's just a pity the movie do not show them more in action as tough guys. But it is a good surprise seeing Eddie Constantine as a looser, without any Lemmy Caution private joke. A great noir character for him. Eddie Constantine played the same year in Alphaville by Godard. 1965 was his new wave year.Personally, I like jazz score but I found this one doesn't fit with the movie, the music being completely different from the story, but that's personal opinion.So, if you like action packed gangster movies, don't jump on it. If you like Godard style, this one is for you.

****SPOILERS**** With on the lamb mobster Rudy Hamberg, Eddie Constantine, to be extradited to the US from Marseilles France to testify at the Congressional Crime Hearing against the mob it's decided to knock him off before he ever leaves the country. With top mob hit-man Schaft, Henry Silva, set to do the hit on Rudy all of a sudden retired mod hit-man now working as a counter man at the famed Katz's Delicatessen in the Lower East Side of Manhattan Phil, Jack Klugman, want's a shot at him too. And not just for the $50,000.00 he's to get for doing the job. It was, as he explained it, Phil's 16 year old sister Mandy whom Rudy knocked up which ended up her being institutionalized for life that Phil want's to avenge. In not just Rudy taking away her honor and virginity but her life,in having a normal one, as well.At first friction develops between Schaft & Phil in how just to do Rudy in whit Phil wanting to do it slow and painful and with Schaft wanting to do it quick and painless with a bullet between the eyes. It soon comes out that Phil has other ideas in what he plans to do with Rudy that's not part of the job designation he's been given by his mob higher ups. Which Schaft who up until the very end is totally unaware of.****SPOILERS**** Mind blowing surprise ending with the hit on Rudy not exactly as it was planned to be. That's with Phil doing his own thing at his partner Schaft's expense. Even though Phil planned it to perfection the job he was assigned and secretly planned to screw up didn't quit end up perfect. It was when Phil's emotions got in the way of his plan that it went haywire and fell apart. And the person he was out to save ended up dead together with his killer.P.S Mostly unknown at the time the movie was to make both Henry Silva and Jack Klugman go on the bigger and better roles mostly on TV. But it was their work or acting in "Hail, Mafia" that showed the hidden talent, that was soon to be discovered, that made then as successful as they were to become.

Henry Silva and Jack Klugman are hit men sent to France to kill Eddie Constantine. The two spend time on the road getting to know each other and their very different styles of life. Silva is a meticulous person with very definite ideas about his approach to his profession while Klugman is more easy going and less philosophical. This small movie boasts not only the talents of the principal actors but also high-contrast black and white photography that gives it a very new wave film noir look as the boys in their black suits and skinny ties wander around in the Paris night. The French countryside is captured in washed out tones that emphasize how far out of the water these two fish are at the moment. The jazz score for the film is excellent small combo stuff that perfectly matches the stark images. There's also a couple of nice twists in the plot and a dandy downbeat ending. This is a genuine undiscovered gem and you won't be sorry you took a chance on it.