The Mechanic (1972 film)

The Mechanic is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Michael Winner, produced by Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, and written by Lewis John Carlino. The film stars Charles Bronson, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland, and Jan-Michael Vincent.
==Plot==
Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a veteran hit man who, owing to his penchant for making his targets' deaths seem like accidents, thinks himself an artist. It's made him very rich, but as he hits middle age, he's so depressed and lonely that he takes on one of his victim's sons, Steve McKenna (Jan-Michael Vincent), as his apprentice. Arthur puts him through a rigorous training period and brings him on several hits. As Steven improves, Arthur worries that he'll discover who killed his father.
==Cast==
*Charles Bronson as Arthur Bishop
*Jan-Michael Vincent as Steve McKenna
*Keenan Wynn as "Big" Harry McKenna
*Jill Ireland as The Girl
*Linda Ridgeway as Louise
*Frank de Kova as The Man
*James Davidson as Intern
*Lindsey Crosby as Policeman
*Steve Vinovich as Party Guest
*Takayuki Kubota as Yamoto
==Reception==
===Critical response===
Roger Ebert praised Bronson's performance, noting that he appears to be truly listening to Vincent rather than simply waiting for him to stop for Bronson's next line. While finding the plot twists "neat", Ebert found that director Winner failed to squarely address the relationship between the leads in favor of too many boring action sequences. Judith Crist dismissed the film as "a banal expedition into slaughter and sadism and stupid dialogue". Any hint of authenticity, she wrote, was obliterated by Winner's "bang-bang-bang approach".
Category:1972 films
Category:American films
Category:English-language films
Category:American action thriller films
Category:American adventure thriller films
Category:American crime thriller films
Category:Action thriller films
Category:Adventure thriller films
Category:Crime thriller films
Category:1970s films
Category:1970s action thriller films
Category:Films set in Italy
Category:Films set in Naples
Category:United Artists films
Category:Films produced by Robert Chartoff
Category:Films produced by Irwin Winkler
Category:Screenplays by Lewis John Carlino
Category:Films directed by Michael Winner
Category:Rated PG