IFI & One Dublin One Book: Point Blank introduced by John Banville

John Banville will introduce John Boorman’s delightfully noir-ish Point Blank, a film based on a series of pulp crime novels about a hard-nosed detective, a character who served as inspiration for Quirke, the surly and hard-drinking protagonist of Christine Falls.

Boorman’s first Hollywood picture brought a fresh European sensibility to the crime drama. Traditional qualities of straightforward storytelling with a moral hero at the centre of the drama were replaced with distinct Nouvelle Vague-isms - splintered narrative, stylized visuals, and a complex editing pattern - and a violent and vengeful anti-hero at its heart.

Lee Marvin stars as Walker, a gangster betrayed by his mob, who sets off on a bloody quest to retrieve his share of heist loot leading him to LA where he uncovers a corporate crime syndicate which he infiltrates with the help of his sister-in-law (Angie Dickenson).

1967/ 92 mins/ John Boorman / USA / DCP