“Violent City”

Movie Review

With Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, and Telly Savalas as its main cast, Sergio Sollima's 1970 criminal drama Violent City was based on a script she co-wrote with Lina Wertmuller. As a former boss frames a former hitman, Bronson portrays the hitman being left for dead. Although he pursues retribution, he becomes aware that his true adversary might be nearby. Violent City was an Italian-French co-production.

The movie's plot is as follows: While on vacation in the Virgin Islands with their lover Vanessa, professional assassin Jeff Heston is attacked by thugs led by Jerry Coogan, a former accomplice of Jeff's. After being shot, Jeff is left for dead, and Vanessa appears to have fled with Coogan. Steve, a lawyer for Jeff's former boss and criminal lord Al Weber, visits Jeff in prison for the shooting. Even if it results in a lengthier sentence for him, Jeff won't admit that Vanessa is a potential exonerating witness.

Months later, Jeff is freed and arrives in New Orleans, where he is met by thugs who are working for Weber and who want him to return to work for them. Jeff declines, claiming to be retired. A drug-addicted hitman who is helping his old friend Killian find Coogan at a race where he is a driver. In order to avoid being spotted, Jeff shoots out one of Coogan's tires, resulting in a horrific accident that kills him.

At a debutante ball, Jeff and Vanessa cross paths again. He initially treats her harshly and angrily because he's angry that she didn't say she used to be Coogan's mistress and abandoned him for dead. She claims that she only did it once to restart their connection and only because she was terrified. They make the decision to leave town together, but Jeff is prevented from doing so by Weber's men who are bringing evidence that shows him killing Coogan.

Finally, Jeff agrees to a meeting with Weber after being threatened. Weber wants Jeff to serve as his hatchet man and has grown his illegal operation into a billion-dollar, semi-legitimate company based on money rather than violence. Jeff rejects both Steve's and Steve's offer of a lucrative job in Venezuela. When Weber tells him that Vanessa is truly his wife and that they eloped while Jeff was in jail, it astounds him.

Vanessa's hiding place in the wetlands is where Jeff encounters her. He takes her outside into the woods after hard sex with the intention of killing her. She manages to catch it and merely requests that it be done quickly and painlessly. He finally gives in, and they embrace. She claims to hate Weber and only married him for his security. Killian surprises the two, but Jeff shoots and kills him. He understands Weber must have ordered him to murder Vanessa.

The photo negatives of the accusatory images are destroyed as the two confront Weber in his workplace. Weber warns him that Vanessa is playing them both and would turn on him soon as she leaves the room. In disbelief, Jeff murders Weber. But when he gets to their agreed-upon meeting place, Vanessa isn't there, and the police show up soon after. He almost escapes law enforcement after realizing he has been duped.

It becomes out that Vanessa and Steve had planned everything in order to get rid of Weber and take over his business; Jeff was merely a useful pawn in their scheme. On a rooftop across the street, Jeff shoots Steve with a sniper rifle as they ascend their new tower in the elevator. Vanessa begs Jeff to "make it painless," and he shoots her in the head to end her life in an instant. When the police arrive on the rooftop, Jeff incites one of them to commit murder.

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