My Favourite Marksmen

Posted on Friday September 18, 2009, 14:31 by Sam Toy in Empire States

Yesterday I was finally able to indulge a pleasure I’d been anticipating since the advent of blu-ray: revisiting Leon* in beautiful, cornea-frying hi-def. I was instantly rewarded - this was the first time I had been able to discern the movie’s complete title (that tiny writing in the bottom right hand corner of the title screen reads “Visa No. 82525”. Who knew? Well, ok, some of you, and yes, my vision ain’t great). Anyway, to paraphrase Ferris Bueller, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking it up (especially the utterly superior director’s cut).

But for all the gorgeous cinematography, the elegantly simple screenplay and pitch-perfect performances, I have to admit that the biggest reason I love Besson’s film is, quite simply, that I dig marksmen. Not even necessarily assassins – I just really admire a crack shot. It got me thinking for some time – long enough to compile a Rob Gordon list of my all-time, top five favourite movie sharp shooters.

The choices are based as much on character as much as ability, and by such rationale, under consideration but failing to make the list were Wanted’s Wesley Anderson, whom I feel ends up a bit of a prick with his final line “What the fuck have you done lately?” (we aren’t all miserable caterpillars like you were, Wes), and Inglourious Basterds’ Frederik Zoller, who likewise has the proficiency, but at the end of the day, even beyond being a Nazi, is a bit of a git. Wolverine’s Agent Zero and Shoot Em Up’s Smith both have the goods, but the movies don’t feel up to scratch, so they don’t make the cut. Michael Sullivan (Road To Perdition) and Bob Lee Swagger (Shooter) are both a bit dour, and Jason Bourne – much as I love the character and despite his obviously amazing skills – somehow just didn’t quite seem like the right for this list; I got the same feeling about Ah Jong in The Killer. Which leaves:

5. Martin Q. Blank- Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
You have to appreciate a guy who’s professional enough to wash his eye before he takes a shot. 11 years on and John Cusack’s assassin is still very much the guy that everyone wishes they were by the time high school reunion time rolls around.

4. The Jackal - The Jackal (1973)
He’s often overlooked, but Edward Fox’s mercenary must go down as one of the baddest asses in movie history – a guy who will charm, or kill, or both, at the drop of a hat to get the job done; the very definition of cold-blooded.

3. Jim/The Waco Kid - Blazing Saddles (1974)
I can’t have a list of sharp-shooters and not include a cowboy. Other contenders for the list were Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday from Tombstone, and The Man With No Name, but you really can’t go past Gene Wilder’s smile after he’s shot the pistols out of the hands of his enemies in the blink of an eye.

2. Martin Riggs - Lethal Weapon (1987)
“When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out. Rifle shot in high wind. Maybe eight, or even ten guys in the world could’ve made that shot... It’s the only thing I was ever good at.” I like this even more than Harry Callahan’s .44 Magnum speech.

1. Leon - Leon (1994)
King of the hill, top of the heap, Jean Reno’s lonely bullet artisan gets sequence after sequence to display his awesome prowess with an equally impressive weapons collection, but it’s probably more down to character that he gets to wear the crown. Leon is pretty much a perfect creation, living by a simple, strict code and without making any real moral judgements until he meets Mathilda (and even then, it’s the right one). He’s quiet and basic, but he’s not stupid, and he has the courage of his convictions: a guy who’ll walk into a station full of corrupt cops, picka few off and snatch back his girl is always a classy bloke.

*That's "The Professional" for American and Australian - and possibly elsewhere? - readers.