Donald E Westlake's series of Parker novels (written under the pseudonym, Richard Stark) has been a rich source of material for filmmakers and the author's hard-boiled anti-hero has an appeal that seems to transcend time. Curiously, in most of the movies, Parker's name has been changed with him featuring as Walker in "Point Blank" (1967), Macklin in "The Outfit" (1973) and Porter in "Payback" (1999). In "The Split" he appears as McClain (Jim Brown), a professional thief who returns to L.A. after an absence of some years to work with his old friend Gladys (Julie Harris) in planning a major football stadium robbery.
With their plan formulated and Gladys providing the financial backing, McClain identifies some possible recruits for their gang and puts each one through a challenge to make sure that they have the skills required to carry out the heist successfully. Tough guy, Bert Clinger (Ernest Borgnine), getaway driver Harry Kifka (Jack Klugman), safe-cracker Marty Gough (Warren Oates) and hit-man Dave Negli (Donald Sutherland) all come up to standard and the robbery of the ticket money from a sold-out Rams game at the L.A. Coliseum is soon put into action.
The brilliantly-executed heist enables the gang to make off with more than $500,000 which McClain leaves with his ex-wife Ellie (Diahann Carroll). She agrees to keep the loot in her apartment and he intends to split the money between everyone in the gang on the following day. This arrangement hits an unforeseen problem when Ellie's lecherous landlord Herb Sutro (James Whitmore), tries to rape her, before killing her and stealing the money. Detective Lieutenant Walter Brill (Gene Hackman) soon deduces who'd killed Ellie and after shooting Sutro takes the stolen money which he then keeps in his own possession.
None of the gang-members believe that the stolen money has simply disappeared and after having been subjected to some vicious treatment, McClain manages to escape and then co-operates with Brill on a violent course of action which enables them both to achieve their personal objectives.
The 1960s was a low-point in the history of film noir primarily because the style was not really compatible with the general optimism of that decade. "The Split" is one of the best noir offerings of the period because of its plot (which begins routinely but really comes to life in third act), its well-directed action sequences and Burnett Guffrey's wonderful cinematography. It also boasts a superb cast of actors who are all excellent individually and collectively.
Jim Brown's McClain is interesting because in the earlier parts of the movie he seems to be a natural leader with a quiet authority but his actions after he co-operates with Brill, bring out another aspect of his character which is both surprising and credible. Warren Oates provides the pick of the supporting performances, the high-point of which is a hilarious scene in a bar where he gets picked up by a prostitute. Quincy Jones' score and the title song by Billy Preston are also enjoyable and very much in keeping with the time in which the story's set.
With their plan formulated and Gladys providing the financial backing, McClain identifies some possible recruits for their gang and puts each one through a challenge to make sure that they have the skills required to carry out the heist successfully. Tough guy, Bert Clinger (Ernest Borgnine), getaway driver Harry Kifka (Jack Klugman), safe-cracker Marty Gough (Warren Oates) and hit-man Dave Negli (Donald Sutherland) all come up to standard and the robbery of the ticket money from a sold-out Rams game at the L.A. Coliseum is soon put into action.
The brilliantly-executed heist enables the gang to make off with more than $500,000 which McClain leaves with his ex-wife Ellie (Diahann Carroll). She agrees to keep the loot in her apartment and he intends to split the money between everyone in the gang on the following day. This arrangement hits an unforeseen problem when Ellie's lecherous landlord Herb Sutro (James Whitmore), tries to rape her, before killing her and stealing the money. Detective Lieutenant Walter Brill (Gene Hackman) soon deduces who'd killed Ellie and after shooting Sutro takes the stolen money which he then keeps in his own possession.
None of the gang-members believe that the stolen money has simply disappeared and after having been subjected to some vicious treatment, McClain manages to escape and then co-operates with Brill on a violent course of action which enables them both to achieve their personal objectives.
The 1960s was a low-point in the history of film noir primarily because the style was not really compatible with the general optimism of that decade. "The Split" is one of the best noir offerings of the period because of its plot (which begins routinely but really comes to life in third act), its well-directed action sequences and Burnett Guffrey's wonderful cinematography. It also boasts a superb cast of actors who are all excellent individually and collectively.
Jim Brown's McClain is interesting because in the earlier parts of the movie he seems to be a natural leader with a quiet authority but his actions after he co-operates with Brill, bring out another aspect of his character which is both surprising and credible. Warren Oates provides the pick of the supporting performances, the high-point of which is a hilarious scene in a bar where he gets picked up by a prostitute. Quincy Jones' score and the title song by Billy Preston are also enjoyable and very much in keeping with the time in which the story's set.