HITMAN AGENT 47

Germany/UK, 2015, 95 minutes, colour.
Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Ciaran Hinds, Thomas Kretschmann.
Directed by Aleksander Bach.

Hitman Agent 47 is based on the computer game, Hitman. The film unfolds just like a computer game, quest, pursuit, hero, obstacles, deaths, final confrontation.

The film has the added advantage of some sequences in Salzburg, most in Berlin, capitalising on the scenes of the city, and the same in Singapore, once again with the atmosphere and views of the city.

An explanation is given that in the 1960s, the United States developed a plan for the creation of his men, assassins, geared to have no emotions. The assassins went into action but the decision was made to close down the program. In the meantime, the head of the company, The Syndicate, Thomas Kretschmann, wants to re-open the program. Through quite a complicated set of technical means, which might leave the ordinary audience puzzled, it is determined that the possibilities for development centre on a young girl who has grown up in Berlin. The syndicate sends its agents to find her and bring her back to start the program again.

In the meantime, she is poring over documents in a Berlin library to find a mysterious man. Ultimately, he is revealed as her father, Ciaran Hinds.

In the meantime, Agent 47, Rupert Friend, ruthless and unemotional, has been sent by his superior to save the girl, Hannah Ware – the ulterior motive, revealed at the end, being to infiltrate the Syndicate Office in Singapore and destroy the director.

This leads to quite an amount of activity and chases in Berlin, at Alexanderplatz, in the underground and in the streets. It sets up a confrontation between the special agent from The Syndicate, Zachary Quinto, who wants to take the girl to the headquarters and tries to preserve her at any costs, fighting Agent 47 who, he says, is after the girl and her death. There are some computer game confrontations, fights, especially on the electrified railway lines in the Berlin underground.

The father is discovered, an elderly man, and once again there are many chases and pursuits.

The action and the characters transfer to Singapore for a final confrontation, the head of The Syndicate remaining under guard and never coming out of his office, but persuaded to do so to confront the girl and find out the truth. In the meantime, his agent, Zachary Quinto, has taken the father and tortures him with serums.

A whole lot of chasing, a whole lot of shooting, of a whole lot of deaths, the head taking off in a helicopter with the father. This means that in the building, Agent 47 and the girl have to up to the roof, confront a lot of guards, the Agent fighting with Quinto, and the culmination where the father, for love of his daughter, explodes the helicopter. Which seems an ending except that suddenly, Agent 47 is confronted by his lookalike agent – who shows no emotion a motion except to confront Agent 47.

1. Thriller based on a computer game? The format, the plot, characters, confrontations, dangerous situations, deaths and audiences identifying with the characters?

2. The special effects, action sequences, stunt work, the fights and chases, crashes? The musical score?

3. The background explanations, the 1960s, the development of emotionless assassins? The effect? Closing down the program? The search for the inventor? The search for his secrets – and the discovery that they were embodied in his young daughter? The question of the daughter, the daughter’s quest for her father?

4. The Syndicate, the head, his determination, his previous knowledge of the inventor, the inventor saying he was less intelligent? His sending out John Smith to find the girl and bring her back? His office in Singapore? His guards?

5. Saltzburg, the files, the discoveries?

6. Berlin, Katia, in the library, the librarian asking questions, unable to find her father? The confrontation with John Smith, his trying to protect her, the attacks by Agent 47? The dangers in the city, the underground, the railway lines, the fights, the rescue?

7. The discovery of the father, the inventor, love for his daughter, his secrets? Agent 47 helping him?

8. Going to Singapore, the work of the head of The Syndicate? John Smith and his taking the father, torturing him? Agent 47, seeming exercise of emotion, helping Katia?

9. The build-up to the climax, the head coming out of his office, his being in danger, the interrogation of the father? Katia, Agent 47, going to the roof? The helicopter taking off? The fights on the roof, agent 47 and the wounds, Katia and her grief at her father’s going? The final fight between Agent 47 and John Smith?

10. The helicopter, the father exploding it?

11. Agent 47, with Katia – and the lift opening with the new agent, in the likeness of Agent 47, appearing?