The Split - 1968 (Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman) heist crime

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The Split (USA - 1968)

Crime / Drama

director . . . Gordon Flemyng
starring . . . Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Jack Klugman, Donald Sutherland

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063636/

Heist movies are like spaghetti dinners in that even the worst one is still pretty good. The Split, a 1968 crime caper, is very good indeed. Jim Brown, seen here at the pinnacle of his career, plays McClain, a petty crook who masterminds a high risk plan to rob the boxoffice and concession proceeds from a Los Angeles Rams football game. (Amusingly, the top price for a ticket during those days was $7.50, which could possibly buy you a hot dog at today's prices.) McClain follows the usual cinematic crime caper route by assembling a group of talented low-lifes as his confederates, each with their own specific talent for pulling off the crime. He also involves his estranged, gorgeous wife (Diahann Carroll), who wants nothing to do with the plan.

The film is stylishly directed by Gordon Flemyng, who was primarily known as a TV director, though he did helm the Doctor Who feature films as well as the top notch mercenary flick The Last Grenade. Fleming keeps the action moving at a fast pace and benefits from an extraordinary cast that includes such heavyweights as Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates, Julie Harris, Donald Sutherland, Jack Klugman, Gene Hackman and James Whitmore.

The Split has plenty of unforeseen twists and turns, imaginative action sequences and a score by Quincy Jones. Largely unheralded, this is one of those films that probably plays far better today than it did at the time of its initial release.

Video: XviD, 688x288, 23.976 fps, 1844 kbps, 01h29m47s
Audio: Dolby AC3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kbps

DVDRip, English audio, optional subtitles in French, Swedish, Croatian, Serbian