Scorpio

1973
PG
1h 54m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

5.4K

YOUR RATING

During the Cold War, the CIA orders free-lance operative Scorpio to assassinate his former CIA mentor Cross and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.

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During the Cold War, the CIA orders free-lance operative Scorpio to assassinate his former CIA mentor Cross and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.During the Cold War, the CIA orders free-lance operative Scorpio to assassinate his former CIA mentor Cross and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.During the Cold War, the CIA orders free-lance operative Scorpio to assassinate his former CIA mentor Cross and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

5.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The film crew had to obtain a special authorization before shooting in the CIA building. Burt Lancaster asked Senator John V. Tunney, who then asked a CIA head director to authorize the shooting. Although filming and recording was not allowed in the building, Michael Winner did it anyway. Plus, no identification of any kind was asked for the crew members, but they had to wear badges made by the CIA especially for them, and with a scorpion on them. Those badges had to be destroyed after the shooting.

Goofs
Lancaster disarms two agents by putting his car into reverse and slamming into their car in a narrow alley. Then he pulls forward and does it again. But on his second pass, there's a shot of the back of his car completely undamaged before it makes the second hit. (In that final shot, the car is damaged as it should be.)

Quotes
Cross: There's a room just down the hall from McLeod's office where grown men play a game. It's a bit like Monopoly, only more people get hurt. There's no good and no bad. The object is not to win, but not to lose - and the only rule is to stay in the game.

Connections
Featured in Boulevard! A Hollywood Story (2021)

Soundtracks
Hannibal Brooks
(uncredited)
Music by Francis Lai

User reviews45

Review

Featured review

6/10

closer

In Paris, CIA operative Cross (Burt Lancaster) uses freelance assassin Jean 'Scorpio' Laurier (Alain Delon) to kill. It's their sixth or seventh assassination together. CIA don't usually do the killings themselves. They try to take out Cross within the Agency and fail. They do a deal with Scorpio to kill Cross. In Paris, Cross is given a safe house from his Soviet opposite Zharkov.

Cross and Scorpio need to be closer. There is a connection but a deeper emotional connection would make the chase more compelling. Scorpio can't be an outsider especially considering their conversation later in the movie. They talk like teacher and student. It doesn't really fit their relationship as described in the beginning. I still like their connection. It just needs some minor changes. On the other hand, Cross and Zharkov are almost perfect. They are both world-wearied warriors on their last legs. The movie does drag a bit too long after the explosive climax in Paris. Despite that scene, the movie could use a good action car chase in the city. It could use some more action and it needs to get to the ending faster. Overall, it has some interesting aspects of the genre but it's not one of the memorable ones.