The Mechanic (1972 film)

The Mechanic
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Winner
Written by	Lewis John Carlino
Produced by	Robert Chartoff Irwin Winkler
Starring	Charles Bronson Jan-Michael Vincent
Cinematography	Richard H. Kline Robert Paynter
Edited by	Freddie Wilson Arnold Crust Jr.
Music by	Jerry Fielding
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	November 17, 1972 (1972-11-17) (New York)[1]
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$10 million

The Mechanic is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Michael Winner from a screenplay by Lewis John Carlino. It stars Charles Bronson, in his second collaboration with Winner, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn, and Jill Ireland.

The story follows Arthur Bishop (Bronson), a top assassin who takes under his wing Steve McKenna (Vincent), the ruthless and ambitious son of Harry McKenna (Wynn), the former head of the secret organization for which Bishop works. It is noted for its opening, which features no dialogue for the first 16 minutes, as Bronson's character prepares to kill his current target. The title refers to a euphemism for hitmen.

Upon its release, the film received generally mixed reviews from critics but it was praised for its action scenes, acting and writing, although Winner's direction and the storytelling was criticized. A remake of the same name was released in 2011, starring Jason Statham as Bishop and Ben Foster as McKenna. The film was a financial success, and spawned a sequel, Mechanic: Resurrection, which was released in 2016.