In 1981, Burt Reynolds seemed unstoppable as a leading box-office superstar in America. The laid-back sex symbol of the ‘70s had a string of hit action comedies, often involving fast cars, with movies such as Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, and The Cannonball Run. Though he carried that winning charm in lighter comedies like Starting Over and Semi-Tough, Reynolds surprised his fans when he broke away from his freewheeling Bandit persona to play a hardened Atlanta vice cop in Sharky’s Machine.
The incredibly violent neo-noir not only marked Reynolds’ third directorial effort but also the first time since 1975's Hustle that he tackled dark material. Based on the novel by Primal Fear’s William Diehl, Sharky’s Machine served as Reynolds’ answer to compete with friendly rival Clint Eastwood’sDirty Harry. In following Eastwood’s directorial footsteps, however, Reynolds combined elements of Alfred Hitchcock, The Dirty Dozen, and ‘70s political thrillers to become his best film of the decade.
What Is 'Sharky's Machine' About?
Image via Warner Bros.
Set in Atlanta, Reynolds’s Sgt. Tom Sharky is demoted to vice following a botched narcotics bust. Paired with a colorful array of grizzled veteran detectives (Brian Keith, Bernie Casey, and Richard Libertini), Sharky investigates a high-class prostitution ring and does nightly surveillance on the photogenic Dominoe (Rachel Ward). Soon, he becomes romantically obsessed with Dominoe while discovering her ties to gubernatorial candidate Hotchkins (Earl Holliman) and a crime lord (Vittorio Gassman) who’s been in control of her life since childhood.
Sharky’s pulpy, cynical take on modern-day noir is all attributed to Reynolds’ direction. He’s fully hands-on with an approach that pays homage to Hitchcock’sRear Window and Otto Preminger’sLaura. Sharky’s initial surveillance of Dominoe evolves into a voyeur fantasy of the detective developing romantic feelings for his target. Listening in on Dominoe recalling her tragic upbringing full of sexual abuse and trafficking, Sharky finds himself believing he can be her escape from her circumstances.
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In her second American film, Ward is the secondary standout to Reynolds in Sharky’s Machine. She channels the femme fatales of the past and, to a certain extent, Lauren Bacall as the sultry Dominoe whose fractured soul hides behind her incredible beauty. Her strength and vulnerability combined are highlighted in her lone scene with Victor as she pleads to leave the prostitution game only to be forced into seducing him. Even more haunting is Dominoe’s confrontation with Sharky while being held in a safe house and questioned about Victor. Her ability to get under Sharky’s skin and confront his inner desires for her is one of the most chilling moments in the story due to Ward’s complex performance.
'Sharky's Machine' Had Potential To Propel Burt Reynolds' Directing Career
With Reynolds fully in the driver’s seat as a director, Sharky’s Machine is a prime showcase for his talents behind the camera. His choice of cinematographer William A. Fraker of Bullitt gives the Atlanta atmosphere a gritty and rather sweaty texture. Known for the many historical stunts in his films, Reynolds delivers on the action front with a graphic shootout on a MARTA bus,a martial arts combat sequence between Sharky and Victor’s ninja henchmen on a boat, and an unforgettable free-fall stunt for the film’s finale by the late Dar Robinson. Additionally, the film cannot be complete without its epic jazz score led by The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’s Doc Severinsen, perfectly capturing the mood of Atlanta while calling back to the classic film noir scores of the ‘40s.
Like many hit films, Reynolds surrounds himself with real-life friends to bring levity to an otherwise dreary picture. Charles Durning shines as Sharky’s condescending lieutenant, while Casey, Keith, and Libertini provide the kind of moral support Sharky needs against a vicious crime lord. Aside from Ward, the film’s acting acclaim also goes to Henry Silva as Gassman’s brother and top assassin, Billy Score. His wide-eyed presence is terrifying anytime he appears on the screen, but it’s when he’s reduced to a drugged-up rage in the film’s finale that he elevates Sharky’s Machine to a heightened level of fear and intense jeopardy.
Reynolds Showcases His Natural Talents as a Filmmaker
Sharky’s Machine was one of the last career high points for Reynolds during his prime years. Respected film critics Roger Ebert and Janet Maslin praised Reynolds for his talents as a filmmaker, mastering the element of suspense while maintaining his natural charisma on screen. Reynolds’ later serious action ventures with Heat, Malone, and Physical Evidence failed to recapture the quality of care that he brought to his 1981 crime thriller. Despite this, Sharky’s Machine is the one film in Reynolds’ filmography that showed he had the potential to be as successful as Eastwood behind the camera if his career circumstances were different.
Sharky’s Machine is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
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Sharky's Machine
Release Date
December 18, 1981
CastBurt Reynolds
, Rachel Ward
, Henry Silva
, Brian Keith
, Vittorio Gassman
, Charles Durning
, Earl Holliman
, Bernie Casey
, Richard Libertini
, Darryl Hickman
, Joseph Mascolo
, Tony King
, John Fiedler
, Carol Locatell
, Suzee Pai
, Glynn Rubin
, Val Avery
, Aarika Wells
, Princess O'Mahoney
, Hari Rhodes
, James O'Connell
, Bennie Moore
Image via Warner Bros.
Image via Warner Bros.
English (US) ·