Made with such taste and skill it's remarkable to realise that Michael Winner directed, but then he hadn't began his artistic descent yet. I think Irwin Winkler and Bob Chartoff might've kept him in check too.
He also had a script from Lewis John Carlino, a bright idea well developed, and two excellent stars... well, excellently cast stars: Charles Bronson as the driven assassin who is actually lonely, and Jan Michael Vincent as the cocky protege. Bronson is very effective - the first ten minutes are silent. I love his tousled hair and his death scene.
Looks beautiful, lovely score. Classic double twist ending. It has an interesting theme about loneliness and existentialism - very Michael Mann and character study-y. It's effectiveness is limited I think by the fact it has been so often imitated.
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