Finally, there is the ultimate criminal-film thematic mainstay: religious iconography. Criminals in film and fiction seem to surround themselves in the images of faith. More often than not, it is an effective thematic device to contrast dark or evil men with the sign of the cross, or an association with the Holy. Hitman is saturated with crosses, religious symbolism, and catch-phrases like "Trust unto God, and He shall direct your path." This juxtaposition is best utilized in the famous baptism sequence in The Godfather, and it has been almost constant in crime films ever since.

Here we have a hitman who was raised in a quasi-religious institution, born and bred to be a contract killer. This man is our protagonist, but we've come to learn in this day and age that a protagonist may not be a good person. Interestingly, this is Agent 47's quest from the outset: to discover if he is a good man, or even to discover what a good man is. Agent 47 has never known anything but violence and killing, and when his "family" disowns him, all he can do is kill, and ask questions.

It is to Agent 47's credit that he begins to ask such a core question: Am I a good man? In that sense, this film's religious iconography somehow fits. Agent 47, and the director of Hitman, inundate us with crosses to encourage us to ask what qualities a "good man" must possess. But I'll leave it up to the readers, or maybe the Most High, to decide if Agent 47 is a good man or not.

Special Features

• In The Crosshairs: A behind-the-scenes featurette.
• Digital Hits: A discussion of the original video game and its impact on this film.
• Instruments of Destruction: An in-depth look at the guns used in the film.
• Settling the Score: A discussion with the composer, Geoff Zanelli.
• Deleted Scenes: Including the ultra-depressing alternate ending.
• Gag Reel
• Trailers

The special features were helpful for me, as a non-video game initiated viewer. I was able to get a feel for the themes and purpose behind the original game. The rest of these features are par for the course, and we are probably better off on this particular film without a director's commentary. Because again&ellips; this is a video game movie!

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