Every now and then I get a spectacular treat as a cinephile. Today I got to see THE GETAWAY (Sam Peckinpah, First Artists, 1972) and was completely on the edge of my seat, blown away by the gratuitous amounts of violence Peckinpah is known for and the incredible on screen pairing of Ali MacGraw and the stellar Steve McQueen. The film is from the reactionary phase of the modernist film period and there are so many explosions of conventions in regards to classical cinema as to make the film overwhelming. This film, like so many others from this same timeframe, are amazing pieces of work and some of my personal favorites.
Always one of my favorites is the great Steve McQueen. McQueen definitely benefitted from the time he rose to prominence, as his persona as the anti-hero wouldn't have worked in previous periods. He is so antagonizingly cool, I absolutely believe that if he were around today he would be the worlds biggest film star. But beyond that cool veneer is a sensitivity that I think helps people relate. Like here in the role of Doc, you can see the pain that underlies his actions. As Doc is confronted with his wife's infidelity and deals with it through the films second act, every action has that exquisite pain. Audiences identify with McQueen because we have been through what he has.
And that identification is furthered by a very specific and palpable chemistry between MacGraw and McQueen. Whether it is the roles they are playing in the film, or maybe the burgeoning romance that was happening between the two on set, there is a fire between the two that is just remarkable. Maybe it's the nice dichotomy that the two fulfill. MacGraw as the innocent girl next door, McQueen as the cool bad boy sweeping her away. Whatever it is, it works exceptionally well.
Also working exceptionally well is the great Sam Peckinpah. His work has some amazing qualities and you can still see his influence in work being down today, particularly in a film like DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011). The ongoing dichotomy between Peckinpah's extremely still frames and shot compositions to his explosions of violence makes for a remarkable tension for his audience. How can you not be on the edge of your seat throughout the film if extreme violence can explode at any second? This quiet simplicity from his shots and compositions, as well as his extended use of long shots gives his films a very western feel, essentially making the film a modern day western. Though his film becomes a western, he destroys the myths of the genre with his violent anti-hero, gratuitous violence and an ending in which his protagonist gets away with his crimes.
Among other things that are striking in the film is Peckinpah's great use of sound and a nice score by Quincy Jones. Also, the role played by Sally Struthers is completely out of left field. The role, which I would call very "Jennifer Tilly-esque", except for the fact that obviously Tilly patterned her role after Struthers. It's just amazing to see Struthers as she is in this film. Completely against everything we have come to know her for now.
Also against what we have come to know are some very funny moments throughout the film. Forty years has changed so much. Like Doc carrying a shotgun everywhere he goes, in broad daylight as a wanted man. Or the six Texas bad guys rolling to meet Doc in a huge Cadillac with amazing ten gallon hats. Most striking is the ending though, because here we see a paradigm shift in American consciousness. Opposite of classical cinema, we now root for the anti-hero. The man who murders and robs gets away in the end, and that is a huge shift for us as a viewing public. It gives the film a different feel, and it changes they way we as a society react to our films. Great film, a must see for any McQueen fan!
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