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The Getaway-1972

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The Getaway-1972

Director Sam Peckinpah

Starring Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw

Top 250 Films #58

Scott’s Review #439

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Reviewed July 3, 2016

Grade: A

The Getaway (1972) is a classic action film directed by Sam Peckinpah, known for films such as Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch.

His films are known as “guy films” and are a rather violent experience. The Getaway is no exception, though it is not immensely brutal either. Still, there is more than one macabre scene and one dastardly villain.

For fans of Peckinpah, The Getaway is a must-see.

The film features Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, who are perfectly cast as lovers Doc and Carol McCoy.

Their chemistry was inescapable, and art mirrored life: they were embroiled in a torrid love affair during the shoot, and later they married.

We meet Doc in a Texas prison, where his parole has just been denied. Doc and Carol make a deal with corrupt businessman Jack Benyon to secure Doc’s release.

One stipulation is that Doc participates in a bank heist with two of Jack’s men (Rudy and Frank).

The heist goes off, but things go awry, and Doc and Carol head for El Paso with a large sum of money, being pursued by Rudy and a double-cross attempt by Jack.

Rudy kidnaps veterinarian Harold and his young wife Fran (Sally Struthers) to aid him with his injuries, taking them along as he pursues Doc and Carol.

Amid the already complicated plot, a con man attempts to steal Doc and Carol’s money.

Doc and Carol are clearly the film’s heroes and are meant to be rooted for, and the characters work very well together. Yes, they are criminals, but they are portrayed as lovely and as not hurting anyone who does not deserve it.

Doc does spare Rudy’s life at one point, and I think this only reinforces Doc’s appeal as an antihero.

The love story is also a significant aspect of the filmmaking, making Doc and Carol likable. A few sweet, tender scenes of their romance are mixed in, adding a nice balance to the otherwise testosterone-fueled events.

The Getaway features spectacular editing, particularly at the beginning of the film, where we watch Doc in prison go through his day-to-day rituals, seamlessly interwoven with other stories in the movie.

The musical score matches the editing perfectly, adding a provocative element of intrigue. These components add the necessary elements to a film like this- edge-of-your-seat!

I love the Texas setting.

Characters are constantly traveling to get somewhere- either by train, by car, or on foot- so we see much of the Texas countryside, almost giving The Getaway a Western flavor.

It is certainly a hot, humid environment, though McQueen always wears a sophisticated suit, and MacGraw looks stylish and put together.

And from a prop perspective, I never tire of seeing those early 1970s sedans driving at high speeds.

Unfortunately, as with most of Peckinpah’s films, he doesn’t portray women in a positive light, though Carol is one of his strongest female characters.

Yet, in one tough scene, she is smacked around by Doc after he realizes she slept with Jack to ensure his release from prison.

The most confusing and weak character is Fran. In a strange bit of writing, she inexplicably falls madly in love with her kidnapper, Rudy, even as he abuses and humiliates her, while her husband is around.

This is odd and tough to watch, and not the best part of The Getaway.

Her character is not developed well, and it is head-shaking that she feels any passion for Rudy.

The heart of the film belongs to Doc and Carol as they are on the lam for much of the time, and this is a successful part of The Getaway- hence the title.

Will they get caught? Will they escape?

The characters remind me of Bonnie and Clyde, so we wonder whether Doc and Carol will meet the same fate, but of course we like them, so we don’t want that.

The Getaway (1972) is a fast-paced, down-home, red-blooded sort of action film. It is stylized, gritty, and sometimes violent.

The chicken wing scene between Rudy, Fran, and Harold starts light and then turns ugly, adding to the film’s unpredictable nature.

A supreme offering by Peckinpah.

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Original Score

1970 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Chick Flicks, Drama, Melodrama, Romantic Drama

Love Story-1970

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Love Story-1970

Director Arthur Hiller

Starring Ryan O’Neal, Ali MacGraw

Scott’s Review #950

Reviewed October 23, 2019

Grade: B+

Love Story (1970) was an enormous blockbuster hit at the time of release, with two good-looking stars of the day immersed in a tragic romance.

Almost fifty years later, the story feels contrived and watered down with a “been there, seen that” result.

While reviewing the film, one must keep in mind the period in which it was made (before similar films hit the circuit), and the chemistry between the leads holds up quite well.

Perhaps the film works best when seen as it was made, as it now feels dated.

Handsome Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) is a star ice hockey player attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is heir to the wealthy Barrett family, led by his father, Oliver Barrett III (Ray Milland).

While at school, he meets the blue-collar Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), who attends Radcliffe College, a neighboring college, and studies classical music. The couple falls madly in love and becomes inseparable.

Oliver faces anger after he proposes to Jenny. She accepts, and they travel to the Barrett mansion so that she can meet Oliver’s parents. They are judgmental and unimpressed with her, thinking she is nice, but hardly a companion for their son.

Later, Oliver’s father tells him that he will cut off his financial support if he marries Jenny. After graduation, Oliver and Jenny marry nonetheless and begin a life of economic struggle, but filled with happiness.

When they attempt to conceive, they learn that Jenny is terminally ill and has weeks to live.

The film’s primary appeal is the romance between Oliver and Jenny, which feels primal and honest. They are the cliched rich boy and poor girl equation, but in this film, the dynamic works.

O’Neal and MacGraw are good-looking and were on the cusp of Hollywood A-list status, so the casting aligned.

They ebb and flow at the beginning of the film with Jenny’s sarcasm and Oliver’s quiet arrogance, but there is never a doubt that the pair will fall madly in love, and we, the audience, are hooked from the start.

On an atmospheric level, the icy northeastern climate and the myriad of exterior scenes throughout Massachusetts give the film a proper ambiance.

For anyone who has studied at a university in this area or has an interest in it, the film succeeds, adding a robust flavor to the surrounding events.

The youthful wonder and promise of a bright future are central to the story, and the foreshadowing works well.

The film lacks guts in its pacing, though. Most of Love Story focuses on the newness of Oliver and Jenny’s romance, their hurdles with family members, and a brief nod to class and societal roles.

At a brief one hour and thirty-five minutes, there is very little time left for the shocking turn of events surrounding Jenny’s illness.

Coming out of nowhere, the character is alive and well, has a brief fainting spell, and is then seen lying on a gurney before dying off-screen.

There is no bedside death scene, no suffering or deteriorating health, and the entire tragedy is glossed over. Hence the title: the focus is on the “love story,” but this seems like a scam.

So much is invested in the couple that the loss seems skimmed over. How can one die from leukemia (blood cancer) within a few days anyway?

The filmmaker’s clear attempts to play it safe come at the expense of the overall film experience.

Love Story (1970) deserves praise for being one of the first of its kind- the romantic tearjerker. The genre would soon be overrun with imitators so cliched that they bring the original down a notch, making it feel trite.

The ‘chick flick’ contains good acting and lovely scenery, but lacks the emotional depth I was hoping for.

Melodramatic to a fault, the leads’ appeal drives the overall effort far more than it should.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Arthur Hiller, Best Actor-Ryan O’Neal, Best Actress-Ali MacGraw, Best Supporting Actor-John Marley, Best Story or Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced, Best Original Score (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture- Drama (won), Best Director-Arthur Hiller (won), Best Actor-Drama, Ryan O’Neal, Best Actress-Drama-Ali MacGraw (won), Best Supporting Actor-John Marley, Best Screenplay (won), Best Original Score (won)