Getaway (1972)
Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Master thief Doc McCoy knows his wife has been in bed with the local political boss in order to spring him from jail. What he can't know is the sinister succession of double-cross that will sour the deal once he's on the outside -- and executing the ultimate robbery.

User Comment: marquis de cinema Boston, MA • The Getaway(1972) was the second film Sam Peckinpah did with Steve Mcqueen after Junior Bonner(1972) and perhaps not the best. There are some good moments in the picture that make it a good film. One, the opening credits with some terrific montage. Two, the botched bank robbery. Three, the garbage truck sequence. Four, the gun fight in slow motion near the end.

Based on a novel by pulp fiction arthor Jim Thompson, The Getaway(1972) lacks any of the interesting parts of his novel. Not as good as other films based on Jim Thompson's work like The Grifters(1991). In the manner of They Live by Night, You Only Live Once, Gun Crazy, and Bonnie & Clyde. The acting varies from actor to actor. Sam Peckinpah did the best he could with an average script. I have a feeling that if Peckinpah wrote some of the screenplay then the movie might have been beter than it turned out to be. The director's next film would be the magificent if slightly flawed Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid(1973).

The story is adequetely written by Walter Hill. He would reuse portions of the gun battle scene at the hotel during the first few moments of 48 Hours(1982). In fact the scene where Doc Mccoy tells his wife to stall the person that's outside his door is too similar to the one in 48 Hours(1982). The chemistry of Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw is average and inconsistent. Al Lettieri is the best actor in the film with his sadistic and slimy performance as the double crossing Rudy Butler. He almosts carrys the entire film on his back with his impressive performance.

Ben Johnson is very good in the role of Jack Beynon. The cinematography of Lucien Ballard is one of the film's few bright spots. Ali MacGraw is just below average and not good at all in giving a convincing performance. The action scenes with the slow mo shoot ouys are the few things that are pure Peckinpah. The director did not have final cut because the main actor decided to have the film edit himself thus making the film good if not average. The Getaway(1972) is a film that's in need of the director'c cut treatment which restores the film to the original vision of Sam Peckinpah.

Summary: Saved by Climatic Action Scene

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