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Amazon.com Essential Video
It's better than the 1994 remake starring Kim Basinger and husband Alec Baldwin, but this 1972 thriller relies too heavily on the low-key star power of Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, and the stylish violence of director Sam Peckinpah, reduced here to a mechanical echo of his former glory. McQueen plays a bank robber whose wife (MacGraw) makes a deal with a Texas politician to have her husband released from prison in return for a percentage from their next big heist. But when the plan goes sour, the couple must flee to Mexico as fast as they can, with a variety of gun-wielding thugs on their trail. MacGraw was duly skewered at the time for her dubious acting ability, but the film still has a raw, unglamorous quality that lends a timeless spin to the familiar crooks-on-the-lam scenario. As always, Peckinpah rises to the occasion with some audacious scenes of action and suspense, including a memorable chase on a train that still grabs the viewer's attention. Not a great film, but a must for McQueen and Peckinpah fans. --Jeff Shannon
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Underrated Classic,
By Kathleen YO! (Montreal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
Ce commentaire est de: The Getaway: Deluxe Edition (1972) (DVD)
I can't believe how great this movie is. I went into it expecting Peckinpah Lite, but I was totally blown away by this film. It isn't so much lite but its a more restrained Peckinpah. I think it works beautifully. The scene on the train is one of the best ever committed to film and there are several other great scenes leading up to the final shootout. The atmosphere is intense too, you really feel the heat and dirt and dust as they drive through Texas. Steve McQueen is masterful as usual, practically jumping right off the screen because he's so real. Ali McGraw is not a very good actress but her performance gets a passing grade because she has such great chemistry with McQueen. This is easily comparable to a movie like Bonnie and Clyde.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peckinpah Under Control,
By A Customer
Ce commentaire est de: The Getaway (Widescreen/Full Screen) (DVD)
I'd rate this film Peckinpah's second best, next to "Ride the High Country." He places his gifts as a technical master at the service of the plot instead of vice versa and the result is a genuinely intriguing crime drama. Bank-buster McQueen is mortgaged out of prison by his wife's infidelity with a parole board member, who also demands another robbery to clear the debt. The performance that stands out is that of Al Lettieri, McQueen's associate turned enemy. He really shines in a supporting role as a determined sociopath.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost,
By
Ce commentaire est de: The Getaway (Widescreen/Full Screen) (DVD)
Knowing that this film was directed by Sam Peckinpah, we expect violence...and plenty of it. It's there to be sure but what is (to me) most intriguing is the relationship between Doc (Steve McQueen) and Carol (Ali MacGraw) McCoy who struggle to extricate themselves from the Mob even as they agree to one last bank robbery. (Off-screen, their love affair ruined her marriage to Robert Evans whose studio was involved with producing this film.) There are numerous nasty moments. Also, remarkably, several humorous and sometimes playful moments as when Doc joyously jumps into a lagoon. Members of the supporting cast are first-rate, notably Ben Johnson (Jack Benyon), Al Lettieri (Rudy), and Sally Struthers (Fran Clinton). Based on Jim Thompson's novel The Getaway, this film really doesn't follow any specific formula. (Peckinpah's films never do.) It evolves logically but casually from one situation to the next. However, there are unexpected developments and complications along the way, notably Rudy's kidnapping of a staid veterinarian and his sexually unfulfilled wife. Credit Walter Hill for an especially literate screenplay as well as Lucien Ballard for his contributions as cinematographer and Quincy Jones as composer of the music score. Director, cast, and crew have created an especially entertaining film, comparable with Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Badlands (1973), and The Gauntlet (1977). Almost (not quite) a great film. One man's opinion.
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