The Getaway (Deluxe Edition)
by Sam Peckinpah
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DVD details
Actor: Ali Macgraw, Steve Mc QueenDirector: Sam Peckinpah
Brand: MCQUEEN,STEVE
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Widescreen, 2.40:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-05-31
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of The Getaway (Deluxe Edition)
DVD Review: "Don't get any blood on me...I hate blood."
Summary: 5 Stars
Unpredictable, volatile, abrasive, and the only man Charlton Heston ever threaten on a set of a movie (Major Dundee)...I'm talking about `Bloody' Sam Peckinpah...love him or hate him, the man knew how to tell a story, one that could entertain not only the average film patron with loads of action and violence, but also the haughty, oft-times snobby film critics with his thoughtful and insightful characterizations...actually, I think these same, snobby critics actually got off secretly on being able to enjoy the more visceral elements of his films while still being able to tout them on a cerebral level...like a guilty pleasure without the guilt. But that's not to say Peckinpah's films were always critically accepted...I know his film Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) took a beating, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, in all its glorious dirty, sweaty, dust-caked, fly-ridden seediness...based on a novel by Jim Thompson (The Grifters) and adapted for the screen by Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs.), The Getaway (1972) stars Steve McQueen (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape), the man many believe to be the penultimate in machismo and cool, on and off the screen. Co-starring with McQueen is the very beautiful Ali MacGraw (Love Story, Convoy), who became so enamored with her co-star she actually left her husband at the time, movie producer Robert Evans, to be with McQueen, and thus gave up the opportunity to star in several high profile films like Chinatown (1974) and The Great Gatsby (1974)...yes, the lure of the McQueen is a strong one...also appearing is Peckinpah favorite Ben Johnson (Major Dundee, The Wild Bunch, Junior Bonner), quintessential heavy Al Lettieri (The Godfather, Mr Majestyk), Sally Struthers (Five Easy Pieces), whose most recent work include the tearful pleas to feed the starving children (which would probably be a lot more effective if she wasn't so heavyset...there I said it), Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Richard Bright (The Godfather), `Rub a Dub' Dub Taylor (The Wild Bunch), Jack `Howard Sprague' Dodson ("The Andy Griffith Show"), and Bo 'Knows' Hopkins (The Wild Bunch, White Lightning).
The film begins with scenes of a Texas prison, focusing on one inmate in particular, that of Carter 'Doc' McCoy (McQueen), who's in his fourth year a ten-year stretch for bank robbery. After being denied parole, Doc agrees to cut a deal with a politically powerful and corrupt individual named Jack Beynon (Johnson), who just happens to also be a member of the parole board (that's convenient). The deal involves, on being released from prison, that McCoy pull a bank job for Beynon, which he does, and while McCoy's meticulous planning nets the robbers a large amount of cash, things quickly fall apart as there's a couple of jokers in the deck (one of them being one of the men McCoy got saddled with by Beynon), and the double cross is in, but McCoy isn't going down without a struggle, and he's certainly not going back to the joint. Now McCoy and his wife Carol (MacGraw) must make their way to El Paso with the money, avoiding capture by the authorities (by this time McCoy's face is plastered all over the news), Beynon's trigger-happy goons, and one of the aforementioned jokers, all in a effort to make it safely across the border into Mexico.
While not my favorite Peckinpah film (I've always been partial to The Wild Bunch), The Getaway is still an excellent film with strong themes and just an all around entertaining story, assisted by superior cast. One thing I've noticed about Peckinpah is his ability to relate important aspects of story through visual means, carefully crafted shots and sequences, and make it look easy. A perfect example in this movie is the opening sequences with McQueen's character in prison. We learn much about him, and feel a sense of the frustration and oppressive nature of his incarceration on his mental well-being to where desperation finally pushes him to the point of doing something he would normally wouldn't in that of working for Beynon. Of course, this wouldn't have worked as well with out McQueen playing the role, as his presence is the strong point throughout the film. I've heard some comment of MacGraw's acting abilities (or lack of), but I think this was just a case of having to share the screen with McQueen, and who could complete with that? Not many...I think she did really well, avoiding some over dramatic pitfalls others would have succumbed to in the role...and then there's supporting cast and the sense they were truly hand picked for their roles, providing, complex, distinctive, and believable characters. I've also heard complaints about how the story drags at certain points, and the action sequences uneven and too short, but I'd disagree. I thought the strength was in the quiet moments before the storm, the pacing intentional, to allow for the audience to develop an understanding of the characters and see them not as two-dimensional constructs but living, breathing individuals willing to do what they have in order to get what they want...to me, the action sequences, while certainly a draw for me to this film, were a part of a much larger piece. There were a couple of really interesting aspects about this movie for me, one being that while Peckinpah's trademark usage of slow motions shots during the violent sequences is present, it seemed a little toned down from some of his other films, but that wasn't a bad thing. The 2nd aspect was the sort of upbeat ending, which was a real departure given that many of Peckinpah's films are permeated with fatalistic characters draw down inevitable paths of self-destruction. Some scenes to watch for...Steve McQueen going to town with a shotgun...oh yeah, kiss that squad car good-bye (quite a few cars were killed in the making of this film)...Steve McQueen slugging Sally Struthers in the mouth...hey, you can't have a Peckinpah film without a little misogyny, and while I would never advocate the use of violence against a woman, I doubt there'd be few who wouldn't agree that her highly annoying (and fairly sleazy) character was somewhat deserving...all in all this is a great film (much better than the 1994 Kim Bassinger/Alec Baldwin remake, in my opinion), with an exceptional script, acting, and direction, one that entertained me throughout, and reaffirms my belief of the possibilities of the cinema when in the hands of people who know (or knew) what they're doing...
The picture, presented in widescreen anamorphic (2.40:1), enhanced for 16 X 9 televisions, looks sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital 1.0 audio comes through very well. The `Deluxe Edition', which is the one I have, has a few extra features in that of a commentary track with producer Nick Redman, and Peckinpah biographers/historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, and David Weddle. Also included is an original theatrical trailer, along with a `virtual' audio commentary track with Sam Peckinpah, Steve McQueen, and Ali MacGraw that consists of 1972 audio interview material from the three, spliced together and played over the film.
Cookieman108
Description of The Getaway (Deluxe Edition)
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-crosses that will sour the deal once he's on the outside - and executing the ultimate robbery. Fasten your seat belts and join Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw in a supreme action thriller based on Jim Thompson's novel. Sam Peckinpah directed, filming on locations across Texas and in sequence - from the opening inside Hunstville State Prison to the explosive El Paso border climax. Once The Getaway starts, there's no escaping its breathless intensity.DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Peckinpah Biographers/Documentarians Nick Redman, Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and David WeddleFeaturette:Jerry Fielding, Sam Peckinpah and The GetawayTheatrical Trailer:
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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