DeuceWild_77
Let me start to say that i'm not keen of remakes, but like John Carpenter's upgrade of "The Thing from Another World" ('51) directed by Howard Hawks, in his horror cult classic "The Thing" ('82), Roger Donaldson's taking on Peckinpah's cult classic, "The Getaway" fares better in some points, except that without the original to serve as a guide, the movie wouldn't even exists.After "Junior Bonner" ('72), released early in the same year, McQueen and Peckinpah joined together again for another venture on screen, this time adapting the Jim Thompson's crime pulp novel, starring the then 42 years' old McQueen, and his mistress 33 years' old Ali MacGraw, then married with producer Robert Evans ("Chinatown").Peckinpah's gritty visual style, the use of frantic chases, slow motion shoot outs and well staged on-screen deaths are patent here and he don't disappoint in that matter, except the narrative is a bit messy, the editing is poor in places (some unnecessary scenes went on forever) and the characters lack juice.McQueen never needed to do much: his working class rudeness, but strangely attractive and gracious "screen persona"; his display of sarcastic humour; shy appearance, but sweating machismo at the same time and physical acting made his performances seemed naturally effortless and understated and that worked wonders in such movies as "The Magnificent Seven" or "The Great Escape" and even when he truly acted from his soul like in his only Oscar nominated role, "The Sand Pebbles" ('66) and his underrated performance as the title character in "Papillon" ('73).Here as Carter "Doc" McCoy, McQueen made more use of his tough guy star power (and his own major ego) than the method acting skills that allowed him and Martin Landau to have been the only 2 students out of 2000 to be accepted in Actor's Studio back in '55.Now don't get me wrong, McQueen is one of my all time favorite actors and always a riot to follow, even a not so good McQueen is way better than a lot of actors doing their best on-screen, but here he was paired with his real life lover, Ali MacGraw, who seriously lacked acting range, and he looked and acted more concerned about her and their relationship than the characters they were playing and the respective storytelling.Peckinpah was always plagued with problems on the set of his films, the majority due to his own self destructive bad behavior and alcoholism and the constant clash between him and the producers or the actors he was directing (like in the ill-fated "Major Dundee") and "The Getaway" was not an exception to the rule, he and McQueen disagreed and had different views about how the movie could be and the end result was more of a McQueen's film than Peckinpah's (or even Jim Thompson's) vision of it.Troubles and some low points aside, "The Getaway" still delivers the goods as an action / crime / drama / heist flick from a way influential (as much as controversial) filmmaker, which his techniques and visual style influenced a lot of future brilliant directors such as Walter Hill, William Friedkin, Michael Cimino, John Carpenter, Roger Donaldson or John Dahl.Now, comparing with the remake, the Donaldson's movie was undeservedly bashed by critics and i find it just a case of picking on the newly weds, Baldwin & Basinger's media attention, because the '94 version is better in those aspects:Alec Baldwin was good and credible as Doc, even if he wasn't McQueen, but Kim Basinger is a way better actress than Ali MacGraw and tops her as Carol McCoy.James Woods is way more sleazy and had more screentime than Ben Johnson, who was too nice and harmless for Jack Benyon and only had a couple of scenes, his character is forgettable, but not because of the actor's fault, Johnson was one of the best character actors that ever lived, i blame it on the screenplay and direction.Cool cat Michael Madsen presents Rudy here as a ruthless "Mickey Rourke-ish" rogue biker and acts circles around Al Lettieri, who was a too ugly, without style and brute criminal that it's hard to believe why Sally Struthers would fell in love with him, but Madsen gave Rudy an edge, the viewer will hate him and sympathize with him at the same time and he have a great on-screen chemistry with Jennifer Tilly which was also better than Struthers.Richard Farnsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman (in an early screen role), Burton Gilliam & David Morse were all more memorable than their counterparts, the Peckinpah's stock actors: Slim Pickens, Bo Hopkins, Dub Taylor and the other guy that i can't even recall the name.Hill's screenplay on the remake gives early on an antagonism between "Doc" and Rudy and it's way more justifiable the consequent betrayal.The pacing and editing are a lot better, Donaldson shortened the chase that starts at the station and then through the train, that in the original ran for too much time, and have less of bland moments such as Ali's snail reacting to McQueen's dialogue or actions.The final shoot out is much more suspenseful, stylized and entertaining as well as violent in terms of deaths, but strangely the general mood it's way more lighter than the gritiness visual style of the original and in that matter, the '72 version takes the prize, because it was made in the 70's and the Lucien Ballard's cinematography is better than Peter Menzies Jr., no doubts about that.Last, but not least, Donaldson's creative change of "Doc" as a dark haired G.I. model-type of an anti-hero & Carol as a 40-ish blonde bombshell and Rudy as a long haired red / blonde biker & Fran as a "girl next door" brunette, the complete opposite of the two couples in the original film.In short, i give the same rate to the original movie and the remake, because i love them both and the creative team of Walter Hill / Roger Donaldson had all the work and motivation to study the Peckinpah's film and enhanced the more negative aspects, delivering then a more well-structured piece of work, but without the '72 version used as a lighthouse to compose the shots, sequences and mend the narrative, it would never have been done, so....
Wizard-8
While the movie "The Getaway" certainly has the kind of entertainment people look for in a 1970s crime movie - action scenes that pack a punch, slimy antagonists that you hope will get what they deserve (actor Al Lettieri really makes a good villain) - what really makes the movie interesting are the unexpected touches. The two central characters (McQueen and MacGraw) that we follow throughout the movie, for one thing, aren't terribly likable. They not only abuse in various ways assorted people along their journey, they also subject each other to abuse as well. Yet oddly, while you'll dislike them, they are interesting enough that you can't help but keep watching to see how they will end up. Another interesting factor is that the movie seems to be commenting on masculinity - what makes a man a true man, and how a man should act in various situations. I don't want to spoil things, but I will mention it's seen with both McQueen and MacGraw as well as the subplot with Lettieri. You might not agree with director Sam Peckinpah and scripter Walter Hill on their opinions on masculinity or how lead characters should act, but what they have to say is definitely interesting, and just one aspect of why "The Getaway" is worth a look.
LeonLouisRicci
The Wild Bunch (1969), Straws Dogs (1971), and The Getaway (1972), One could say Director Sam Peckinpah was On a Roll. With a Tumultuous Career of Ups and Downs, Peckinpah had made His Mark in TV Westerns in the Fifties and Directed one of the Best Westerns Ever, Ride the High Country (1962). Then Sam got a Reputation for Over-Indulgence, Over-Budget Movies and was Virtually Black-Listed after He Lost Money and Control of the Final Cut on Major Dundee (1964).He didn't work for Years and then was given a Chance to do "The Wild Bunch" and the Rest is History. Not the most Prolific of Directors and not very Consistent, His Films Waiver in Quality from Great to OK, but None of His Films are Objectively Bad. "The Getaway" was His Biggest Commercial Film, no doubt Helped by the Box Office Appeal of Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw. But the Film is so much More than the Egomaniac McQueen and the No-Talent McGraw. It is a Violent, Funny, Romantic Road Picture with Criminal Lovers on the Lam.There are Numerous Set-Pieces that are Highly-Entertaining between the Squibs and the Slow-Motion Violence. The opening Prison Sequence, the Bank Robbery, the Hotel Shootout, the Hostages, the Train Sequence, the Garbage Truck Escape, the Town Confrontation with Police, and a Viewer Friendly Ending.This is Top-Tier Peckinpah and Top-Tier McQueen, Helped by a Walter Hill Script from a Jim Thompson Novel, with a Fine Supporting Cast of Bo Hopkins, Al Literati, Sally Struthers, Ben Johnson, Jack Dodson, Dub Taylor, Slim Pickins and Others. The Score from Quincy Jones has its Supporters and Detractors but is Fits Finely in the Proceedings.Note...The 1994 Remake is a mediocre Movie. It is best left unseen until after this one, because it is done virtually scene for scene and is an unremarkable copy.
