Jack Scorpion
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,097
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- Hollywoodland
My newest review is on the Steve McQueen/Sam Peckinpah anti-classic.
See it here.
The hot debate regarding The Getaway's value as great cinema points to Steve McQueen's right to a final cut. First, he and David Foster fired Jim Thompson for his literal adaption of his novel, saying the script was too dark, too talky and too actionless... and this is about a novel that director Sam Fuller once described as "the most original gangster story ever written. I could film it without a script." Then, McQueen changed some of Peckinpah's editing choices, opting for shots that cast himself and his costar in a more glamorous, cooler light (not to mention the soundtrack change). When Peckinpah saw McQueen's changes, he reportedly shouted, "This is not my film!" and stormed out of the theater. In other words, the McQueen filter cut off Jim Thompson and Sam Peckinpah, the two principle creative forces behind the film, at the knees. That being said, you may ask: why would I, who is a fan of both Peckinpah and Thompson, like a movie that is an insult to both of their geniuses?
While I love Thompson's dark writing style and Peckinpah's colorful directing, both artists actually can use a buffer between them and an audience (at least, most audiences). They're intense. I'm not saying that I would like a "watered-down" version of either, but I don't think that The Getaway is watered down. McQueen is not exactly a censur and his twist on the film has a flavor of its own. So it's a Jim Thompson novel that is lightened up and filled with action... So it's a Peckinpah film that is easier on the eyes and nerves... So what? It's still awesome.
See it here.
The hot debate regarding The Getaway's value as great cinema points to Steve McQueen's right to a final cut. First, he and David Foster fired Jim Thompson for his literal adaption of his novel, saying the script was too dark, too talky and too actionless... and this is about a novel that director Sam Fuller once described as "the most original gangster story ever written. I could film it without a script." Then, McQueen changed some of Peckinpah's editing choices, opting for shots that cast himself and his costar in a more glamorous, cooler light (not to mention the soundtrack change). When Peckinpah saw McQueen's changes, he reportedly shouted, "This is not my film!" and stormed out of the theater. In other words, the McQueen filter cut off Jim Thompson and Sam Peckinpah, the two principle creative forces behind the film, at the knees. That being said, you may ask: why would I, who is a fan of both Peckinpah and Thompson, like a movie that is an insult to both of their geniuses?
While I love Thompson's dark writing style and Peckinpah's colorful directing, both artists actually can use a buffer between them and an audience (at least, most audiences). They're intense. I'm not saying that I would like a "watered-down" version of either, but I don't think that The Getaway is watered down. McQueen is not exactly a censur and his twist on the film has a flavor of its own. So it's a Jim Thompson novel that is lightened up and filled with action... So it's a Peckinpah film that is easier on the eyes and nerves... So what? It's still awesome.
