‘Double-ought buck’

The Getaway

Pure fun this scene, a great moment of tension that recalls much of the dead straight talking of No Country for Old Men. The scenes of buying a gun in that movie certainly seem to pay homage to McQueen’s doc in this masterpiece from Peckinpah, easily one of my favourite directors (if I could just pick a single scene from Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia then it’d be up here in a second…

The scene itself is as simple as could be, Doc (Steve McQueen) and Carol (Ali McGraw) are on the run following their betrayal after a bank robbery. As the tension between them mounts they turn into a small town to pick up a radio. Doc see’s his face on the TV and then the fun really begins.
There’s something special here in the details. Doc turning off one TV then seeing his face on many more, realising how foolish he’s been to come into town. The police car being destroyed by shotgun fire, splitting into pieces as it’s really hit by the shot. His calm ordering of the shotgun in the gun shot. Finally there’s the wonderful fall at the end of the clip, as Doc is taken by surprise and crashes to the floor.

It really feels like the tension between McGraw and McQueen plays out here with Doc and Carol, and unlike many films that try to introduce ‘real’ moments here we see a man falling over who looks pissed off about it for real. I’ve never bothered to check but I like to think that this was a real moment luckily captured on film.

All in all, it’s a great moment in a film I’d highly recommend. Doc and Carol make a wonderful couple throughout the film – perhaps it’s only problem is the easy and abusive sexism of Al Lettieri as Rudy Butler. There’s something horribly casual about his cuckolding of a Vet’s wife and her easy acceptance of a violent man’s interest. It could have been played with a lot less sexism – but then again Peckinpah isn’t exactly well known for his understanding viewpoints.

Regardless of this though (the issues certainly don’t feature in this scene) it’s a movie well worth tracking down. Enjoy the clip.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vVxGesu8EGU