Carter “Doc” McCoy has been in jail for the past four years for armed robbery. Despite his model behavior in prison, he is denied parole, thanks to less-than-honest Jack Benyon, a local businessman who has strings within the system. During a visit from his wife, Carol, Doc tells her to go see Benyon, and do whatever necessary to get him out of jail. She does just that- sleeping with Benyon in the process, unbeknowest to Doc. He is quickly released from jail, and reunited with Carol. He later meets with Benyon, who demands his assistance in yet another bank robbery.
Enter two more criminals via Benyon- Rudy and Frank, who work alongside Doc. The robbery goes off as planned, with a bank guard being killed in the process. Rudy kills Frank, while Doc escapes with all of the money. Rudy meets up with Doc, and pulls a gun on him. Doc shoots him several times, leaving him for dead. Doc and Carol head for Benyon’s house, where they will divide the money. Carol, to Doc’s confusion, does not want to see Benyon. She waits in the car as Doc goes inside. During their meeting, Benyon reveals the truth. He has no intention of sharing the money, Doc is going back to prison- and he slept with Carol. As Benyon confesses about their tryst, Carol shoots him to death. An infuriated Doc grabs the money, as he and Carol to head for the Mexican border, with Rudy, the police, and Benyon’s men in hot pursuit of them.
“The Getaway” is your classic cops and robbers story. Filmed in Texas, it stars matinee idol and “king of cool” Steve McQueen as Doc McCoy. Although Doc is a wanted bank robber, you find yourself in his corner. His character is one you easily sympathize with. His request for parole is rejected for no reason, he is being used and set up to take the fall again in a second robbery, and discovers his wife cheated on him, even if it was for his benefit. He is not a bad man at heart. Throughout the film, you are rooting for he and Carol to successfully make it to the border. Carol is played by the lovely, elegant Ali McGraw, fresh from the blockbuster “Love Story”. Carol, for the most part, is a loving, submissive wife. She does not have a very strong personality, nor is she her own person outside of her marriage to Doc. She will do anything for him, which explains her having had sex with Jack Benyon.
The issue of sex plays a dominant role in this movie. After his release from prison, Doc and Carol arrive back home. In a tender scene, Doc admits having difficulty preparing himself to be physically intimate with Carol. She tells him they have “lots of time”. The two eventually make love. Of course, there is the sexual encounter of Carol and Benyon, plus the affect it has on the marriage of Doc and Carol. Initially, he slaps her several times. Throughout the middle of the film, there is an invisible barrier between the two. The sole thing which binds them together is being on the run. Meanwhile, bad guy Rudy comes upon the home of Harold, a veterinarian, and his young wife, Fran. He orders them to drive him to El Paso in their car. Along the way, she and Rudy begin an affair, sleeping together constantly in front of Harold. This greatly decreases his self-esteem, and feelings of manhood. He has no power of his wife or his marriage, and eventually hangs himself.
The character of Fran, played by Sally Struthers, who was starring on “All in the Family” at the time, stands out in the film. She is painfully foolish and naive, quickly taken in by the violent Rudy. She has no remorse for her treatment of Harold, portrayed by Jack Dodson. Fran is a lot younger than her husband, and has been living in a rural setting with he and their animals. Rudy is exciting to her. He’s younger and daring. She mistakenly tries to trade Harold for Rudy, thinking he wants to have a life with her, when all along she is being used.
The other characters in the film include minor characters with no depth to them, including the hotel manager in El Paso, and Benyon’s brother, Cully. They basically have the same demeanor- rough rednecks, who talk very little. Texas was the ideal location for this film, with its wide open spaces. The score, composed by Quincy Jones, perfectly fits the tone of the movie.
A lot of the dialogue in this movie is frank and quick, straight to the point. To compensate, there is enormous body language and eye contact. The physical interaction between Doc and Carol is both reserved and passionate simultaneously. This is due to the real life, behind the scenes affair going on between Steve McQueen, and the married Ali McGraw. The looks and expressions the two share are riveting. They were not acting when it came to their intense attraction toward one another. In a scene which to this day could be seen as real or fantasy, the two visit a lake and dive in. Soaking wet, they play in the water, embrace, and share kisses. After the film was completed, Ali left her husband, producer Robert Evans, and married Steve McQueen. The marriage would last five years.
“The Getaway”, directed by Sam Peckinpah, keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. It thrives on bloodshed and guns, nor does it have the best acting, but the story itself keeps moving at a realistic, steady pace, leading up to an inevitable climax. The chemistry between Doc and Carol, and the layers within their relationship is the most intriguing aspect of the film. It would be one of the highest-grossing movies of 1972, Steve McQueen’s biggest hit since “Bullitt” in 1968. Although they were offered scripts for other films, the two would not work together again. I would have enjoyed seeing them in another movie.