The Getaway - Ihre Chance ist gleich null

Mit dem Auto, mit dem Zug, zu Fuß, mit einem Müllwagen (aber nicht in der Fahrerkabine)… Menschenskind, was für eine Flucht. Es haben nur noch ein Flugzeug, ein Schiff und ein Fahrrad gefehlt – dann wäre die Liste der Verkehrsmittel komplett. In diesem Film findet man alle Grunderkennungsmerkmale von Sam Peckinpah – einen tollen Vorspann, verschiedene Aufnahmen in Zeitlupe, eine Western-Stimmung, Schießereien und ein Hotel-Finale, Figuren, die nicht ganz positiv sind, Frauen, die das Drehbuch nicht gerade mit Samthandschuhen anfasst, Slim Pickens… Ich weiß nicht genau, was in Getaway gefehlt hat. Das sofortige Gefühl der Perfektion wie bei anderen Werken von Peckinpah hatte ich diesmal aber nicht. ___ PS: Die Musik von Quincy Jones ist manchmal sehr seltsam, aber im Endeffekt gut. (01.02.2012)

Eine ausgezeichnete Unterhaltung. Schwungvoll, witzig und sympathisch amoralisch. Die Chemie zwischen Steve McQueen und Ali MacGraw funktioniert ausgezeichnet. Alec Baldwin und Kim Basinger im Remake aus dem Jahr 1994 waren bei weitem nicht so gut! Fünf Sterne hat der Film aber nicht verdient, dazu müsste er mehr Herz haben – wie z. B. Peckinpahs ähnlicher Film Bring mir den Kopf von Alfredo Garcia. Der ist aber nicht so schwungvoll. (06.07.2005)

Another entry to the series of brisk, entertaining and rather raw crime films that the 70s are famous for. Sam Peckinpah delivers another piece of brilliant filmmaking, telling the story of a married couple fleeing with a good chunk of money as nonchalantly as no one could today. Apart from the chases and shootouts, it is the relationship between McQueen and MacGraw that dominates the film, and their action scenes have their own specific charm. An excellent final shootout and a number of brilliant plot twists, such as following the stolen money on the train, make this crime drama a unique spectacle that is still good to watch today. 80% (16.03.2012)

“Let’s do it my way." A wrongly passed-over movie from the best chauvinist, alcoholic and junkie director ever. The atmosphere of the Deep South absolutely reeks through the screen, the music is incredibly way-out (although fully functional) and Peckinpah pulled all he had out his “trademark" back pocket. Slow-motion sequences, chases, shoot-outs and a western feeling. And Steve McQueen. The King of Cool is so rough and gritty here that sandpaper would feel like your mother’s soft hand stroking you in comparison. And co-starring with Ali MacGraw also proved to be a stroke of genius. Such chemistry in a movie happens just once a decade (this is thanks to her being so real in this movie): McQueen’s loving gazes at his movie (and later real-life) wife standing by an empty closet or when buying a car really got me. Although the first half is a class better than the second, that doesn’t mean at all that the rest was bad. In fact, if it were any better, my TOP 10 would crumble in its foundations. Peckinpah proves his genius in all its beauty at the very beginning. Probably no prison movie has better conveyed the atmosphere of routine, boredom and memories of life outside as Sam did in the couple of minutes of prolog. I had better not enthuse too much about the “bathing" scene after his release. It’s just the best thing he ever made. But that’s all irrelevant. The main thing is that Steve has a suit that suits, a shotgun and a hotel that will need a thorough renovation after his visit. P.S. Lucky that the originally hired Bogdanovich didn’t get his hands on this in the end. (12.02.2008)

The Getaway is another movie that the great series The Offer led me to. And in this case, I definitely didn't regret it because it was an excellent thriller. The gun action scenes haven't aged well; however, what bothered me more were the occasional logic holes. Although I have never approached a bank counter with a weapon and made demands incompatible with the law, I would take care of the security guy first if I had such an urge. The crew felt the same way about it but then came the nonsense with the freely available revolver. I get that it made things easier for Mr. Peckinpah, but I wasn't impressed. However, as I have already mentioned, besides similar logical flaws, I really enjoyed the film. Besides the charismatic Doc McCoy and the beautiful Carol McCoy, I also liked Harold, the vet whose life didn't treat him well. / Lesson learned: You won't find a worse place for a shootout with the police than Texas. (26.03.2023)