Review of Smokey and the Bandit (1977) by Dominic H — 13 Jul 2009

Yes a film with a 77 Trans Am is perhaps dated. Especially since GM is shutting Pontiac down and the Trans Am was discontinued in 2002. But what it was at the time was a film at the forefront of the change in tide of entertainment. The film industry in the late 70's was turning around from the dismal box office performances of the late 60's and early 70's with better acting, adult situations and humor (some tame by today standards) and a lot better effects and stunts. Even a low budget film like Bandit was still considerably better funded than a single episode of a highly rated television series. Therefor the production value was higher than a TV series. Movies like Smokey and the Bandit were what the studios needed to get viewers away from the television set. TV which had taken away a lot of the allure of Movies in the 50's and 60's couldn't compete with these new action driven films of the late 70's.

In terms of stunts, and locals, Bandit was sprawling, being filmed on highways, small towns through out the South. As well through woods, over actual creeks, and tearing up Baseball fields with kids present and where the stunt almost got out of hand and came close to running into bystanders. It would still be a couple years before TV could attempt a catch up with shows like Dukes of Hazzard, A-Team, and Knight Rider among a great many other pale imitators. Certainly crime movies, and Bond films had car chase scenes, as did cop shows on TV, but they were for the most part were solitary and abbreviated segments of action and not through the entire length of the film like Bandit. Perhaps only Bullit, with the excellent chase scenes with the Mustang and hilly San Francisco streets, could measure up to Bandit's fast paced action. Even at that time Bond pictures, and other higher profile movies and television programming, were using closed in sets and blue screens to simulate car driving scenes. A practice that had been in use in Hollywood since the golden era.

However, what also captured the audience in the late 70's was the return of FUN. Like Star Wars (also released in 1977) movies were once more allowed to be light hearted entertainment and joyous romps of escapism. It was a welcome change from the dower serious melodramas, blood soaked horror voyeurisms, or violent and sometimes disturbing anti-hero movies that directors like Martin Scorcesses were turning out. Unlike most films of the era this film didn't strive to be more than what it was (which was a car stunt movie with little or no script), it didn't try to go for an Oscar, instead it focused on doing what it was suppose to be doing and do it better than anyone before (and few has done since). Where it was weak (the script) the actors improvised humorous dialogue and the director and editor were creative with visual gags.

Maybe it was just simpleton entertainment for the rural peasants of the South, to trick them out of there money. After all that is what some of the Hollywood bosses thought (according to a documentary on the Special Edition DVD) when originally only considered releasing it in the South. But the film's appeal grew and spread like wildfire across the entire nation back in 1977. I can not speak for the twenty and younger crowd but for everyone else Smokey and the Bandit is a good time and a good laugh.