Review of The Getaway (1972) by Alex R — 04 Jun 2014

Sam Peckinpah's visceral direction was unique in the sense that he always managed to craft pictures that were riveting, tense, brutal and exciting. Often imitated, but never matched, Peckinpah's was a director that knew how to successfully craft a picture that struck a chord with its audience, and he always managed to steadily build up the tension.

I've previously only seen Straw Dogs, and that film was a highly memorable picture that was hard to forget. That is the case with The Getaway, managing to be a riveting cinematic experience with effective, pulse pounding direction from a standout director and elevated by a powerful cast that is headed by the late great Steve McQueen, who delivers one of his finest performances of his career.

What makes the Getaway work so well is the taut direction, the steady pace of the story that takes its time to set things up so that you are drawn more and more into the film, and the great performances.

The Getaway manages to be a riveting heist picture, one that ranks among the finest in the genre, as well as being one of the classics that has yet to be matched. Peckinpah is a skilled craftsman when it comes to making great movies, and with this film, he pulls out every trick to create something that is highly engaging from start to finish.

The Getaway is a tense, action packed thriller, one that is a standout picture well worth your time. I very much enjoyed this picture and I highly recommend this film to anyone looking for a blistering heist film to watch.

With effective direction, and memorable action and phenomenal performances The Getaway is one of the finest heist films ever filmed. Sam Peckinpah is a director who can successfully construct something memorable using the simplest of ideas.

If you break down this picture, it's that complex, but it's a film that is brilliantly executed due to a sharp script, great cast and sharp direction.