The Getaway, a love story about a broken couple by Sam Peckinpah

What is the “masculinity” that McQueen emits?

In contrast to Newland, some criticize McQueen in The Getaway for his lack of masculinity. In his 1975 book Boys in Love (Hachiyosha), Yuji Konno praises McQueen's sexiness as an actor, but criticizes his collaborations with Peckinpah in Junior Bonner (1972) and The Getaway . He claims that these two films are completely devoid of McQueen's usual suffocating masculinity. I was perplexed by this lament. Did Peckinpah, who is supposed to be a master of "men's films," fail to project masculinity? Is The Getaway a film that symbolizes machismo, or not?

The film "The Getaway" was a major commercial success among Peckinpah's filmography. Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, who played the married couple, also got married after co-starring in the film (they later divorced). The film was based on a novel by Jim Thompson. However, Thompson himself rejected the first draft of the screenplay for being "too dark." Walter Hill took over the script, and the finished film was largely free of the grimness and hopelessness of the original novel, and the final scene was changed to a happy ending.

“The Getaway” ©2007 Warner Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

McQueen plays Doc McCoy, who is in prison for bank robbery. Unable to endure life in prison, Doc approaches Benyon, a powerful local politician, through his wife Carol to make a deal. In exchange for his release, Doc will help Benyon plan a robbery. After being released, Doc reunites with Carol and, together with his buddies Rudy and Jackson, attacks a local bank. However, just after they get the money, Rudy kills Jackson and points a gun at Doc. Doc, sensing Rudy's betrayal, shoots him instead and visits Benyon to pay the promised money. However, he learns the shocking truth that his wife had an affair with Benyon. Wanted, Doc and Carol continue on the run, but the feud between them over their past with Benyon remains. Rudy, who narrowly escaped death, pursues the two, burning with revenge.

If you look at the story alone, it's a proper crime movie. Spectacular explosions, gunfire scenes, and car action are depicted to the fullest, making full use of Peckinpah's specialty slow motion. However, the drama between Doc, who has just been released from prison, and starting his next job (a bank robbery) is like a romance novel. Fresh from prison, Doc seems somewhat insecure and keeps a certain distance between himself and Carol. In other McQueen movies, the moment he gets home, he would strip his wife naked and pull her into his muscular arms. Not Doc McCoy. After sitting in bed with her, he confesses, "I don't know if I can satisfy you now. My long time in prison has made me lose my confidence as a man." Carol strongly encourages her dejected husband, saying that he'll be fine if he leaves it to her, and the two finally collapse into bed. The next morning, Doc is in a good mood and prepares breakfast for the two of them in the kitchen. It's a far cry from hard-boiled.

``The Getaway'' is a love story about a couple getting back together.