8 Aug 2005, 12:29am
Writing
by David


Getaway / Empowering

Steve McQueen and Ali

McGraw are the bank robbers

that I love in this film. She’s

gorgeous, and he drives a car,

fast. I think it might be a

Mustang, or maybe a Corvette.

Or maybe I’m getting my films

confused. They walk out in a

hail of bullets. Now she’s his

accomplice. She has the key

and she gets in. There’s a little

betrayal. Still, it’s heroic when

they end up in Mexico. They

get out of the old man’s truck.

Terrible beginning. Something

bad broke. Made a terrible

smoke. An engine, maybe,

backfired. They listened to it

stir and stir and stir. Now they

are meeting over the counter.

Now they are playing robbers.

Who touched the muffler?

Who killed the girl in the

sunflower… dress? In the white

lace? Hopper could never

paint this well. Notice the

mechanic’s hand, big

as the sun’s reflection.