ON THE RUN

Australia, 1983, 101 minutes, Colour.
Rod Taylor, Paul Winfield, Beau Cox.
Directed by Mende Brown.

On The Run is an Australian American co-production, directed by Mende Brown who made a number of short features in the late 60s in Australia including The Little Jungle Boy. The film has a good cast with Rod Taylor as an international assassin and Paul Winfield as an ex-convict living in Australia. Basically the plot is a clash between the two and Winfield taking Taylor's nephew and trying to protect him from being killed. The chase takes place in the Blue Mountains, with the climax in the beauty of the Megalong Valley. Routine but enjoyable.

I. Entertaining thriller? Chase? Australian backgrounds?

2. Colour photography, the Australian farms, towns, the use of the Blue Mountains scenery? Stunt work? Musical score?

3. The title, the focus on Harry and Paul? The pursuit of the killer?

4. The opening with the assassination, the establishing of Rod Taylor as an international assassin? His contacts, jobs? The irony of the men tracking him down and trying to blackmail him - and his killing them?

5. His base in Australia, the farm, the raising of the horses? His life style? Respectability and suggestions that he enters politics? His manner? His relationship with Harry? Having him to look after the house while he was away? The ruthlessness of his killings? His receiving his nephew? The boy witnessing the killings? The decision to kill him? The irony of his emotional reaction to the killing of the dogs? The pursuit, using the helicopter, tracking down Harry, the plan, the confrontation on the mountain, his death?

6. Harry, the memories of his past in the US, as a black child and prejudice, the Klu Klux Klan and the siege of the house, the execution of his brother, imprisonment and escape? His bitterness? In Australia, his working with the killer, knowing the truth, working with the horses? Meeting Paul, friendship with him, Paul seeing him as a Father? His talking - and Paul's inability to understand? Taking him away, his devices for escaping, fighting with the assassin, taking the truck, the crash with train, on the train, stealing of the car, the encounter with the dwarf, taking the car? The bond between the two? The fight with Harry the fight with the assassin, his surviving?

7. Paul, the death of his mother, not speaking English, the woman taking him to his Uncles? Friendship with Harry? Bewilderment? The deaths, his participation in the escape? His being saved by Harry?

8. The incidental characters: the man killed, the blackmailing assassins and their death? The woman who bought Paul to his uncle? The dwarf Carsella and his talk about minorities?

9. The use of the scenery, the Australian background, Flora and fauna - Kookaburras?

10. Routine action adventure? Stereotyped characters - but enjoyable thriller?