THE GAUNTLET

US, 1977, 109 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.

If you don't take Clint Eastwood seriously, you will enjoy most of this film but think that in the multi-gun blazing finale, he has over-reached himself. If you do take him seriously, then you may at first wonder if he has gone off symbolism for showy action, until the action and dialogue
emerge as symbolic of U.S. political corruption, police work as administration of justice but also opportunity for legitimized brutality. Eastwood's slow-thinking Ben Shockley also emerges as a "Rocky" type, a semi-contented loser offered an opportunity to succeed when everyone expects him to fail. Interesting Eastwood message action.

1. A Clint Eastwood film and audience expectations? Character, persona? Macho, tough? A man who gets on with his job? The western tradition associated with Eastwood? Eastwood's work as actor, director? His working in the realm of authentic realism, American symbol?

2. The popularity of the police genre of the 70s? Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry and this tradition? A critique of the Dirty Harry tradition? The glorification of the police as well as the critique of corruption? The experience of the 1970s cover-ups and the effect of this on the police genre? How was this illustrated in The Gauntlet, realistically, symbolically?

3. The chase structure of the film, the sense of mission, the hero having to get through and achieve his job - especially when he was victimised and not expected to succeed? The Nevada and Arizona settings? The aura and overtones of the western as transferred to the urban settings of the 70s? How could this film be considered as a police western of the 20th. century?

4. Colour photography, Panavision? The presentation of Phoenix and the contrast with Las Vegas? The Nevada landscapes, desert, mountains? Arizona landscapes? The contrast of city and countryside? The opening and the emphasis on the urban setting? The end with the re-entry in triumph into Phoenix? The Jazz background giving a mood for an urban police story? The score throughout the film?

5. How realistic was the film? The plot? How far-fetched? The violence over-reaching itself? American style violence? Symbolic violence to make a point? This kind of outlandish violence as indicating the type of violence and cover-up exercised by authorities in America in the 70s?

6. Audience liking for violence? Mayhem and exaggeration? Special effects - for their own sake? The explosion of the car. the ambulance. the massive shooting down of the house, the car crashing on the border of Arizona.. the bus and the shooting in the gauntlet, the final killings? Real symbolic violence? To what purpose? America and its gun tradition? The wreaking of vengeance, the administration of justice?

7. The introduction to Ben Shockley within this context? The humour of the opening and Shockley as a slob, a police failure? Josephson and his contrasting fussiness? Their memories of being on the road together? The moving towards Blakelock and the emphasis on appearances? The commission, lack of information and the irony of its being a setup, Shockley as a loser while he thought himself a success? The challenge to rehabilitation and self respect? The making of an American hero? The symbol of the American hero down and out and yet rising to new success? An optimistic outlook?

8. Clint Eastwood's portrayal of Shockley? His familiar style and mannerisms? Shockley as a good man, his accounting of his memories of his youth, joining the police, hopes? His mediocrity? His efficiency and puzzle about not getting on? His obedience? The obedience and single-mindedness in the early part of the film. the raising of doubts especially by Gus? His police techniques e.g. in his dealing with the bikie group? This highlighting the effect of his disillusionment - especially with the discovery of the set-up on the border? Shockley as the ordinary man challenged and rising mightily to the challenge? The achievement and the build-up to it, the decision with Gus, the possible happy ending and union with her, personal integrity, the building up of the bus, the informing of the police force, the driving through Phoenix and the climactic? (With the ironic touch at the end - to avoid taking it too seriously?)

9. Las Vegas and its style, ethos? The Mob, gambling? The prison? Gus turning out to be a woman? The police at Las Vegas and their attitudes? The car, the ambulance, the shooting down of the house? Gus and her ability to see through all this, her continued warnings, her fears? The decision in the police car when the policeman was talking filthily and Gus reacting? The irony of his being killed? The effect of all this on Shockley especially his experience of the house collapsing, Gus' worldly wisdom and trying to cajole him, his amazement at her attitudes in the car? Her abuse of his intelligence and his acknowledging her superiority, his growing respect for her? His getting rid of the bikies - for himself, for her? The bike-riding and the helicopter pursuit, his using his wits more and more, the effect of the brutality with the bikies on the train? The telephone calls and his trust in Josephson? His being in the motel and coming to terms with himself and his future, the discreet love for Gus and the buying of the flowers etc.? The humorous irony of the hijacking of the bus, the preparation for the gauntlet? The overtones of the western in his going in and the shoot-out? His taking of Gus and delivering her, the insanity of the final expose and casualties? How had he been changed by this experience - of such short duration?

10. The character of Gus and her work as a prostitute, Las Vegas, her foul language, her comments on being able to wash clean which the police could not do? Her being in jail, her warning of Shockley, the betting? Taking him home, trying to use sex as persuasion? Her phone call to her mother and its humorous irony? Her educational background, her intelligence, her working out what would happen at the border, her fear of the snakes? The admiration for Shockley and his respect for her? Her response to his treatment of her at the motel? Her deciding to go in at the end, her experiencing the gauntlet? Her fear that he was dead?

11. The theme of intelligence, of integrity? The love story in a violent setting? Themes of morality and standards, double standards - especially with Blakelock and his background, power, sexual aberration, league with the District Attorney, turning the police against a fellow officer? His cover-up, ultimate madness and desperation? The Phoenix police force and its corruption as a microcosm of American corruption?

12. The Phoenix police - Josephson and integrity and yet his lying dead on the road? Blakelock and his power, the District Attorney and his ready betrayal at the end? The role of the police force - its power and possible corruption? An appropriate critique?

13. The bikies, the ageing bikies and their love for their bikes, poses of violence? Drugs? Shockley's handling of them? The violence and bashing in the train?

14. The helicopter chase and its spectacle and danger? The bus riding the gauntlet and its danger?

15. Themes of sexuality as illustrated by Gus - and the irony of the filthy talk by the policeman?

16. Critics considered this one of the best films of 1977. Why?