FINDING STEVE McQUEEN
US, 2019, 91 minutes, Colour.
Travis Kimmel, Rachael Taylor, Forest Whitaker, William Fichtner, Louis Lombardi.
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson.
Film buffs will be alerted to the title, their memories of an admiration for actor, Steve McQueen. The emphasis in this film is on his role in 1968’s Bullitt (posters seen throughout the film).
The reason for the title is that the central character, Harry John Baker, played with blue-eyed ingenuousness by Travis Fimmel, has a passion for Steve Mc Queen, signing any business deals, bookings, taxis, with the name, Steve Mc Queen.
In 90 minutes, there are three stories intertwined, a straightforward narrative where Harry sits in the diner, eating deserts, explaining to his girlfriend, Molly Murphy, Rachael Taylor, the truth about his life and his past. Which provides the occasion for quite a number of flashbacks.
First of all, there is the planning of a burglary in California by a group of friends in Youngstown, Ohio, led by the uncle, played by William Fictner. They are reality group, going to California to rob a bank where they know that there are millions of dollars deposited in secret funds by Richard Nixon. This is the late 1960s, early 1970s – and with references to films including Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather.
And there are flashbacks to the robbery, well-planned in getting into the bank, the contents not being exactly what was hoped for.
Another story is that of the FBI pursuing the robbers, especially in the form of an agent played by Forest Whitaker. FBI authorities from DC also appear, including W Mark Felt, indicating his own investigations into the Watergate burglaries (with references, images on television, articles by Woodward and Bernstein), who later was revealed as Deep Throat.
And then, there are the flashbacks to Harry escaping from arrest, breaking down in the country town, staying there, encountering Molly, falling in love, respected in the town, and her father the sheriff.
It emerges that Harry has informed the sheriff of who he is and that the FBI will be coming to arrest him after he has confessed to Molly.
Very little violence in the film although one of the criminals threatens to shoot the police. Rather, there is an atmosphere of general niceness about the proceedings. And, interestingly, the two central American characters are played by Australians, one from Echuca, the other from Tasmania!
1. Title? Arresting? Audience knowledge of Steve Mc Queen? His status, his career, his death at 50 in 1980? Screen persona, especially in Bullitt? References to the getaway? Bullet posters? Harry identifying with Mc Queen, using his name for purchases?
2. The period, the late 60s, the early 70s, the late 70s? Youngstown Ohio, workplaces, homes? California, the bank, the beach situation, the rental house, the burglary? The FBI, on the road, offices? The small town, the streets, homes, picnics, the Vogue cinema, the diner?
3. The importance of the musical score, the wide range of songs from the late 60s, through the 70s, the background to characters and plot?
4. The structure of the screenplay, the conversation between Harry and Molly in the diner? The flashbacks to Youngstown, the preparation for the burglary? The flashbacks to going to California, the house, surveillance, the various flashbacks to the robbery itself? The story of the FBI and the pursuit? The aftermath of the burglary, everybody going home, back to Youngstown and eventual arrest? Harry and his brother, the background of Vietnam, the brother taken into custody? Harry driving, breaking down in the town, getting the job, staying there, his relationship with Molly? His finally telling her the truth?
5. Harry telling Molly the truth, her disbelief, his going over the story, his own perspective, a touch wide-eyed when he was young, driving, stealing cars, reckless chases with the police, but shrewd, knowing how to stop the battery, stealing it, torching the car? Participation in the robbery, his uncle relying on him?
6. The uncle, robberies, his skill in mending machines, clock? His vocabulary – and Harry not quite understanding? The other members of the group, Paulie, at home, tough and gruff? Tommy and the experience of Vietnam, at the factory? Ray, slick, professional criminal? The plan to rob the bank?
7. The anti-Nixon screenplay? The uncle and his powerful rant against Nixon, crook, Vietnam, war atrocities…? The deposit in the bank, unable to be traced? The irony of the deposits by Colson, his baseball card book, yet the address for Cayman Islands offshore accounts?
8. The visit to California, so different from Ohio, the beach and the palms, the luxuries house, the hot tub?
9. The plan for the burglary, the several visits to the bank, the group carrying the ladder, the plan, the alarm, the explosives, the boxes, the contents? The frustration of the contents?
10. The FBI, Lambert, at work locally, the Washington agents arriving, W Mark Felt, his role, secrecy, (and his being Woodward and Bernstein’s contact, Deep Throat, his referring Howard to the article, promoting Howard to DC)? Howard and his assistant, awkward, encouraging her, the research, the information about Colson, Howard persevering over the
years, tracking down Harry, the arrest in the street?
11. Harry, his life in the town, Molly, tough, Bonnie and Clyde, romanticising criminals, the bond with Harry, meeting her parents, her father the sheriff, Harry with the kids at the picnic, working at the bar, his happy life? Molly, his confession, her make up like Debbie Harry, disbelief, listening, not wanting him to go, saying she would wait?
12. A quiet blend of burglary, FBI investigation, romance?
