The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet (1977)

Runtime: 109 minutes

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney

From: Warner Brothers

This is a random watch I saw last night on Encore Action... although it made perfect sense to see this after the goofy film I watched last night, as both have similar plots and even share a few moments. Believe me, this is better than what I saw last night.

To steal the plot description from the IMDb: “A hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive.” Yes, bets literally happen. It's not really explained in the movie, so you shouldn't worry about it. Now, what I said about it on Letterboxd, with some added info:

This is one of the films that Eastwood did with his then-girlfriend Sondra Locke, where Clint is a mediocre alcoholic cop who has to drive a prostitute prisoner named Gus from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Turns out, “Gus” is Augustana Mally, a woman, and what he was told was a “simple matter” was something huge, to the point that people are placing odds on if she'll make it there or not.

And I do realize if you examine the story real closely, there are holes... not as many holes as the house or vehicles that get hundreds of bullets in them, but holes nonetheless; that said, I didn't care while watching it as the movie's a lot of fun. It's cool to see Clint do a parody of his indestructible Dirty Harry character, there are plenty of funny moments and the biggest asset is is the chemistry that Eastwood and Locke have with each other. It's great, and Gus being one tough sassy lady was appealing to me too.

While it doesn't always make sense, I had a lot of fun with the film overall; it starts off fast with no time wasted and the two stars literally going through a gauntlet of challenges as they meet up with some colorful (and sometimes foul-mouthed) characters, Bill McKinney as a Constable being the main example, spouting off disgusting questions to Gus about her profession. Nice chemistry, a simple and breezy story, and entertaining setpieces with a ridiculous of gunplay and bullets flying about... I enjoyed the movie.

I'll return tomorrow night.