Review by Jack Kost.
Sam!
Rewrite the opening reel! Crush the little bastard in the first act!
–
Peter O'Toole, as Eli Cross.
I
love movies, so a movie that also involves the movie-making process in the
plot, is a definite draw.
The
Stunt Man
(1980) was directed by Richard Rush, released in the United States on June 27,
1980, and adapted from the novel of the same title, by Paul Brodeur, published
in 1970.
The
story is a combination of genres: action, drama, crime, and offbeat comedy.
Cameron
(Steve Railsback), is a wanted man, a fugitive on the run from the police and
FBI, for a crime that remains unspecified until later in the story.
Narrowly
evading capture at a roadside diner, he stumbles onto a movie set, where a
World War I battle scene is being filmed on the beach.
He
merges with the crowd, as we hear an excerpt from Dusty Springfield’s song Bits
and Pieces, tipping us off that the fugitive and viewer are now “in a world
where nothing is what it seems”.
Cameron’s
next attempt to put distance between himself and the pursuing law results in
the death of the movie stuntman, Burt (Michael Railsback).
As
Cameron runs again, he’s seen by the movie director, Eli Cross (Peter O’Toole),
hovering next to the bridge in his chopper.
Burt’s
death puts them both in a dangerous situation: if the police discover Burt’s
death, they will close down the movie set and Eli will be arrested.
Cameron
will also be caught.
They
strike up an uneasy pact: Eli will provide Cameron refuge and sanctuary within
the movie set, so long as Cameron takes Burt’s place as the stunt man.
Cameron
accepts because he has no other choice.
Local
police chief, Jake (Alex Rocco), is hanging around constantly looking for Eli
to make a slip.
Cameron
has an intimate relationship with Nina Franklin (Barbara Hershey), the lead
actress on the movie.
There
is a revealing moment to the almost surreal atmosphere and collective
make-believe mindset of the world Cameron finds himself embroiled in.
As
he carries Nina out of the water, and she makes believe that she is being
rescued, Cameron remarks that it’s just like in the movies.
Nina
replies: “I am the movies.”
The
romance between Cameron and Nina sparks jealousy in Eli; he was once in a brief
relationship with Nina, adding more tension to the suspicion he and Cameron
have for each other.
There
are several impressive set pieces to this movie.
In
particular Cameron’s first stunt involving a jump between two high buildings.
Not
a job for anyone suffering from vertigo.
The
stunt includes a rooftop chase and a fall into an enemy occupied brothel.
Stunt
men run, tumble over each other, and fall from the roof, in a long and
skillfully filmed scene achieved in a pre-CGI age.
Cameron
got more than he bargained for.
Already
feeling trapped and afraid that his cover will be blown, Cameron’s paranoia is
compounded with fear that the director may be psychotic, unconcerned about
safety, and will stop at nothing to get his movie completed – even if it means
Cameron will also die during a perilous stunt.
Or
maybe it’s Eli’s way of getting rid of Cameron, so he could have a second
chance of being with Nina.
Cameron
refuses to divulge what his crime is, and Eli uses this during an argument with
Nina, when he expresses remorse about losing her:
“Jesus
Christ, woman! Can’t you see the man is reeking with blood?!”
Steve
Railsback is effectively nervous and twitchy as Cameron, a fish out of water,
feeling cornered and paranoid.
It’s
easy to empathize and share his bewilderment, as the stunts he performs become
increasingly dangerous.
There
are moments that surprise the viewer as much as they do Cameron, as stunts are
replayed from a different angle, revealing the cameras and crew, and the
movie-effects tricks.
But
this is easily Peter O’Toole’s movie.
In
a role that seems written specifically for him, he commands every scene, just
as his character, Eli Cross, commands the movie set.
The
best lines are reserved for Eli, as he uses his fast-talking skills of
persuasion on Cameron:
“Did
you not know that King Kong the first was just three-foot-six-inches tall?
He
only came up to Fay Wray’s belly button.
If
God could do the tricks that we can do, He’d be a happy man!”
Eli
is tyrannical, grandiose, and hilarious.
He
can be comical and cruel, particularly in his manipulation of Nina, using an
embarrassing incident during the showing of dailies to evoke a genuine reaction
of shame he can capture in a scene.
Dominic
Carmen Frontiere’s music score is both majestic and light-hearted, adding a fun
and at times epic feel to the events.
The
scene with Eli Cross arriving on set, stepping off the chopper, makes him seem
like a giant walking the earth.
In
Eli’s mind, as the director, he is a giant among men, and the movie set is his
world, a realm he rules, with everyone there to follow and serve as he
commands.
When
not hovering over them in his chopper, he’s above them on his camera crane, or
standing on bridges, a king overseeing his kingdom.
The
director as dictator, or maybe even a demon – as the poster art suggests:
The
stunts and action scenes are impressive.
The
script, by Lawrence B. Marcus, is intelligent and humorous.
The
uneasy partnership between Cameron and Cross is well developed, with smart and
funny interchanges between Eli and his crew, particularly his lead actor,
Raymond Bailey (Adam Roarke), assistant, Ace (Philip Bruns), hair stylist,
Denise (Sharon Farrell) and long-suffering writer, Sam (Allen Garfield).
On
a trivia note: the clip of the final stunt, when the Duesenberg car hits the
water, was included in the opening credit montage of the TV show, The Fall
Guy (1981-86), starring Lee Majors.
Keep
watching after the end credits roll, to hear Eli Cross’ final hilarious
declaration.
Among
my other “movies about making movies” favorites are:
Hooper (1978), Blow Out
(1981), The Hard Way (1991), Ed Wood (1994), Adaptation (2002),
and The Disaster Artist (2017).
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I
also recommend director Richard Rush’s earlier hilariously off-beat action
comedy: Freebie and the Bean (1974), starring James Caan, Alan Arkin,
Loretta Swit, Valerie Harper, Alex Rocco, Mike Kellin, and Paul Koslo.
One
of the best in the cop buddy movie genre.
Similarly,
Freebie and the Bean didn’t do well on its release, but has since gained
much-deserved admiration.
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The
Stunt Man
is a movie within a movie, a story within a story, fiction within fiction.
Superbly
shot, entertaining and unforgettable.
A
multi-layered story that improves with repeat viewings, and a must-see for any
movie-buff who, like me, loves movies.
Eli
Cross perfectly sums up the movie world to Cameron and the viewer, as if Eli is
both director and usher, standing outside the cinema auditorium, beckoning us
all into his world:
“That
door is the looking glass … and inside it is Wonderland.”
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