Imagine all the clichés of early 70s road movies rolled into one. A sub-par Bonnie and Clyde gang; a maverick sheriff who clashes with his by-the-book superior; a series of incompetent Dukes-of-Hazzard-style police chases. You've got yourself the plot of DMCL.
Add to that the early 70s obsession with being gritty. The actual robbery sequence (stealing money from Roddy McDowall's safe while holding his family at gunpoint) is far nastier than it could have been and makes us lose all sympathy for the robbers. Strangely the film then carries on as if this hasn't happened and mostly (up until the "shock" ending) treats the characters in a light-hearted way. We're supposed to be on their side, despite one of them (with the complete approval of the other) having broken into someone's home, pulled a woman violently from the shower and held her and her daughter in a state of fear at gunpoint, then tied them up and left them, while McDowall is frantic about what has happened to them. There is even a threat that the child would be hurt if necessary. And he is shown as being the "good guy" of the gang!
Susan George is oddly miscast as Mary. She unfortunately speaks an unpleasant accent (when she has such a good speaking voice normally). I have no idea why she is dirty, however.
Peter Fonda is Larry, and to be fair, it is easy to see why he is 'crazy'. Mary is initially attracted to Larry but curiously seems to favour the third gang member (ie the house breaker) later after he gallantly defends her.
The dialogue is either very banal or expositional and the action is the semi-comic no-one-really-gets-hurt car carnage common of the era.
The "shock" ending is heavily telegraphed long before it happens and only seems to be there, like the robbery, be make the film look weightier than it actually is.
Add to that the early 70s obsession with being gritty. The actual robbery sequence (stealing money from Roddy McDowall's safe while holding his family at gunpoint) is far nastier than it could have been and makes us lose all sympathy for the robbers. Strangely the film then carries on as if this hasn't happened and mostly (up until the "shock" ending) treats the characters in a light-hearted way. We're supposed to be on their side, despite one of them (with the complete approval of the other) having broken into someone's home, pulled a woman violently from the shower and held her and her daughter in a state of fear at gunpoint, then tied them up and left them, while McDowall is frantic about what has happened to them. There is even a threat that the child would be hurt if necessary. And he is shown as being the "good guy" of the gang!
Susan George is oddly miscast as Mary. She unfortunately speaks an unpleasant accent (when she has such a good speaking voice normally). I have no idea why she is dirty, however.
Peter Fonda is Larry, and to be fair, it is easy to see why he is 'crazy'. Mary is initially attracted to Larry but curiously seems to favour the third gang member (ie the house breaker) later after he gallantly defends her.
The dialogue is either very banal or expositional and the action is the semi-comic no-one-really-gets-hurt car carnage common of the era.
The "shock" ending is heavily telegraphed long before it happens and only seems to be there, like the robbery, be make the film look weightier than it actually is.