Ben Shockley is the cop and Gus Malley the witness he's assigned to escort from Las Vegas to Phoenix to testify in a mob trial. Sounds like a twice good premise for an old action-packed buddy movie. Only there's a twist, as you'd expect from a Clint Eastwood film. Gus is the diminutive for Augustine, she's a prostitute played by Eastwood's early muse, the late Sondra Locke. Escorting the escort-girl is a no less interesting way to pitch the film.
But while she's the typical hooker who developed a defensive disdain towards the male persuasion she's a college girl with enough intelligence and insights on men's proneness for corruption that she can see from the start that the odds for her to get to Phoenix are as thin as Ben's chances to become President. But Ben can't see it that way, his boss, the Chief of Police Blokeley (William Prince) gave him a job and it's certainly because he's the right man for it. It takes him a while to understand that it's a set-up, once he handles the truth and learn humility, he can handle the then-volatile woman, and learn respect.
"The Gauntlet" was released in 1977, as a director, Eastwood had done well in the Western genre and in his debut "Play Misty For Me", he demonstrated an acute instinct for picking the right actress for the right role; as the harassed DJ, he proved that he never hesitated to let women have the upper hand. Even one year before in "The Enforcer", Harry Callahan coached a new female partner (Tyle Daly), his patronizing approach was always motivated by the strong instinct to protect her, but always leaving a breech so she could put him in his place. The more macho he was, the more rewarding and powerful was that moment where he finally treated the woman like an equal. "The Gauntlet" is another fine continuation of that theme. Any lesser director would have turned that into a romance but Eastwood let the characters grow on us for their flaws before they grow on each other's heart for their strengths.
For most of the first act, Ben keeps making the wrong moves. He ignores the bet on Malley not showing at the trial, whose odds are escalating in less time than it takes to get it confirmed by a Vegas bookie. He understands the airport is a no-option, he asks for a rent car he was lucky enough to have it started by another cop, then after a frantic chase with an armed driver, he gets at Malley's house, he gives his location to his boss and a few minutes later, it's surrounded by police cars that turn the house into Swiss cheese in one of the most over-the-top and one-sided shootouts you'll see in a film. All leads up to the pivotal hi-jacking the car of a constable played by Bill McKinney (another usual partner of Eastwood). Ben had asked his chief to bring cars at the state limit. The ride is one of the best-written scenes in an Eastwood film.
After being taunted by the Constable about her being nothing less than a wh***, Malley gives him one hell of a "reasons you suck" speech. Maybe she belongs to the same rotten world but her conscience is crystal clear and her body virgin clean after a good bath, a corrupt cop can't afford that. That it makes the Constable screams in rage proves that she hit the right chord. Looking at Eastwood in that scene was another demonstration that it doesn't take him much lines to speak to understand his feelings, nor that it takes many bullets to prove his dangerousness (believe it or not, he fires only twice in the film). Ben starts to develop a certain feeling toward Malley and realizes that she may have a point. It's not about Police corruption (a recurring theme in the "Dirty Harry" films) but about the corrupting effect of power. Being at the bottom of the social hierarchy, Malley knows about power abuse maybe more than anyone.
And so she suspects an ambush, she doesn't beg Ben to leave, she only gives her opinion and saying "I'm a college girl" as if she was asking him not to dismiss her point only on behalf of her status. That's the spirit of "The Gauntlet", it's all about the way you label people and even a hardened cop can get a lesson from a woman of ill-repute. It still takes a while for the relationship to evolve, it takes time because Ben must also see that as much as he despised Malley, he overthought his status, he wasn't a cop finally given the big case, but a pawn as mediocre as his white-collar slob of a partner played by Pat Hingle, but more disposable. Who'd cry for the killing of a dirty, drunk and unshaven celibate?
Ironically, that epiphany only strengthened his conviction that he was after all the right man for the job and thus kicked his determination. He would deliver his witness and nothing wouldn't stop him, not a bunch of Hell's Angels, no chopper with gunmen armed to the teeth, not even a squad of policemen waiting for him in Phoenix for what is probably the most epic and disproportionate ambush ever. He's got no weapons, but what he's got is the love of Malley, his faith on his job and an intrepid tourist bus whose driver's seat is covered by a full-plate armor. Beating these odds becomes the redemptive quest for the two outcasts. And I couldn't resist their sweet talk before the climax, where Eastwood can finally show that smile make him look ten years younger.
The film's got everything: action, fighting and chase sequences but also sweet and tender moments between two individuals who've seen enough crap in their world to know how to get dirty without soiling their hearts, while crasser people know how to hide between gauntlets of respectability.
But while she's the typical hooker who developed a defensive disdain towards the male persuasion she's a college girl with enough intelligence and insights on men's proneness for corruption that she can see from the start that the odds for her to get to Phoenix are as thin as Ben's chances to become President. But Ben can't see it that way, his boss, the Chief of Police Blokeley (William Prince) gave him a job and it's certainly because he's the right man for it. It takes him a while to understand that it's a set-up, once he handles the truth and learn humility, he can handle the then-volatile woman, and learn respect.
"The Gauntlet" was released in 1977, as a director, Eastwood had done well in the Western genre and in his debut "Play Misty For Me", he demonstrated an acute instinct for picking the right actress for the right role; as the harassed DJ, he proved that he never hesitated to let women have the upper hand. Even one year before in "The Enforcer", Harry Callahan coached a new female partner (Tyle Daly), his patronizing approach was always motivated by the strong instinct to protect her, but always leaving a breech so she could put him in his place. The more macho he was, the more rewarding and powerful was that moment where he finally treated the woman like an equal. "The Gauntlet" is another fine continuation of that theme. Any lesser director would have turned that into a romance but Eastwood let the characters grow on us for their flaws before they grow on each other's heart for their strengths.
For most of the first act, Ben keeps making the wrong moves. He ignores the bet on Malley not showing at the trial, whose odds are escalating in less time than it takes to get it confirmed by a Vegas bookie. He understands the airport is a no-option, he asks for a rent car he was lucky enough to have it started by another cop, then after a frantic chase with an armed driver, he gets at Malley's house, he gives his location to his boss and a few minutes later, it's surrounded by police cars that turn the house into Swiss cheese in one of the most over-the-top and one-sided shootouts you'll see in a film. All leads up to the pivotal hi-jacking the car of a constable played by Bill McKinney (another usual partner of Eastwood). Ben had asked his chief to bring cars at the state limit. The ride is one of the best-written scenes in an Eastwood film.
After being taunted by the Constable about her being nothing less than a wh***, Malley gives him one hell of a "reasons you suck" speech. Maybe she belongs to the same rotten world but her conscience is crystal clear and her body virgin clean after a good bath, a corrupt cop can't afford that. That it makes the Constable screams in rage proves that she hit the right chord. Looking at Eastwood in that scene was another demonstration that it doesn't take him much lines to speak to understand his feelings, nor that it takes many bullets to prove his dangerousness (believe it or not, he fires only twice in the film). Ben starts to develop a certain feeling toward Malley and realizes that she may have a point. It's not about Police corruption (a recurring theme in the "Dirty Harry" films) but about the corrupting effect of power. Being at the bottom of the social hierarchy, Malley knows about power abuse maybe more than anyone.
And so she suspects an ambush, she doesn't beg Ben to leave, she only gives her opinion and saying "I'm a college girl" as if she was asking him not to dismiss her point only on behalf of her status. That's the spirit of "The Gauntlet", it's all about the way you label people and even a hardened cop can get a lesson from a woman of ill-repute. It still takes a while for the relationship to evolve, it takes time because Ben must also see that as much as he despised Malley, he overthought his status, he wasn't a cop finally given the big case, but a pawn as mediocre as his white-collar slob of a partner played by Pat Hingle, but more disposable. Who'd cry for the killing of a dirty, drunk and unshaven celibate?
Ironically, that epiphany only strengthened his conviction that he was after all the right man for the job and thus kicked his determination. He would deliver his witness and nothing wouldn't stop him, not a bunch of Hell's Angels, no chopper with gunmen armed to the teeth, not even a squad of policemen waiting for him in Phoenix for what is probably the most epic and disproportionate ambush ever. He's got no weapons, but what he's got is the love of Malley, his faith on his job and an intrepid tourist bus whose driver's seat is covered by a full-plate armor. Beating these odds becomes the redemptive quest for the two outcasts. And I couldn't resist their sweet talk before the climax, where Eastwood can finally show that smile make him look ten years younger.
The film's got everything: action, fighting and chase sequences but also sweet and tender moments between two individuals who've seen enough crap in their world to know how to get dirty without soiling their hearts, while crasser people know how to hide between gauntlets of respectability.