Convoy (1978)
“They’ve got a language all their own.”
Synopsis: |
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review: Near the beginning of the film — after Kristofferson and MacGraw meet-cute: — we’re shown a western-style barroom brawl taking place in a cafe: … and are introduced to Borgnine’s evil sheriff, who doesn’t seem to have a particularly good reason for spending the rest of the movie relentlessly chasing after Rubber Duck. DVD Savant provides an especially excoriating review of this flick, noting: “Convoy was such a joke when it came out (at least in California) that Savant never saw it. A commercial trifle built around car crashes and a then current Trucker/C.B. Radio craze, it’s a dated eyesore attempting to cash in on various rube fads.” Andrew Sarris of the Village Voice was similarly disappointed, asserting that “Convoy is not merely a bad movie but a terrible movie” given that “anyone can make a bad movie” but “only a misguided talent can manage to be terrible.” While it has its fans, there really isn’t a whole lot here for most film fanatics to hold on to. Be forewarned. Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: Must See? Links: |
One thought on “Convoy (1978)”
First viewing (2/7/21). Not must-see; only for Peckinpah completists (even though, reportedly, a lot of the film was directed by James Coburn).
The film does feel dated. It has a thin idea which the film spends all of its time stretching. (To its credit, it also throws in a valid idea about protest against the government – which sadly continues to resonate today.)
There was apparently another approx. 90 minutes of film that editor Graeme Clifford was asked to remove (causing Peckinpah to disown the film) – but, even at its final running time, this thing feels really long and only mildly engaging (even if we do get trademark Peckinpah touches like a brawl, a truck chase, a town bust-up and an explosive finish).
Kristofferson’s very-low-flame performance offers little and MacGraw here is particularly flat and boring (in her defense, it isn’t much of a role).
It was Peckinpah’s biggest commercial success – which doesn’t surprise at all, considering how generic it is.