The Last Run (1971)

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Director Richard Fleischer’s 1971 film ‘The Last Run‘ remains a relatively unknown but extremely cool gangster / road trip movie. The plot is straightforward; a former ‘wheelman’ getaway driver for the Chicago mob has given up ‘the life’ and retired to Portugal. He lives in a quiet town, own a fishing trawler, frequents a specific Portuguese prostitute… and is so disenfranchised with life that he’s resigned himself to waiting for death.

After nine years in self-imposed isolation, the protagonist comes out of retirement for one last job to see if he’s still got it. A dangerous prisoner has broken out of prison, and the job is to transport him and his pretty young girlfriend across the border to France without attracting attention of the authorities while running from gangsters that want them all dead. Along the way, personal entanglements twist the story and the relationship between the trio.

The protagonist drives a wicked 1957 BMW 503 Cabriolet with an alloy body by coachbuilder ‘Baur Stuttgart’ and is powered by a 3.2L BMW overhead valve V8 with an aftermarket supercharger hiding under the hood. So, is the ‘car the star’ of this movie? The very Italian looking drop-top is a close second, but George C. Scott absolutely gets top billing on this film.

Some reviews describe ‘The Last Run‘ as a European version of existentialist film ‘Vanishing Point‘ which uses driving scenes in a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T as a way for the protagonist to search for purpose in a meaningless world; an accurate comparison.

More specifically ‘The Last Run‘ is a character study of a man, closer to the end of life than the beginning, who is wracked with guilt and sorrow over the loss of his family and his poor life decisions. Powerhouse actor George C. Scott is known for his portrayal of stern but complex authority figures like US General George S. Patton in the 1970 movie ‘PATTON‘ for which he won, and refused, an Oscar for his performance.

He absolutely dominates the screen every time he’s on it, and the other actors become merely set decoration by comparison. Still, it’s tough to not picture Scott as General Patton, since that roll was so iconic. As an audience we wonder how Patton is gong to fit in the little BMW roadster with those big britches on.

On the issue of typecasting, the Portuguese prostitute is played by Coleen Dewhurst, the mom from ‘Anne of Green Gables‘. Canadians who grew up on those films will find it difficult to see matriarch Marilla Cuthbert out of her modest dress and shawl, and tarted-up like a hooker. Interestingly, George C. Scott was married to his co-star Colleen Dewhurst from 1960 – 1965, then divorced and re-married from 1967-1972. After shooting of ‘The Last Run‘ the couple were divorced again, and conveniently George C. Scott married the pretty 29-year-old co-star from the movie, Trish Van Devere!

Bottom line is ‘The Last Run‘ is a a fun car caper with a strong cast and excellent performances. The young couple on the run become a substitute family for the hero, and similar to the Nicolas Winding Refn film ‘Drive‘ where the lonely hero cares so much about characters he just met, that he puts his neck on the line to save them. Once again, it’s all about family.

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