MovieChat Forums > The Getaway (1972) Discussion > Wife slapping

Wife slapping

posted 13 years ago by rubenm
7 replies | jump to latest

I was mildly shocked by the scene where Doc slaps his wife, and she just lets him do it without any reaction whatsoever. I read in the trivia that's because the slapping wasn't scripted and MacGraw was genuinly surprised. Still, the fact that the scene made the movie, shows how even in '72 women were quite submissive. MacGraw lets herself get slapped, doesn't react and gets back into the car. Very remarkable, because she is supposed to be a tough lady. The remake of the scene in the 1994 version is completely different. Kim Basinger slaps Baldwin back, she screams that 'she did it for him' (sleeping with the sherrif, that is) and walks away angry. In this scene, she is the strong character and Baldwin the weak person who can't restrain his violent character. I think the '94 version of this scene is much stronger.

[–] tay-15 13 years ago

Which is more realistic? Just because films would nowadays never show the scene the way Peckinpah did, does that mean women are no longer ever hit or abused?

What I like about the scene (if "like" is the word) is that it shows Doc is not such a great guy himself. There's some ambiguity there that makes his character more realistic.

Stuck in purgatory.

[–] ecarle 10 years ago

What I like about the scene (if "like" is the word) is that it shows Doc is not such a great guy himself. There's some ambiguity there that makes his character more realistic.

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That's right. He's an ex-con who's ready to go right back to work as a bank robber who allows violence if necessary. And that kinda guy just might slap his wife for the reasons elaborated in the movie.

Folks always note the slapping scene, but later in the movie when MacGraw loses the satchel of cash to the sneak thief, McQueen looks at her in fury and she cowers and it looks like he might hit her again. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't gotten the money back.

In short, McQueen is a Badass in Love in The Getaway, somewhat of a descendant of William Holden's Pike Bishop in The Wild Bunch in his mixture of a gallant code and a murderous edge.

[–] Beta_maxxx 13 years ago

Meh... She had it comin'. - JK

[–] Squeeth2 13 years ago

'Weak', 'strong'?

The terminology is a bit fascist don't you think?

Marlon, Claudia and Dimby the cats 1989-2005, 2007 and 2010.

[–] MagicJack55 11 years ago

Tough lady? Had she slapped him back, he would have got even more angry and it would have been worse.

She's in the wrong here and she knows it. Even if she did it for him, it was a bad and stupid decision.

[–] Cavitcat 10 years ago

Doc could have gotten an STD from Benyon.

[–] BobbyBenny 10 years ago

If you watch the scene closely there is a moment where she looks as if she is going to hit him back, she lurches forward and raises her voice and as she does it you see Steve McQueen clench his hand into a fist, showing what would have happened if she had decided to hit back.