The Last Detail (1973) ****
Hal Ashby made twelve theatrical feature films and one TV movie during his lifetime (in addition to editing a handful of films, including two classics) and The Last Detail (1973) is only the third of his films that I've seen.
While it didn't have the same impact on me that seeing Harold And Maude (1971) (review) for the first time did, and while I think I like it just slightly less than Being There (1979), The Last Detail is an excellent film and one I can see myself revisiting. It contains one of Jack Nicholson’s best, most naturalistic performances. It has a spare, at times handheld feel, even approaching a documentary-like quality (partly because the characters feel so real), though it does have some beautifully long dissolves and satisfyingly long takes. It's roughly lit (intentionally by debut cinematographer Michael Chapman) and roughly recorded (some bits of dialogue aren’t even audible), which all just adds to the realism. Moments feel captured rather than staged—for example: the sense of cold inherent in the characters's breath during outdoor shots.
Of course, one of the most noteworthy aspects of The Last Detail is the exceptional amount of profane language in Robert Towne's script (a record for the number of “F” bombs used for the time). Columbia Pictures asked that lines be cut but Ashby remained steadfast and the film was released uncut—and thank the stars for that because it's a big part of what makes it special. One of the only elements that didn't gel for me were parts of the score—its playful, militaristic march cues work in some scenes but not others.
While it didn't have the same impact on me that seeing Harold And Maude (1971) (review) for the first time did, and while I think I like it just slightly less than Being There (1979), The Last Detail is an excellent film and one I can see myself revisiting. It contains one of Jack Nicholson’s best, most naturalistic performances. It has a spare, at times handheld feel, even approaching a documentary-like quality (partly because the characters feel so real), though it does have some beautifully long dissolves and satisfyingly long takes. It's roughly lit (intentionally by debut cinematographer Michael Chapman) and roughly recorded (some bits of dialogue aren’t even audible), which all just adds to the realism. Moments feel captured rather than staged—for example: the sense of cold inherent in the characters's breath during outdoor shots.
Of course, one of the most noteworthy aspects of The Last Detail is the exceptional amount of profane language in Robert Towne's script (a record for the number of “F” bombs used for the time). Columbia Pictures asked that lines be cut but Ashby remained steadfast and the film was released uncut—and thank the stars for that because it's a big part of what makes it special. One of the only elements that didn't gel for me were parts of the score—its playful, militaristic march cues work in some scenes but not others.
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