[9]
Steve Railsback (Lifeforce, The X-Files) stars as a fugitive who stumbles onto a motion picture set and gets hired as a stunt performer. As long as he’s working, the film’s director agrees to hide him from the law. The director, played devilishly by Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter), tries to pass Railsback off as the same stunt man who died in an accident earlier — hoping to hide that news so the production won’t get shut down. Railsback enjoys the Hollywood treatment at first. He even falls in love with the film’s leading lady, played by Barbara Hershey. But when he learns she’s also slept with O’Toole, the seeds of distrust are sewn, and he begins to wonder if the psychologically manipulative and improvisational director doesn’t aim to kill him off — for real — in the final stunt of the shoot.
The Stunt Man is part comedic satire and part psychological thriller, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. It’s highly original, quirky, and richly layered film that keeps the viewer guessing about nearly everything until the very end. What crime did Railsback’s character commit? Does Hershey really love him, or is she using him? Does O’Toole care at all for his cast and crew, or are they all expendable in his pursuit of art? The film makes bold but successful swings in tone. All the stunt sequences are comedic and entertaining, as Railsback is surprised by all the unplanned hurdles and dangers O’Toole throws at him. The romance subplot is more grounded, leading to an incredibly well-written and acted scene in which Railsback, a Vietnam vet, confesses his crime to Hershey and goes into a post-traumatic fit of rage while she laughs at him. The scene ends with her laughter becoming contagious, and the two of them slipping and sliding in a pool of spilled paint.
The trio of headlining actors are all award-worthy. O’Toole is witty and flamboyant (cast to type?), and always on the verge of revealing himself as a true villain. It’s unusual that a film can keep its main characters’ motivations shrouded in mystery without losing audiences’ engagement, but The Stunt Man does this remarkably well. It’s beautifully directed by Richard Rush (Freebie and the Bean, Color of Night), who mixes grand, show-off moments with subtler, more provocative ones. Cinephiles will especially love all the ways Rush incorporates ‘behind-the-scenes magic’ into the film. The Stunt Man is the perfect tonic for film lovers who think they’ve seen everything and hunger for something fresh and new. It defies expectation at every turn and has enough subtext and nuance to invite multiple viewings.
Based on a novel by Paul Brodeur. With Allen Garfield, Alex Rocco, and Sharon Farrell.
Oscar Nominations: Best Actor (Peter O’Toole), Director (Richard Rush), Adapted Screenplay (Lawrence B. Marcus and Richard Rush)