Rent The Last Detail (1973)

American 70s Drama - A New Wave film of Distinction - The Last Detail review by GI

It might seem strange today to think that the films that Jack Nicholson made from the late 60s to the mid 70s are some of the best of American cinema of that period. He personified a sort of fractured machismo of the American male and The Last Detail is one of the best examples. It's the story of three US Navy sailors, two of them, played by Jack Nicholson and Otis Young, are lifers who have grown cynical as to why they joined the navy and resent the task they are given to take the third, Randy Quaid, across the country to jail. Their plan is to drop him off as quickly as possible and then use the remaining time getting drunk before reporting back. But they soon bond with the naïve youngster who has been given a harsh sentence for a petty crime and decide to show him a good time before prison. The film has a bleak sense of humour and shines a dark light on masculinity and American values. The perpetual cold of winter signifies the bleakness of the 'American Dream' revealing an America that is cynical, depraved and dominated by a class structured 'establishment'. The two main characters hate it but embrace whatever it can provide. It's a very sharp condemnation of a society. Ahead of its time it holds up very well today and is arguably one of the great American films of the 70s. It most certainly is a film that every film fan must see.