Reveredasoneofthegreatest"cult"filmsofalltimeIrecentlysawitandmostofmyexpectationsweremet.StevenRailsbackplaysacharacternamedCameron.AformerVietnamveteranandfugitiveonthelam.Atthebeginingofthefilmweseehimbeingpursuedbythepoliceafterheisspottedinarestaurant.CameronwhilebeingchasedaccidentallystumblesontoamoviesetwhereaWorldWarIepicisbeingshot.AfteralmostbeingkilledbyastuntmanonabridgebyacarCameronpicksupanobjectandthrowsitatthewindshieldofthevehiclecausingittoswerveoffthebridgeandfallintoanearbyriver.AhelicoptersuddenlydescendsinfrontofCameron.Insideitarethefilmcrewdocumentingthebridgescenewithit’sdirectorEliCross(PeterO’Toole)starringatCameronandwhathashappened.Cameronfleesfromthesceneasthehelicoptersoarsaway.EventuallyEliCrossmeetsupwithCameronandconvinceshimtoreplacethestuntmanorCrosswillturnhimintothepolice.Cameronhaslittlechoice.Thusbeginsthemaincharactersharrowingjourney.TheStuntManisacomplexandmultilayeredfilm.Itrequiresmultipleviewingsinordertocatchallofthesubtletiesandnuances.AsthefilmprogressesweseeCameronplacedintovariousstuntscenes,eachonemoredangerousthanthelast.IsEliCrosstryingtokillhim?Thefilmisafascinatingbattleofpsychologicalmindgames.Cameron’sperceptionofrealitybecomesskewedwiththefantasyworldoffilmmakingashebecomeslessabletodistinguishuntilthefinalframe.Wetheviewerarealsoconstantlyconfusedasthefilmmakesmanyunpredictabletwistsandturnswithit’sconvolutedplot.PeterO’Tooleisperfectastheflamboyant,megalomanicalfilmmaker.Nooneelsecouldtotherolejusticeandbringthatmuchclasstothepart.BarbaraHersheyisalsogoodastheleadactressofEliCross’filmwhobecomesromanticallyinvolvedwithCameron.Ihavemanyfavoritescenesfromthemovie.EspeciallythecrashcourseinstuntworkCameronisgivenbytheleadstuntmanplayedbyChuckBail,areallifeformerstuntman.DirectorRushhasseamlesslybalancedpathoswithhumortocreateauniquefilmofepicproportions.Itisafilmthattheviewermustdisciplineoneselfinordertowatch.....butwhatapayoff.
