Der Gauner (1969)

Der Gauner: Directed by Mark Rydell. With Steve McQueen, Sharon Farrell, Ruth White, Michael Constantine. In turn-of-the-century Mississippi, an 11-year-old boy comes of age as two mischievous adult friends talk him into sneaking the family car out for a trip to Memphis and a series of adventures.

“Steve McQueen tools around in a classy car, dodging bad guys, loving the ladies, and not giving a cuss. This may read like your typical 1960s effort from him, but thatu0026#39;s something u0026quot;The Reiversu0026quot; ainu0026#39;t.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat is it? I guess it can be summed up as a broad coming-of-age comedy set in the American South in 1905, featuring a boy named Lucius (Mitch Vogel) who, against his better judgment, sets off with a couple of older-but-not-wiser friends in his grandfatheru0026#39;s stolen automobile to visit the wicked city of Memphis. In no time he is holed up in a local bordello, trying to help win back his grandfatheru0026#39;s car in a desperate horse race.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt the center of Luciusu0026#39;s worries is the man who talked him into the whole adventure, Boon Hoggenbeck, who wants the car to impress one of the pretty Memphis prostitutes he has set his cap on. u0026quot;He knows no obstacles, counts no costs, fears no dangers,u0026quot; Grandpa (Will Geer) warns young Lucius of Boon.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOkay, that does sound like McQueen the way Gramps put it there. But McQueenu0026#39;s Boon is more of an overgrown boy than stolid icon. A bucolic coming-of-age comedy based on a William Faulkner novel, u0026quot;The Reiversu0026quot; seems McQueenu0026#39;s attempt at stretching out from action-hero mode. Heu0026#39;s quite a bit of fun with his sometimes outsized comic reactions, a bit old for the part but certainly a capable center in what amounts to his first ensemble piece since u0026quot;The Great Escape.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDirector Mark Rydell made life-affirming American-heartland flicks that celebrate homey characters and downhome values, and u0026quot;The Reiversu0026quot; certainly fits his oeuvre. He is abetted wonderfully by the sunny lenswork of Richard Moore and a graceful, jaunty score by John Williams. In its elegiac, serio-comic tone, it is a lot like the film McQueen chose to make this over, u0026quot;Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMore a situation than a story, u0026quot;The Reiversu0026quot; introduces us to a shifting cast of characters and lets each spend some time with the viewer. Some leave stronger marks than others.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRupert Crosse leaves the deepest impression as Luciusu0026#39; distant black relative Ned, who drives Boon crazy asserting his rights as a member of the McCaslin family by virtue of a great-grandfather who impregnated a slave. Ned is a proud man who likes to push his point beyond the bounds of reason, stowing away on Grandfatheru0026#39;s car when Boon and Lucius make their Memphis trip.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;If I wait until Iu0026#39;m invited Iu0026#39;ll never will go anywhere,u0026quot; Ned points out when Boon tries unsuccessfully to toss him. Ned is the agent provocateur in u0026quot;The Reivers,u0026quot; somewhat dangerous in his ways but valuable, too, played with a vulnerable, humor-filled grandeur by Crosse, who got an Oscar nomination for his work. You laugh more with him than at him, but itu0026#39;s a bit of both.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhere u0026quot;The Reiversu0026quot; goes a little wrong is with some of the other characters. Sharon Farrell is the proverbial prostitute with a heart of gold who bonds with Lucius, while other smaller parts are filled by memorable character actors who get little to do. u0026quot;We were a pleasant and courteous people, tending to our business,u0026quot; Burgess Meredith explains in the voice-over narration, and often they seem a bit too much of just that. Even the bad guys, like a racist sheriff played by Clifton James, seem a bit toothless and too-easily- handled.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStill, I enjoyed this film, if more around the margins than in the main. Itu0026#39;s not unusual to see McQueen wielding a pistol, but it is to watch the target josh him about his lousy aim between shots. Aided especially by Crosse and Vogel, u0026quot;The Reiversu0026quot; isnu0026#39;t maybe as wise or knowing as it tries to be, but does leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling that doesnu0026#39;t stale with repeat viewings. A sleepy charmer, it shows even a king can make for a capable jester once in a while.”