The Last Detail

In the 1970s, for a period of sustained brilliance the likes of which are rarely seen in even the greatest careers, Jack Nicholson gave a string of performances that were all huge and unforgettable, without resorting to the excessiveness of some of his later work. Though differentiated, the characters he created all seem possessed by some spirit of pure rascality, his devilish features broadcasting wild new emotions beyond the range of us ordinary domesticated humans.

His portrayal of Signalman ‘Badass’ Buddusky is the driving force of The Last Detail. Assigned to transport a teenage sailor (also brilliantly acted by a doughy, ungainly Randy Quaid) to naval prison to serve a hard eight years for a minor theft, Badass and Gunner's Mate ‘Mule’ Mulhall decide to show him a good time en route. Cue variations on the ‘shore leave’ theme, with austere direction from Ashby using mostly natural light and real locations.

Thanks to this, and to the record-breaking amount of profanity in Robert Towne’s script, the film was widely lauded for its authenticity on release in 1973, but contemporary viewers may not all agree; its romanticisation of Badass’ brand of cocky, violence-loving machismo might just be one slap on the ass too far for audiences of 2017.

But however dissolute their brawling and whoring, the final purpose of the GIs' journey both sanctifies their hedonism and tinges it with existential absurdity. Always looming is the invisible presence of an implacable and pitiless authority, and thus is the film enriched by a subtly subversive critique of power, rank and hierarchy.

Extras

A bit scant: three minutes with DOP Michael Chapman are more illuminating than 20 with editor Robert C. Jones. You get 20 minutes total of enjoyably erudite gushing from Ashby fan Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways), and there’s also a censored TV syndication cut, the prospect of which feels a bit ‘yo’ without the ‘ho’ or bottle of rum.