Tightrope (1984, Richard Tuggle)
Unsettling and dark, but decidedly impishly kinky, Tightrope is one of Malpaso’s (Clint Eastwood’s film company) most intriguing productions. Eastwood stars as Wes Block, a cop investigating a series of brutal sex-murders. The hunt for the killer is more interesting than usual because Block and the killer have a lot of things in common, something the madman is using to his advantage. The complex character of the cop gives Eastwood a rare opportunity to explore his big macho screen persona and it should be noted that Eastwood looks ready and eager to debunk his tough-guy image. Eastwood plays a character that has been emasculated in more way than one.
Cop Block’s wife has taken off, leaving him to play Mr. Mom to their kids. Block’s dolorous attempts to balance career and parenthood are a pennant for the confusion felt by men during the post-sexual revolution days. Block’s macho bravado suffers even more humiliations. He has no female companionship. The sex-related crimes intrigue Block precisely because they allude to an area of his life that needs attention. The introduction of character Beryl Thibodeaux, played by Geneviève Bujold (Anne of the Thousand Days), a plucky rape-crisis therapist, only makes Block’s obsolete machismo even more glaring. At end, the film is more about Block acknowledging things about his life than about catching a killer.
Back in 1984, when Tightrope was first released in theaters, the film took many of us by surprise. I just rewatched the film and I still think it is one of Eastwood’s most unusual films. It also contains one of his bravest performances. The film is extremely well-directed by Richard Tuggle, who also wrote the multi-layered script. It is deliberately paced, always determined to linger around murky images (cameraman Bruce Surtees shot the film in the style of classic noir). The morose atmosphere is enticing and it gives the anti-hero of the piece a compatible playpen. More important, the movie forced Eastwood to finally step out of his comfort zone – and he doesn’t disappoint.
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