The Last Detail

I'm working through the last of the movies that TCM ran as part of last year's Two for One programming block. (As I write this, I haven't seen any of TCM's fall schedule to know is TCM is going to rerun this year's Two for One spots the way they did last year.) One of the movies that was selected that I had never actually seen before is The Last Detail. So, I recorded it, and eventually got around to watching it.

At a naval base in Norfolk, VA, Billy Buddusky, nicknamed "Badass" (Jack Nicholson) and Richard Mulhall nicknamed "Mule" (Otis Young) are called in to see the master-at-arms. Now, for those who don't know, the master-at-arms is a sort of police chief responsible for on base law enforcement and base security among similar duties. Neither Badass nor Mule is in trouble, however. Instead, they're being given the task of transporting a young naval recruit, Seaman Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid), to the military prison in Portsmouth NH where Larry will be sent to serve an eight-year sentence. Now, it's not explained how Badass and Mule got selected for this detail since it's not either of their specialties, but go with it. I wouldn't think Norfolk and Portsmouth are that far away (Google Maps suggests about 12 hours by I-95), but the two men are given a week to get Larry there, which I suppose is to make certain he gets there on time.

In any case, Badass figures that since they've got that week, and because they're being paid a per diem, why not use all the time they're allotted and try to pocket some of what's left of the per diem? And then, they ask Larry why he's being sent to prison. Larry turns out to be a naïve young man who is also a bit of a kleptomaniac: he was allowed to enlist in the navy despite several run-ins with the police on shoplifting-related charges, never actually having been sentenced to prison before. This time, however, he tried to steal $40 out of a charity box. That doesn't seem like it would warrant an eight-year sentence, but the charity box in question was being administered by the wife of the base commander, which might explain the long sentence. Piss off the rabble and we don't care; piss off the powerful and screw you.

But Badass in particular develops a sense of sympathy toward Larry. Mule does to a lesser extent, although he knows there's a job to be done and trouble if they don't do it. Badass wants to make Larry's last days of freedom memorable, and so sets up all sorts of experiences including drinking and visiting a brothel so Larry can lose his virginity. A detour to visit Larry's mother is unsuccessful, while getting sucked into a prayer service at a Buddhist cult has a bit more of an effect on Larry. But constantly hanging over the movie is the fact that there is a duty to get Larry to prison, and the question of whether he'll ever try to escape and what would happen after such an escape attempt.

I can see why there are so many film critic and industry types who would love a movie like The Last Detail. I didn't dislike it, although I have to admit that I had a bit of a problem with the Badass character. Unlike Larry, who is clearly sympathetic because he's getting a totally disproportionate sentence, Badass comes off as a loud, obnoxious brute, consistently violating the rules as well as being manipulative. One may think he's doing this stuff for Larry's benefit, but at the same time, he's exhausting to watch and I can only imagine being stuck with him in close quarters for a whole week.

Still, The Last Detail is a movie that's absolutely worth watching.