The Great Santini
Directed by Lewis John Carlino
Written by Lewis John Carlino from a novel by Pat Conroy
1979/US
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental
Bull Meechum: I am Santini, the Great Santini.
Bull Meechum: I come from behind the moon, out of the dark, unannounced.
Bull Meechum: Watch out!
Robert Duvall plays the title character, a career Marine fighter pilot whose real name is Bull Meechum. He’s an alcoholic , loves mean jokes, and treats his family as if he is the drill sergeant and they are a bunch of grunts. He has a hot temper and can lash out with violence. His family is simultaneously proud of Bull’s accomplishments and both terrified and resentful of his many outbursts.
This is also the coming-of-age story of the family’s eldest son Ben (Michael O’Keefe). Being the first born male enormous expectations are placed on him. Can he stand up to his father and carve his own place in the world?
This is one of Robert Duvall’s greatest performances, enough to warrant a watch all by itself. I watched it last on original release and I still remembered vividly where Duvall taunts Michael O’Keefe by bouncing a basketball off his head. The whole thing is a very well-done and powerful dissection of the dysfunctional family.
