No Way Out (1987) Orion/Action-Thriller RT: 114 minutes Rated R (sexual content, nudity, language, violence) Director: Roger Donaldson Screenplay: Robert Garland Music: Maurice Jarre Cinematography: John Alcott Release date: August 14, 1987 (US) Cast: Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Will Patton, Howard Duff, George Dzundza, Jason Bernard, Iman, Fred Dalton Thompson, Leon Russom, Dennis Burkley, Marshall Bell, Chris D., Nicholas Worth, John D’Aquino. Box Office: $35.5M (US)
Rating: ****
There aren’t that many movies that effectively pulled a fast one on me. It’s a small figure. One of them is the 1987 thriller No Way Out. I never saw that ending coming and neither did the rest of the audience judging by the collective gasp that reverberated through the theater that Saturday afternoon. It did such a number on me that I went back to see it a second time a few weeks later. I wanted to look at it with a different mindset now that I knew its secret and could pick out all the clues pointing to the big reveal. I liked it even more that time.
You’ll notice that I didn’t reveal the big plot twist. That’s by design. Although it’s been around for 38 years, it’s likely that some people still haven’t seen No Way Out. I’m not talking about people of my generation so much as I am young folks who weren’t even born when it came out. I am forever urging youngsters (30 and under) to check out titles from decades past. BTW, I still can’t believe 80s movies are now “old movies”. I never thought I’d see the day. In any event, I don’t want to ruin the film for those who have yet to see it. If you know, you know. Let’s leave it at that.
If summer 1987 belonged to any actor, it was Kevin Costner. It was his breakthrough year with starring roles in two hit films, The Untouchables and No Way Out. In the latter, he plays Lt. Commander Tom Farrell of Naval Intelligence. An act of heroism on board a ship lands him a job at the Pentagon. He’s to be the liaison to the intelligence community (e.g. CIA, FBI, etc.) for Secretary of Defense David Brice (Hackman, Hoosiers). He’s recommended by his college friend, Brice’s right-hand guy Scott Pritchard (Patton, Desperately Seeking Susan).
Farrell is romantically involved with a hot little number named Susan Atwell (Young, Blade Runner) who also happens to be Brice’s mistress. He knows about Brice; Brice doesn’t know about him. When he learns Susan is seeing somebody else, he becomes enraged and accidentally kills her. Realizing what a scandal it would be, Pritchard comes up with the idea of making her murder a matter of national security. The killer they’re looking for is a long-rumored mole in the Pentagon, a Soviet sleeper agent known as “Yuri”. He then puts Farrell in charge of the investigation.
Farrell is distraught over Susan’s death, but he can never let on that he’s the other guy. He doesn’t want the murder pinned on him. He does whatever he can to hamper the investigation while looking for evidence that will directly connect his boss to Susan. Time is a major factor here. They have evidence, a photograph negative, which will ultimately implicate Farrell.
Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Roger Donaldson (Smash Palace) and based on the 1946 novel The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing, No Way Out is a tight and taut noir-thriller with a plot that’s more like a labyrinth. The feeling of the noose tightening as Farrell tries to get himself out a bad situation (that keeps getting worse) is palpable. At one point, two witnesses that can identify him as Susan’s lover are brought to the Pentagon for a room-to-room search. He has to duck and dodge the search parties as he waits for the evidence he needs on Brice. That’s in addition to the two goons brought in by Pritchard to eliminate problems like Susan’s friend (model Iman) who knows about her relationship with Brice. It’s a thrilling race as Farrell tries to get to her before the goons.
Costner, in his day, was a great leading man with his matinee idol good looks and easygoing mannerisms. It served him well in Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and The Bodyguard (1992). He was equally great in more serious films like Dances with Wolves (1990) and JFK (1991). It’s too bad he basically sank his career with the waterlogged bomb Waterworld (1995) and the failed post-apocalyptic epic The Postman (1997). No Way Out is easily one of his best. He makes for a believable hero, a basically good man caught up in a sordid situation. Of course, Farrell is a little more complicated than that, but I’m not going there.
Hackman is at his vile best as Brice, an arrogant slimeball who thinks he’s untouchable. He doesn’t care who he throws under the bus to conceal his misdeeds. Patton is also quite good as his weaselly underling, loyal to the point of breaking a law or several. Young is FREAKING HOT! I can see why both men want her. Susan is an interesting character. It’s easy to see her as a whore with a thing for powerful men. At the same time, she falls in love with Farrell and it’s not an act. It makes her rethink this whole thing with Brice.
I can’t find a single flaw in No Way Out. Everything comes together perfectly starting with an intelligent screenplay by Robert Garland (The Electric Horseman). It has plenty to say about the seedy side of political power circles. The cinematography by John Alcott (this was his last film) is top-notch in how it depicts the Pentagon as both a literal and figurative maze Farrell is trying to escape. The score by Maurice Jarre is riveting. All of this comes together to form a very gripping thriller. It grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go until the final frame.
Although dated, No Way Out is one of those older movies that deserve to be discovered by new audiences. It’s a perfect example of technique and a testament to old school cinematic craftsmanship. Plus, there’s that twist at the end. Yeah, if you haven’t seen it yet, treat yourself.
