Getting straight is a film, which creates a monument for the counter culture era in the late sixties. It does so in a very authentic and credible way. I grew up in those days, and although I could never understand the motives and logic of my rebellious contemporaries, Getting straight presents a recognizable picture of all the elements. The atmosphere of freedom, profligacy, enjoyment and naivety is factual. The story is replete with fighting against the police, but it remains good-natured. It truly was like that (most of the time). Even the film music is typical. Back then I realized naturally that the counter culture was an illusion. But it did remove some of the unwarranted authority, and thus increased our freedom. In the film script this struggle is enacted on a university - the students were indeed an avant garde. Other movies about the subject (Strawberry statement, Fritz the Cat, The revolutionary, perhaps Hair) all paint a gloomy picture of the student movement. A society needs a certain responsibility in order to survive. Getting straight employs a more subtle approach, and focuses on the personality of the main character, Harry. Harry exemplifies the counter culture. He is a likable leader: bright, witty, and authoritative. However, a closer examination reveals that he is also unstable and abusive. In fact he possesses many of the evils, that were the target of the counter culture. He tries to exploit his landlady, he deceives during exams, he can not control his rages, and worst of all, he humiliates his loyal girl-friend Jenny. The script sympathizes with Harry, but also makes fun of him. For instance, after a one-night stand in the bedroom of a woman, he says: "It is time to go. Shall I call a cab for you?" In rare moments Harry indeed realizes that his attitude is self-destructive. The climax is his oral masters exam before a committee. One of the professors rejects the scientific standpoint of Harry. In a visible internal battle Harry tries to give in, but he fails to bring in this generosity. Once again he throws a fit, in this crucial moment of his life, and thus loses his masters. At the same time, outside the students rise up, and plunder the university buildings. Still Harry tries to justify his behavior: "It is not important what you do, but who you are" and "I do not belong here". It may appear strange, but I love this film, for its humanity and understanding of human deficiency. It is definitely recommendable, and a must-see for my contemporaries.
Review of Getting Straight
