Sugarland Express (1974 Steven Spielberg)

The young Steven read the story in the newspaper: he, Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins wrote it for the screen. Aided by maestro cameraman Vilmos Zsigmond, Steven uses the camera wonderfully, staging scenes beautifully and moving the camera with precision to help tell the story cinematically; marvellous use of the widescreen frame as well. Evident also is a clear control for big scenes which no doubt helped him to get Jaws; as well as handling lots of great moving footage in and around the cars, which in the final pursuit all seem like wild animals after their last-legs quarry.

Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Michael Sacks and Ben Johnson are the quartet who gradually bond despite roles on opposite sides of the law - Atherton I think knows he is doomed early on.

Vilmos pulls off some amazing stuff such as a 180° pan from the back seat of a car, some great twilight, beautiful compositions like this one:

Ultimately though young Steven was right - the audience didn't like the tragic ending and would have preferred the couple to survive. I think his earlier films were better.

An early collaboration with John Williams, and 'mother cutter' Verna Fields is credited with Edward Abroms.

Plenty of subtlety, cinema and humour, viz. sniper using bullets as earplugs, run over teddy bear.