Directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the story of a pair of outlaws whose notoriety forces them to flee America to Bolivia in the hope of robbing more banks. The film is an unconventional western that play into two men trying to live a good life and make money through robbery as they also endure the changes of the West. Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin, Jeff Corey, and Henry Jones. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an adventurous and thrilling film from George Roy Hill.
Set in the late 1890s before the turn of the century, the film revolves around a pair of outlaws whose work in robbing trains and banks suddenly takes a turn when they’re being pursued by a posse who wants them dead forcing the duo to go to Bolivia with one of their girlfriends in the hope of escape. It’s a film that play into a way of life and the emergence of change towards the end of the century forcing these two men to find another world that hasn’t caught up with these growing changes. William Goldman’s screenplay definitely play into this air of change though it begins with Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) at a small town where the former is looking at a bank while the latter is playing cards as people know about their infamy as robbers. Yet, the lack of serious work prompts many to question Cassidy’s leadership in the gang he runs as they would eventually find a train to rob. For all of its success, it would be fleeting as a second robbery would be the catalyst for not just trouble but also being pursued by a posse that is unlike anything else.
Butch and Sundance are just two men who know what to do as Butch is the man with ideas while Sundance is a man of action but they still bring out the best in each other as they also have an unlikely partnership with Sundance’s lover Etta Place (Katharine Ross) who knows about their exploits but often remains quiet until she chooses to join them on the journey to Bolivia. Much of the film’s first half is set in America while the second half is set in Bolivia where Goldman play into this idea of uncertainty but also culture shock. Still, it does give the duo an advantage in robbing banks with Etta’s help for some of the robberies where it does bring this sense of euphoria for all three but there’s also elements of paranoia as it relates to the posse that was pursuing them. The third act in Bolivia also play into Butch and Sundance’s attempt to go straight but the notoriety they had created in Bolivia has only created more trouble.
George Roy Hill’s direction is definitely engaging for the way he captures this air of change in the American West and the need for these two outlaws to go to Bolivia to maintain their idea of robbery in the old ways. Shot on various locations in Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California for the scenes in America with the scenes in Bolivia shot in Mexico, the film does play into this world of the American West as a world that was wild and free but a growing sense of law and order is emerging but also the idea that big business can control things. The film’s opening sequence is shot in a sepia-like look reminiscent of early photographs as it play into their sense of adventure but also in being men that are becoming out of step with the times. Then the film goes into color as Hill would use wide shots of the locations along with unique compositions to play into the danger as it relates to the posse that is going after Butch and Sundance. Even as the shot would be shown from their perspective where they see the posse from afar who are a determined group that isn’t fooled by any tricks. The film would also have Hill use medium shots and close-ups as it relates to the conversations between Butch, Sundance, and Etta that add to the sense of character and their motivations for a good life.
The film would include a great sequence of old-school photograph stills montage to play into the journey that the three would embark from the West to South America as it has elements of humor but also this air of adventure until they arrive in Bolivia not realizing that it’s a totally different world with some different rules. Notably as Butch and Sundance know little Spanish forcing Etta to teach them certain phrases during the robberies. The film’s third act definitely marks a shift in tone where it is darker with the added element of violence along with revelations into Butch and Sundance’s own infamy in their robberies. It also include the fact that the Bolivians are a completely dangerous whenever they feel antagonized leading to this epic showdown that is thrilling but also with a lot at stake. Overall, Hill crafts an exhilarating film about two outlaws trying to maintain their way of life in the West and in Bolivia.
Cinematographer Conrad Hall does amazing work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of sepia-like colors for the film’s opening sequence to the dreamy look of some of the exterior scenes in the day and night in the deserts along with some low-key lights for some of the interiors at night. Editors John C. Howard and Richard C. Meyer do excellent work with the editing as its usage of dissolves, montages, and transitional wipes help play into the action and humor with some rhythmic cuts to play into bits of the suspense. Art directors Philip M. Jefferies and Jack Martin Smith, along with set decorators Chester Bayhi and Walter M. Scott, do fantastic work with the look of the farm that Etta lives at as well as the places in Bolivia and the train carts in America.
Costume designer Edith Head does excellent work with the costumes as it play into the turn of the century with some stylish dresses that Etta wears as well as the uniforms worn by the Bolivian police and its military. The sound work of David Dockendorf and Bill Edmondson is terrific for the way it captures gunfire and other sound effects as well as the intense atmosphere of the film’s climatic showdown between Butch and Sundance against the Bolivians. The film’s music by Burt Bacharach is incredible as its playful usage of orchestration add a lot to the film’s sense of adventure and humor that would also include the song Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head written by Bacharach and Hal David that is sung by B.J. Thomas for a lively scene involving Butch and Etta with the new invention in a bicycle.
The film’s wonderful cast include some notable small roles from Cloris Leachman as a prostitute Butch occasionally sleeps with, Ted Cassidy as a gang member who challenges Butch’s leadership in Harvey Logan, Charles Dierkop as a gang member in Flat Nose Curry, Kenneth Mars as a marshal trying to get everyone to find Butch and Sundance, George Furth as a railroad bank worker named Woodcock whom Butch and Sundance run into, Henry Jones as a bicycle salesman, Jeff Corey as Sheriff Bledsoe who helps Butch and Sundance evade the posse, and Strother Martin as mining company boss in Percy Garris who runs a Bolivian mining company that tries to give Butch and Sundance a chance to live a straight life.
Katharine Ross is remarkable as Etta Place as a schoolteacher who runs her own farm as she is Sundance’s lover as someone who isn’t entirely fond of what Sundance does but does join him and Butch to Bolivia where she helps them rob banks until danger starts to emerge. Finally, there’s the duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where they both have this air of camaraderie in the way they deal with each other but also bring out the best with Newman being the man who is the thinker and trying to come up with ideas and Redford as the man of action who is also skeptical of Butch’s ideas but often follows along as Newman and Redford are a joy to watch as well as provide that air of true friendship that is often lost in films.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a magnificent film from George Roy Hill. Featuring top-notch performances from Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katharine Ross along with William Goldman’s inventive screenplay, Burt Bacharach’s whimsical score, gorgeous visuals, and the theme of changing times in the West. The film isn’t just a western that has a lot of thrills but also play into two men trying to hold on to their ideals and way of life before the arrival of the 20th Century. In the end, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an outstanding film from George Roy Hill.
George Roy Hill Films: (Period of Adjustment) – (Toys in the Attic) – (The World of Henry Orient) – (Hawaii) – (Thoroughly Modern Millie) – (Slaughterhouse-Five) – The Sting – (The Great Waldo Pepper) – (Slap Shot) – (A Little Romance) – (The World According to Garp) – (The Little Drummer Girl) – (Funny Farm)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the short story by Dorothy M. Johnson, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the story of an attorney whose encounters with a notorious outlaw has him teaming up with a gunslinger to deal with him in order to protect the people at a small town in the West. Directed by John Ford and screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck, the film is an exploration of two men with different ideas of the world who team up to face off against someone who just wants to bring chaos into the world. Starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Jeanette Nolan, Woody Strode, Strother Martin, and Lee Van Cleef. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a grand yet evocative film from John Ford.
The film is essentially a reflective story in which a senator recalls a time in his life when he was just an attorney arriving into a small town in the West where he tries to stand up against a notorious outlaw where he later teams up with a gunslinger and a few others in making a stand against him. Especially as he would later become a pillar of hope in a town that is still ravaged with fear prompting this attorney from the East to make a difference. The film’s screenplay begins with Ranse Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) arriving to the small town of Shinbone as the local press wonder why he’s there. He then tells them the story of how he first came to the town 25 years earlier where he would meet Hallie and stand up to the outlaw known as Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) after trying to stop him from robbing a widow during a stagecoach robbery. After being healed by Hallie and a local rancher in Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), Stoddard would do whatever he can to help the town.
Stoddard is a man that is educated and isn’t willing to be violent as he is trying to make sure there’s some law and order in this small town he’s arrived in as he also wants to be there for the people whether it’s to defend them in a court of law or teach them how to read and write. He would live at the restaurant that Hallie works at while doing his law practice at the local newspaper run by its publisher Dutton Peabody (Edmond O’Brien) who would befriend Stoddard as they would team up for an election on statehood. While Doniphon appreciates what Stoddard is doing, he feels that Stoddard is also just making things troubling because of Valance who wants to maintain his own power by beating up anyone or kill someone. Doniphon is a no-nonsense man who can read and write but knows how lawless the West can be as he is the only man that can out-gun Valance.
John Ford’s direction is definitely rapturous in terms of some of the visuals he creates as well as the fact that much of the story is told in a reflective manner by Stoddard to a journalist. Shot on the studio backlots at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, the film is more intimate in terms of its location even though there are a few scenes set in the desert as much of it is shot at a soundstage as the fictional town of Shinbone. While there are some wide shots of some of those locations, Ford would emphasize more on close-ups and medium shots for much of the film as it relate to the intimacy in the story as well as capturing some of the conversations and moments with the characters. Notably in the scenes that show Stoddard doing all sorts of things whether in educating some of the locals, cleaning the dishes at the restaurant where he’s staying at, or looking at Peacock’s articles. While much of the film is dramatic with some suspense, Ford would infuse the film with bits of humor such as a scene where Doniphon would show Stoddard how to shoot a gun as it would reveal how tough Stoddard really is.
As for some of the action, there are moments where the violence is quite brutal such as the Stoddard’s first encounter with Valance where Valance would whip him such a visceral way. The scenes where Valance is around is always filled with dread as the man is quite unpredictable as he would just scare people with his presence or through his violent actions. There is a showdown that would occur between Stoddard and Valance but it’s a very unusual showdown early in its third act. Notably as it would be followed by its aftermath as it relates to not just what happened to Valance but also who shot him as it would create this myth that is very unsettling. Overall, Ford creates a mesmerizing yet intense film about a lawyer and a gunslinger standing up against a notorious outlaw.
Cinematographer William H. Clothier does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography from the sunny look of the daytime exteriors to some of the stylish usage of shadows and shades for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Otho Lovering does excellent work with the film’s editing as it has some stylish rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense as well as some straightforward cuts for the drama. Art directors Eddie Imazu and Hal Pereira, with set decorators Sam Comer and Darrell Silvera, do fantastic work with the look of the saloons, restaurants, and Doniphon’s ranch as well as the interiors of some of the buildings in the film.
Costume designer Edith Head does nice work with the costumes from the look of the hats and clothes the men wear to some of the dresses that Hallie wears. Sound recordists Charles Grenzbach and Philip Mitchell do terrific work with the sound as it play into raucous sound of the meetings as well as in some of the moments of suspense as it relates to the showdown between Stoddard and Valance. The film’s music by Cyril J. Mockridge and Alfred Newman is wonderful for its mixture of bombastic orchestra music with its large brass arrangements and string flourishes for some of the dramatic moments as the score also include some folk-based music of the times.
The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles from Denver Pyle and O.Z. Whitehead as the father-son duo of Amos and Herbert Carruthers, Willis Bouchey as a train conductor, Joseph Hoover as a journalist interviewing Stoddard in the film’s beginning, Jeanette Nolan and John Qualen as the Swedish immigrant couple in the Ericsons who work with Hallie at the restaurant, John Carradine as a speaker for a convention representing those in favor of territory rights, Ken Murray as the local doctor Doc Willoughby, Strother Martin and Lee Van Cleef as two of Valance’s henchman in their respective roles as Floyd and Reese, and Woody Strode as Doniphon’s ranch hand Pompey as an African-American that is very helpful as well as wanting to be educated by Stoddard. Andy Devine is terrific as the local marshal Link Appleyard as a man that has a hard time upholding the law as he’s afraid of Valance as he is kind of the film’s comic relief. Edmond O’Brien is excellent as Dutton Peabody as the local newspaper publisher who is full of gusto in the things he says while admittedly being a drunk but a man that can rile up Valance through his words.
Vera Miles is amazing as Hallie as a local woman who runs a restaurant as she is courted by Doniphon as she would fall for Stoddard whom she sees as a man that can help her as well as make her into something more. Lee Marvin is brilliant as Liberty Valance as a brutish outlaw who likes to wreak havoc on the people as he tries to assert his own power and whatever he can to play into his role in the West. James Stewart is incredible as Ranse Stoddard as an attorney who is trying to help the locals in the small town as he also stands up to Valance where he is forced to see what he has to do to deal with him. Finally, there’s John Wayne in a phenomenal performance as Tom Doniphon as it is a performance where Wayne display some charm as well as humility as a gunslinger that is the one person that can deal with Valance but also is aware of what Stoddard is trying to do for the town as he would take action that would prove to be catastrophic for both men.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a sensational film from John Ford that features great performances from John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, and Lee Marvin. Along with its dazzling visuals and a compelling take on heroism, it’s a film that explore what some will do to help people not be afraid from the presence of an outlaw but also into the myths of the West. In the end, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a tremendous film from John Ford.
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by John Crawford and Edmund Penney, The Ballad of Cable Hogue is the story of a prospector trying to make a life for himself in the Arizona desert with the aid of a prostitute as he deals with the West starting to change in the final years of the frontier. The film marks a change of pace for Peckinpah in the western genre as he goes for a character study into a man trying to salvage an element of the Wild West in its final moments. Starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens, L.Q. Jones, Strother Martin, and David Warner. The Ballad of Cable Hogue is a witty yet touching film from Sam Peckinpah.
Set in the late 19th Century, the film is about a man who finds water in an Arizona desert after being left for dead by criminals who betrayed him as he would create a watering hole between two towns as a way to make money but also live his life that he would share briefly with a prostitute. It’s a film that is about a man who would become a prospector where he hopes to succeed despite his lack of education while being something that matters for the West where he would find this watering hole by accident and do something for travelers. Along the way, he would later encounter the modern world and changing times as he and those who were part of the Wild West would be taken aback by. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the journey that Cable Hogue (Jason Robards) would take but also the man himself. Hogue is quite stubborn in his ways as he is someone that is from the Wild West and has old ideas about the ways of the world.
The script also has Hogue falling for this prostitute in Hildy (Stella Stevens) who also lives by her own code yet wants to become rich to go to San Francisco and live the good life. While Hogue understands what Hildy wants, he is reluctant to let her go once she would stay at his watering hole for a while where the two have this very unique relationship. Another friendship that Hogue would have is with a preacher in Joshua (David Warner) whom he meets early in the film as Joshua is a very unconventional character that has a thirst for emotionally-vulnerable women but is also a man that is willing to help despite his quirks. The script does have a structure as it relates to Hogue’s attempt to create a watering hole between towns as much of the first half is about that where he would succeed. In the third act where it has been a few years since he had founded the watering hole, there is that air of revenge as it relates to the men that left him for dead but also an encounter with the modern world that he as well as those he know are baffled by.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction has an air of style where it has a few violent moments but it is mostly restrained as he goes for something that is more intimate not just visually but also tonally. While it opens with this stylish sequence of Hogue being betrayed and stranded all alone in a desert, it is among some of the moments in the film where Peckinpah would go into style as well as some of the funny moments with some fast-motion sequences that is about humor. Peckinpah’s usage of the wide shots to capture much of the scenery shot on location in Nevada with the town scenes shot in Arizona. Peckinpah’s usage of medium shots and close-ups as it plays into some of the people that Hogue befriends as well as some of these moments that play into the world that he is creating. Even in a moment where Joshua would comfort a young woman in a very sexual way as Peckinpah makes no qualms about how women are treated where he would shoot Hogue staring at Hildy’s cleavage. It’s all part of Peckinpah’s sense of fun while balancing it with moments that are serious such as some of the events in the third act as it relates to the modern world that Hogue would encounter. It’s ending isn’t about loss but the end of an era that these characters hold so dearly about as the 20th Century and everything else about it would emerge. Overall, Peckinpah creates a light-hearted yet compelling film about a prospector’s life and his attempt to do something in the Wild West.
Cinematographer Lucien Ballard does excellent work with the cinematography from the naturalistic look of many of the scenes set in the day as well as some lighting for scenes set in the interior and exterior at night. Editors Lou Lombardo and Frank Santillo do amazing as it has some stylish cutting with its fast-motion and a few slow-motion cuts as well as some jump-cuts and stylish usage of dissolves. Art director Leroy Coleman and set decorator Jack Mills do brilliant work with the set design from the look of the home and stop that Hogue would live and run as well as the look of the town. The sound work of Don Rush is terrific as it play into some of the natural elements of the location along with scenes that are quite playful in its usage of sound effects. The film’s music by Jerry Goldsmith and lyricist Richard Gillis is wonderful for its mixture of orchestral textures with folk-based instruments to play into the feel of the West with some songs that would be themes for its three central characters as they are catchy but also helped tell the story.
The film’s marvelous cast includes some notable small roles from James Anderson as a local preacher, Susan O’Connell as a grieving woman that Joshua would comfort, Peter Whitney as a bank president who would give Hogue money for the business, R.G. Armstrong as a land prospector who turns down Hogue over the land that Hogue had bought, and Gene Evans as a husband who is angry over Joshua and his antics. Slim Pickens is superb as the stagecoach driver Ben Fairchild as someone who does business with Hogue as well as be a friend of him as he would often stop at his home. Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones are fantastic as Hogue’s former crime partners in Bowen and Taggart, respectively, with Martin as the more cowardly of the two and Jones as the one who is conniving and greedy.
David Warner is excellent as Reverend Joshua as a preacher who would help Hogue build his home and business as well as be this eccentric man of God who has a weakness for vulnerable women as it’s a very complex yet witty performance. Stella Stevens is amazing as Hildy as this prostitute who takes a liking to Hogue for who he is while helping him run his business briefly as she would fall for him but also deal with his stubbornness. Finally, there’s Jason Robards in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this man who is left for dead in the desert as he would discover an oasis where he would use to become a prospector as he does whatever he can to make it succeed as it’s Robards in one of his finest performances.
The Ballad of Cable Hogue is an incredible film from Sam Peckinpah that features great performances from Jason Robards, Stella Stevens, and David Warner. While it’s a different kind of western of sorts from Peckinpah, the film is still an engaging as well as entertaining that plays into Peckinpah’s ideas of the West as well as creating something that is sensitive and funny. In the end, The Ballad of Cable Hogue is a spectacular film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by A.S. Fleischman from his novel, The Deadly Companions is the story of an ex-army colonel who accompanies a woman through the dangerous Indian territory to bury her son whom he accidentally killed. The film revolves into a journey of two people brought together by tragedy as they try to find redemption and forgiveness in their journey. Starring Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith, Steve Cochran, and Chill Wills. The Deadly Companions is a rapturous and touching film from Sam Peckinpah.
Following a shootout where a young boy is accidentally killed by an ex-army colonel with a bad arm, the man decides to accompany the boy’s mother to take his body into an old town through the dangerous territory run by the Apache. It’s a film where a man tries to make amends for what he did where he’s joined by two other men to accompany this woman to the abandoned town of Siringo despite the fact that the woman Kit (Maureen O’Hara) refuses help but reluctantly allows Yellowleg (Brian Keith) to aid her. While Billy Keplinger (Steve Cochran) and an old man named Turk (Chill Wills) join them, the two have a much bigger motive to accompany them where things become troubling forcing Yellowleg and Kit to work together in dealing with the Apache.
The film’s script doesn’t must play into Yellowleg’s need to do something right as he feels responsible for the death of a young boy. It’s also about a man who is carrying the weight of torment as he always wears a cowboy hat revealing that he had been scalped during the Civil War as he refuses to take it off. The wounds that he carries that includes a bad shooting arm that hurts whenever he tries to aim high is also a problem which is why he wants to accompany Kit in burying her son. Kit prefers to do it by herself as she is by many in the town she lives as an outsider as well as a woman who doesn’t fit with the moral standards because she works part time as a prostitute. Though Kit doesn’t want anything to do with Yellowleg, she realizes that she needs him to trek through the dangerous Indian territory while Yellowleg needs her to deal with the demons he has been facing for years.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction is very engaging for not just the drama that plays out but also in playing to the world of the West. Shot entirely on location in Arizona including the town of old Tucson, Peckinpah takes great advantage of shooting in the desert with its gorgeous locations where he captures with a lot of wide and medium shots. Even with compositions in how he would put the actors in a frame against the backdrop of the Arizona skylines and in scenes which play into the drama that involves Billy and Turk. Peckinpah’s approach to close-ups and medium shot not only help build the relationship between Yellowleg and Kit but also in what they face such as the Apache. Most notably a sequence in a cave where Kit and Yellowleg deal with an Apache who had been stalking them as it shows what they need to do. Even as it relates to the film’s climax where Yellowleg has to deal with his own issues and those that had scarred him in his attempt to find peace and redemption. Overall, Peckinpah crafts an exhilarating yet gripping film about a man accompanying woman to bury the child he accidentally killed.
Cinematographer William H. Clothier does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its naturalistic yet beautiful look of the exterior scenes set in the daytime to the low-key usage of light and shadows for the scenes set at night including the chilling scene in the cave. Editor Stanley E. Rabjohn does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with some transitional dissolves and rhythmic cuts to play into the action. The costumes of Frank Beetson Jr. and Sheila O’Brien are nice to not only play into the period of the West but also to establish the personality of its main characters. The sound recording of Robert J. Callen does terrific work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sound effects involving guns. The film’s music by Marlin Skiles is amazing for its mixture of orchestral music and folk to play into the world of the West as it includes an original song sung by Maureen O’Hara.
The film’s superb cast include some notable small performances from Billy Vaughn as Kit’s son Mead, Peter O’Crotty as the town’s mayor who offers to help, Will Wright as the town’s physician Dr. Acton who knows Yellowleg, Jim O’Hara as the general store manager who builds the boy’s coffin, and Strother Martin as the pastor who holds a church at the town’s saloon. Chill Wills is fantastic as the old drunk Turk as a man who often rambles but also is quite cunning in what he does as he joins Kit and Yellowleg for his own reasons. Steve Cochran is excellent as Billy Keplinger as a gunslinger who joins Kit and Yellowleg into the journey though he has ulterior motives as it relates to Kit whom he wants to seduce as she refuses to reciprocate his advances.
Brian Keith is amazing as Yellowleg as a former army colonel with a bad arm and lots of demons who arrive into town only to get himself into trouble where he tries to do right for Kit after accidentally killing her son as he also copes with the severity of his actions. Finally, there’s Maureen O’Hara in a phenomenal performance as Kit as this woman who is seen as an outsider in the town as she is determined to make the journey to an abandoned town to bury her son as she copes with loss but also loneliness where she reluctantly accepts Yellowleg’s help as it’s one of O’Hara’s finest performances.
The Deadly Companions is a marvelous film from Sam Peckinpah that features great performances from Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara. Not only is it an engaging feature-film debut feature from Peckinpah but also a western that manages to be filled with adventure as well as drama that plays into the myth of the American West. In the end, The Deadly Companions is a remarkable film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2015
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/6/08 w/ Additional Edits.
Based on the novel by Donn Pearce, Cool Hand Luke tells the story of a prisoner who defies authority in a harsh Florida prison. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg with a script written by Pearce and Frank Pierson, the film features Paul Newman in the title role as Luke Jackson. A man who just won't conform to whatever the system tells him to do as he proves to be an inspiration to the fellow prisoners around him. Also starring George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D. Cannon, Luke Askew, Dennis Hopper, Clifton James, Harry Dean Stanton, Joe Don Baker, and Morgan Woodward. Cool Hand Luke is a tremendous film from Stuart Rosenberg.
After doing some drinking and destroying some parking meters, Lucas Jackson is sent to a prison in Florida. Under the supervision of its captain (Strother Martin), Jackson along with three other new convicts including Tramp (Harry Dean Stanton) are given rules to live in the prison. Joining several other men including Dragline (George Kennedy), the men plow the fields, create ditches, and pave roadways. Yet, Lucas has managed to prove to be a guy not willing to give in to the system. After a fight with Dragline where he refused to stay down, he gains the respect of his fellow inmates as well as a few men running the prison. After meeting his mother (Jo Van Fleet) when she visits, he's given a banjo as he continues to be an inspiration.
Dragline befriends the young new convict whom he named Cool Hand Luke as Luke proves to be a real tough guy by eating 50 eggs in an hour. After causing some intimidation in the sunglasses-wearing Boss Godfrey (Morgan Woodward), Luke proves to be powerful until he receives news over the death of his mother. Yet, Luke decides to try and break out of prison with the help of a few prisoners. After two attempts where he nearly succeeded, notably the second one. He is sent back as the captain tries to break his spirit. With the prison bosses making him dig a big ditch and prisoners looking on. The captain wonders if he has broken Luke's spirit but Luke has other ideas with Dragline in tow.
The film can be described as inspirational due to the idea that Luke is described as a Christ-like figure. A man who brings so much inspiration and hope to his fellow prisoners while proving that he can't give in to authority. Attempts to break the spirit of someone like Luke is hard, even when his mother dies and the time he gets captured again and abused. Even at the lowest point, it seems like Luke is willing to give up but this a man that can't really be broken. Even to someone as tough and hardened like Dragline who becomes his confidant and at times, a father figure. Dragline teaches Luke about surviving the prison and its confines while gaining hope in that he too, can escape and yearn for freedom. The script by its novelist Donn Pearce and co-writer Frank Pierson is filled with moments of humor as well as drama and action as it keeps on getting interesting right to the end.
Stuart Rosenberg's direction is truly superb in its compositions and presentation of key scenes. From the way the film opened to its last sequence, it's done with great style that is reminiscent of what American films were doing at that time against the traditional style of the past. There's scenes where Rosenberg captures a great moment of action with his fluid camera and scenery while one sequence in which Luke is beaten, reveals the perspective of all of the prisoners in a rich composition. Yet, Rosenberg's approach to the drama is all in a theatrical style with intimate settings to reveal the kind of tension and comradery between the prisoners and a few of its guards. The film's thematic tone about authority and conformity reveal something power around the time of the mid & late 1960s. The result is a powerful film about individuality and the refusal to conform from the mind of Stuart Rosenberg.
Cinematographer Conrad Hall bring exquisite camera work to many of the film's exterior sequences, notably the skylines and shots of the roads filled with great blue skies and beautiful shots of the river. Hall's interior work, notably the prison house is filled with wonderful lighting setups to create a unique sense of intimacy and atmosphere for those scenes. Even the exterior nighttime scenes are done with wonderful shades and tone to bring for those scenes. Hall's work is truly brilliant in exemplifying in why he's one of American cinema's most renowned cinematographers. Editor Sam O'Steen does great work in creating a fluid style of editing that's traditional but with jump-cuts and rhythmic cutting to emphasize a new style of editing that was cutting edge at the time. Yet, the editing works to capture the moment of action and drama with such precision and in the creation of smooth transitions from scene to scene.
Art director Cary Odell and set decorator Fred Price do excellent work in the look of the rural prison and the house for its convicts as it's given a real, Southern look and style for its intimate setting. Costume designer Howard Shoup also does excellent work in the look of the convicts uniform along with the prison guard suits to show the contrast between authority and those forced to give in. Sound recordist Larry Jost does excellent work in the sound of rain, chains, rakes, and other things to create something intimate and real. Music composer Lalo Schifrin creates a unique film score that is a mix of traditional, orchestral pieces for some of the film's dramatic moments and a Southern, string-inspired piece with guitars and banjos for some of the film's comical and light-hearted moments. Even music from Harry Dean Stanton who sings in a few tracks is filled with Southern values that plays true to the tone of the film.
The cast is truly superb with early appearances from actors like Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Anthony Zerbe, and James Gammon as fellow convicts where they each have memorable moments. Other memorable character actors like Clifton James and Joe Don Baker are great as the two men who run the prison house with Lou Antonio in a memorable role as the convict Koko. Joy Harmon has a memorable appearance as the girl washing her car bringing a lot of excitement to the convicts while Jo Van Fleet is great as Luke's mother who knew that he was trouble but always brought some excitement into her life. Luke Askew is excellent as one of the prison bosses while Morgan Woodward has a more memorable appearance as Boss Godfrey, a man who doesn't talk and wears sunglasses but is a good shooter. Strother Martin is brilliant as the Captain, the prison's warden who has a great complexity in being someone who might be helpful or he can be a mean son-of-a-bitch. It's a brilliant performance with a great Southern drawl that proves he can be intimidating while carrying a unique charm.
George Kennedy, in his Oscar-winning performance as Dragline is brilliant as the prison's convict leader who provides wisdom in showing how to live in the prison while being impressed by Luke's spirit. Kennedy's performance filled with humor and a father-like persona is truly amazing as it's a very memorable performance as a man who finds a new lease on life while trying to keep everything cool that goes with the prisoners. Finally, there's Paul Newman in an iconic role as the title character of Cool Hand Luke. An anti-hero who isn't a real hero but one that won't back down from authority or anything is a guy that is inspirational and can bring a unique spirit. Newman also proves that for a guy that's very beautiful, he can also be tough as hell where he won't be backed down. Filled with a lot of charisma, vulnerability, and tenacity as he's just a guy trying to figure out his role in the world and why he's being pushed down. It's a phenomenal performance from the legendary actor.
Cool Hand Luke is a magnificent film from Stuart Rosenberg that features powerful performances from Paul Newman and George Kennedy. This film isn't just one of the finest films in American cinema ever made but also a film that dares to question the idea of authority. Especially in a character like Luke that can only be played with such power by Newman. In the end, Cool Hand Luke is an outstanding film from Stuart Rosenberg.
© thevoid99 2014
