John Ford's The Fugitive

[ken123]

I wonder why this excellent pseudo - Western is not on DVD ?

[MissGoddess]

I wonder too, considering a lot of film buffs love the look of it (so do I). I'm surprised it didn't make it into the John Ford Film Collection. Do you know if they are planning a Volume II? They should.

[ken123]

Will be on TCM tonight at 10:00PM (EDT ). Very somber, but good.

[ken123]

Henry Fonda, Dolores Del Rio, Pedro Armendariz Ward Bond, J. Carroll Naish, Leo Carrillo. Not exactly a Western, about an anti - clerical regime in Central American with Fonda being the last priest being pursued by Armendariz, but a Judas lurks.

[cmvgor]

This movie is based on the novel The Power And The Glory by the British wrilter Graham Greene. People in crisis of Faith is a recurring theme with this writer. Ralph Fiennes in The End Of The Affair and
Trevor Howard in The Heart Of The Matter are examples. The priest played by Henry Fonda in this film is another. This script pretties things up a little, but it avoids Hollywood Ending. Its a fairly good version
of the author's origional intent. and its a well-paced, tense thriller in and
of itself.

[MissGoddess]

I've always admired this movie as an exquisite work of cinema art (despite the fact I think Fonda is miscast) but this time I fell into head-over-heels admiration for Pedro Armindariz. His role seems really "big" at first and some might dismiss it for that but oh, no! It would be a mistake to do that because he gives a perfect performance. Now I finally understand his still-legendary status in Spanish speaking countries. Did anyone notice the flash of contradicting emotions cross his face when he encounters his former lover, played with exquisite dispassion by Dolores del Rio?

I can't say enough good things about the cinematography and even the way sound and music is used. I can't help but laugh whenever I read a Fordian quote to the effect he hated "artsy-fartsy" direction. Well, there is nothing fartsy about The Fugitive but it is art because he beautifully captures the crisis of faith and spirituality on film, a thing rarely done and when done---even more rarely is it successful.