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Originally Posted by demonrail666
I've only seen it once, a pretty worn out VHS copy. I remember it feeling quite slow, quite 'European'. More like My Darling Clementine than, say, Stagecoach. I don't remember much besides that, though
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You’re pretty spot on. He made it right after Clementine (which is his masterpiece if you ask me). He was great with Wayne, of cours, but to me Fonda always was the best Ford actor. The Fugitive is interesting to me because it’s one of the few films he didn’t try to hide being “artsy” and I believe he had more control over it than other films. It’s not perfect by any means but there’s something about it that I find really special.
Besides that recently watched a few great ones.
Dog Day Afternoon. Amazing film. Not taking away anything from Pacino and Sarandon (because of course they’re phenomenal and heartbreaking and funny) but Cazale always steals the show for me. Sal is a sad mystery who wasn’t made for this world. Even his funny lines go down bittersweet for me.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. It’s a shame there’s not a perfect cut of this film. Peckinpah had something special for a while. Never shied away from the violence of the world. Backing his characters into corners and watching how they cope with their morals and ideals. Excellent stuff.
They Live By Night. I couldn’t help watching this as the prototype for something like Badlands which kind of hindered it on its own. I LOVE Nicholas Ray though and this is up there with his best. I love how he makes genre films but bends them so off kilter. This is a crime film but tender. A love story but dirty. Unique characters too. Like Sal in Dog Day Afternoon, people who just can’t fit into the world.