{"id":12028,"date":"2011-06-02T03:51:27","date_gmt":"2011-06-02T02:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=12028"},"modified":"2011-06-02T03:53:15","modified_gmt":"2011-06-02T02:53:15","slug":"blu-ray-midnight-cowboy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2011\/06\/02\/blu-ray-midnight-cowboy\/","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray: Midnight Cowboy"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The latest release of this groundbreaking 1969 drama is a reminder of the film’s power and charm.<\/p>\n

Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy<\/a>, it begins with a young Texan named Joe Buck (Jon Voight) quitting his job and travelling to New York to become a hustler.<\/p>\n

Once there he struggles until he forges an unlikely friendship with conman Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), who had at first tried to trick him. <\/p>\n

An oddball couple who do their best to survive in the big city, they come across various characters, including religious fanatics, rich middle age women and disciples of Andy Warhol.<\/p>\n

Although dated in some respects (the sexual content which shocked back then, seems relatively tame now) it is still a moving depiction of outsiders making a connection with each other as they join forces to survive in a harsh metropolis. <\/p>\n

Director John Schlesinger had already made a name for himself in England during the 1960s with films such as Billy Liar<\/a> (1963) and Darling<\/a> (1965), but this was his first in America and he shoots with the keen and curious eye of an outsider. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The flashbacks and jump cuts, which are central to the narrative, appear to be influenced by the French New Wave<\/a> and the depiction of urban squalor seems to be a hat tip to the Italian neo-realist<\/a> directors of the 1940s and 50s.<\/p>\n

Using actual locations and a raw, shooting style gives everything a feeling of authenticity which is more than matched by the central performances.<\/p>\n

A breakout film for Voight, who is charmingly innocent in the title role, it also showed a different side to Hoffman who had only recently become a star with The Graduate<\/a> (1967).<\/p>\n

Both manage to carve out memorable characters and it is their unlikely chemistry that still powers the emotional heart of the film.<\/p>\n

Coming at the tail end of the 1960s, Midnight Cowboy almost certainly struck a chord with audiences who empathised with the rural innocence of Joe and the urban opportunism of Ratso.<\/p>\n

But it was the frank approach to modern, urban existence – especially sex – which marked it out as a film to watch and one that reflected a reality other mainstream cinema had ignored up to that point.<\/p>\n

On a deeper level, it is a powerful parable showing how the perpetual optimism of the American dream can be undermined a darker American reality.<\/p>\n

Joe’s flashbacks hint of a dark past in rural Texas (involving rape and cruelty), whilst Rizzo is trapped by the very city his friend has dreamt about. <\/p>\n

It isn’t a coincidence that both chase for the dream of another place, whether it be the streets of New York or the sunshine of Miami.<\/p>\n

There is also the comic contrast of Joe’s politeness with the rather sordid things he gets up to, whilst Rizzo reveals unexpected depths beneath his sleazy exterior.<\/p>\n

Screenwriter Waldo Salt<\/a> had had some lean years after being blacklisted during the 1950s but he brings some nice touches to the screenplay: notice the bookending of the story by key bus journeys, the clever use of non-verbal action and his empathy with outsiders. (Look out for his daughter Jennifer<\/a> in a key role). <\/p>\n

The use of music, supervised by John Barry<\/a>, is also highly effective from Nillson’s song ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ over the opening credits<\/a> to the sublime melodies of the Florida fantasy sequence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Revisiting the film today, it may be hard to appreciate the impact it had in 1969 but it came at a time when the major studios were deeply confused at what younger audiences wanted.<\/p>\n

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The success of films such as Bonnie and Clyde<\/a> (1967), The Graduate<\/a> (1967) and Easy Rider<\/a> (1969) flummoxed the old school studio executives who were still living in a previous era. <\/p>\n

Even at the enlightened folk at United Artists<\/a> – a studio who mixed commercial nous with artistic integrity – weren’t fully convinced by what Schlesinger was doing until they saw the finished film. <\/p>\n

On its release in May 1969 it became a massive success (despite negative reviews from high profile critics such as Judith Crist and Pauline Kael) and went on to be the fourth highest grossing film of that year.<\/p>\n

Given that it was awarded an X-rating by the MPAA, preventing it from being shown in certain markets, this was some achievement, even though it probably boosted the must-see aura surrounding the film.<\/p>\n

When it triumphed at the Oscars a few months later, it famously became the only X-rated film to win Best Picture, along with trophies for John Schlesinger (Best Director) and Waldo Salt (Best Adapted Screenplay).<\/p>\n

Look out for the startling coincidence in the actual film when Rizzo talks about his father in a graveyard and remarks that his tombstone should have \u2018one big lousy X\u2019.<\/p>\n

A further eerie moment happens in the scene where Hoffman and Voight argue about the latter\u2019s cowboy outfit and actually mention Wayne by name.<\/p>\n

Both Hoffman and Voight were up for Best Actor awards that year (as this LIFE magazine profile shows<\/a>), which may have split the vote, as it went to none other than John Wayne for True Grit.<\/p>\n

I can only imagine how Duke felt when he saw this:<\/p>\n