Hud (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Hud' (directed by Martin Ritt) is an elegiac revisionist Western & slice of Americana set in a Texan ranch that highlights a familial clash btwn. the stern, moralistic cattle patriarch & his sexually-liberated, alcoholic, amoral son. It's a hard-boiled tale of troubled youth & the American dream gone alllll wrong. Homer Bannon (the great Melvyn Douglas) is said patriarch who has detested his callous son, Hud (the great Paul Newman), even before he held him responsible for a car accident 15 yrs. prior that resulted in the death of Hud's older brother. Said brother’s death orphaned his young son, Lon (Brandon De Wilde, of Shane), now age 17. Lon has great regard for his 'ole grandpa & idolizes the free-spirited mischief-maker, Hud.
The strong-willed, middle aged, divorcee housekeeper, Alma (Patricia Neal, superb), also lives on the ranch & has a, shall we say, emotional attachment with Hud. When one of Homer's cows inexplicably dies, he suspects the much-feared foot-&-mouth disease and calls in a gov't inspector to inspect. When the disease is confirmed, a decree comes from the gov't to destroy the cattle on Homer's ranch; which causes Hud to rebel as he selfishly figures that his inheritance will turn to naught after having worked on the cheap all these long years for his dad. Situations arise where Hud tries unsuccessfully to declare his father mentally incompetent to run the ranch. And then after one of his typical drinking bouts, Hud returns home to try & take advantage of Alma; Lon comes to the rescue. This incident ignites a series of unfortunate events including abandonment, death, & irreversible apathy.
This 1963 drama was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning 3: Patricia Neal for Best Actress, Melvyn Douglas for Supporting Actor, & James Wong Howe for Black-&-White Cinematography -- all well-deserved. Having said that, something holds me back from outright loving the film. The acting is not a problem, whatsoever. 'Hud' is the type of movie that would have been up for many Screen Actor Guild Awards had the organization been around back then. Paul Newman is sensational as Hud, our ruthless, cold-hearted, boozy antihero who is unwilling to change one aspect of himself.
Patricia Neal is incredible as the somewhat bedraggled divorcee who makes the mistake of getting involved with Hud; Neal's character nuances are exceptional. With only 22 minutes of screen time, Neal has the distinction of being a Best Lead Actress winner with one of the smallest run times. Melvyn Douglas is fantastic as Hud's scrupulous, old-school father who wears his heartaches on his sleeve. Brandon De Wilde also impresses as the idealistic, doting, hero-worshiping nephew of Hud. Again, the film is quite cold & bleak - not my fave type of film - but Martin Ritt's lucid look at the spiritual decay & death of pioneer Texas is fascinatingly illuminating.
The strong-willed, middle aged, divorcee housekeeper, Alma (Patricia Neal, superb), also lives on the ranch & has a, shall we say, emotional attachment with Hud. When one of Homer's cows inexplicably dies, he suspects the much-feared foot-&-mouth disease and calls in a gov't inspector to inspect. When the disease is confirmed, a decree comes from the gov't to destroy the cattle on Homer's ranch; which causes Hud to rebel as he selfishly figures that his inheritance will turn to naught after having worked on the cheap all these long years for his dad. Situations arise where Hud tries unsuccessfully to declare his father mentally incompetent to run the ranch. And then after one of his typical drinking bouts, Hud returns home to try & take advantage of Alma; Lon comes to the rescue. This incident ignites a series of unfortunate events including abandonment, death, & irreversible apathy.
This 1963 drama was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning 3: Patricia Neal for Best Actress, Melvyn Douglas for Supporting Actor, & James Wong Howe for Black-&-White Cinematography -- all well-deserved. Having said that, something holds me back from outright loving the film. The acting is not a problem, whatsoever. 'Hud' is the type of movie that would have been up for many Screen Actor Guild Awards had the organization been around back then. Paul Newman is sensational as Hud, our ruthless, cold-hearted, boozy antihero who is unwilling to change one aspect of himself.
Patricia Neal is incredible as the somewhat bedraggled divorcee who makes the mistake of getting involved with Hud; Neal's character nuances are exceptional. With only 22 minutes of screen time, Neal has the distinction of being a Best Lead Actress winner with one of the smallest run times. Melvyn Douglas is fantastic as Hud's scrupulous, old-school father who wears his heartaches on his sleeve. Brandon De Wilde also impresses as the idealistic, doting, hero-worshiping nephew of Hud. Again, the film is quite cold & bleak - not my fave type of film - but Martin Ritt's lucid look at the spiritual decay & death of pioneer Texas is fascinatingly illuminating.