Although I could tell it was a quality production, it just didn't make much of a personal impression on me. I felt like the drama was all handled a bit too heavily, especially considering how crisp and objective the legendary James Wong Howe's photography for the film is. Paul Newman's performance is the best feature of the film other than its beauty, and certainly he's also a part of its beauty since his face matches the landscape of the film so well.
Hud (Newman) is the rebellious son of an ornery cattle rancher (Melvyn Douglas). His behavior provides a poor role model for his nephew Lon (Brandon De Wilde) and endangers the only woman on the premises, the housekeeper Alma (Patricia Neal).
The job of this movie, as far as I can see, is for De Wilde to be sort of this neutral energy and for the Douglas and Neal characters to exert enough of a centered and constructive energy that it overwhelms Hud's gravity even in the face of his clearly being the most fascinating character in the film. As far as that goes, the film is reasonably successful. I question the wisdom of adapting the McMurtry novel into modern times -- it makes the Douglas rancher character seem ludicrously old fashioned rather than endearingly so, and it invites unpleasant comparisons to the Rock Hudson character from the George Stevens adaption of Edna Ferber's "Giant." Nice film, I'm glad I finally saw it... but I probably won't watch it again too soon, as it seems to me fairly obvious and wouldn't be hugely rewarding on repeat viewings.
Hud (Newman) is the rebellious son of an ornery cattle rancher (Melvyn Douglas). His behavior provides a poor role model for his nephew Lon (Brandon De Wilde) and endangers the only woman on the premises, the housekeeper Alma (Patricia Neal).
The job of this movie, as far as I can see, is for De Wilde to be sort of this neutral energy and for the Douglas and Neal characters to exert enough of a centered and constructive energy that it overwhelms Hud's gravity even in the face of his clearly being the most fascinating character in the film. As far as that goes, the film is reasonably successful. I question the wisdom of adapting the McMurtry novel into modern times -- it makes the Douglas rancher character seem ludicrously old fashioned rather than endearingly so, and it invites unpleasant comparisons to the Rock Hudson character from the George Stevens adaption of Edna Ferber's "Giant." Nice film, I'm glad I finally saw it... but I probably won't watch it again too soon, as it seems to me fairly obvious and wouldn't be hugely rewarding on repeat viewings.