In the deep South a car transporting prisoners to jail crashes. Most of the prisoners live but two escape--John Jackson (Tony Curtis) and Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier). They're also chained to each other. Naturally they hate each other but (sigh) slowly learn to respect and care for each other.
What a dated movie. Seriously--THIS won a Best Screenplay Oscar? I find it hard to believe that even in 1958 this was considered daring. The talks and insights are thoroughly predictable and I actually rolled my eyes a few time at how obvious this was getting. Also there are glaring lapses in continuity---after Jackson and Cullen are caught in a raging river AND running through the rain, Jackson's cigarettes AND matches are completely dry and we get to watch him smoke nonstop. To make matters worse they run into a woman (Cara Williams) at the end and the film comes to a screeching halt (and it was already slow to begin with!).
On the plus side--the acting was great. Curtis and Poitier play well off each other and make their change from hatred to caring seem realistic. Also it was fun to see Lon Chaney in a rare dramatic role and he was great! It was well directed by Stanley Kramer and won a well-deserved Oscar for cinematography. But, all in all, I found this boring, heavy-handed and slow-moving. Time is not kind to all movies and this is proof positive of that! I give it a 5.
What a dated movie. Seriously--THIS won a Best Screenplay Oscar? I find it hard to believe that even in 1958 this was considered daring. The talks and insights are thoroughly predictable and I actually rolled my eyes a few time at how obvious this was getting. Also there are glaring lapses in continuity---after Jackson and Cullen are caught in a raging river AND running through the rain, Jackson's cigarettes AND matches are completely dry and we get to watch him smoke nonstop. To make matters worse they run into a woman (Cara Williams) at the end and the film comes to a screeching halt (and it was already slow to begin with!).
On the plus side--the acting was great. Curtis and Poitier play well off each other and make their change from hatred to caring seem realistic. Also it was fun to see Lon Chaney in a rare dramatic role and he was great! It was well directed by Stanley Kramer and won a well-deserved Oscar for cinematography. But, all in all, I found this boring, heavy-handed and slow-moving. Time is not kind to all movies and this is proof positive of that! I give it a 5.