The Defiant Ones is the story of 2 escaped convicts who must work together despite their general hatred for one another. What I found most interesting about this film is that they didn't go out of their way to establish the protagonists as innocent of their crimes, or exceedingly virtuous men. Typically that is how a filmmaker will get you to root for the main characters, because we as an audience are personally offended by the fact that they've been falsely convicted. Instead, these are not men who are all that likable, and by all rights we should be rooting for them to get caught and returned to prison. That is the way I felt through most of the film, but even I turned around eventually and found myself on their side.
It helps quite a bit that Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier are in the lead roles, because they both are charming and are able to develop these characters quite well. What makes The Defiant Ones a successful movie is that you believe the change and growth of these two men as they spend so much time together. I was slapping my forehead occasionally at some of the dumb decisions they make on their journey, but I suppose they were never established as criminal masterminds. It made the film mildly frustrating as I was already struggling to like the protagonists and then also had to deal with them making bone-headed mistakes. Yet I was interested in their journey, and by the end I was happy with how dramatically the two men had changed. The Defiant Ones isn't exactly my type of movie, but it is well-made and I can see why it has been lauded by many.
It helps quite a bit that Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier are in the lead roles, because they both are charming and are able to develop these characters quite well. What makes The Defiant Ones a successful movie is that you believe the change and growth of these two men as they spend so much time together. I was slapping my forehead occasionally at some of the dumb decisions they make on their journey, but I suppose they were never established as criminal masterminds. It made the film mildly frustrating as I was already struggling to like the protagonists and then also had to deal with them making bone-headed mistakes. Yet I was interested in their journey, and by the end I was happy with how dramatically the two men had changed. The Defiant Ones isn't exactly my type of movie, but it is well-made and I can see why it has been lauded by many.