As I read some of the glib dismissals of this movie, it occurred to me that their authors neither understand it or know anything about 1970s American cinema. Mitchum, one our finest actors, elevates every film he's in by his presence and subtlety as an actor. Yet this script was made for him. Herbert Leonard, the director, chose naturalism as his approach, which allowed for the inarticulateness of the two other key characters played by Vaccaro and Vincent. There are three people, then, trying to love one another and express themselves without the capacity to do so, just like real life.
Going Home has three violent peaks: the flashback to Mitchum's foundational crime, its near-reenactment between Vincent and Vaccaro, and then the final confrontation between father and son that partakes of both incidents. Vincent insists on being truthful to Mitchum, who reacts understandably but then relents from exacting his revenge. There is no defending the crimes of father and son, of course, since neither can be justified. So the film ends at this terminus with the separation that must occur.
Mitchum turned in some fantastic performances at the end of his career, better showcased in good stuff like Eddie Coyle than in less successful films such as Farewell My Lovely and The Last Tycoon. Savor everything of his that you can. There is no other like him.
Going Home has three violent peaks: the flashback to Mitchum's foundational crime, its near-reenactment between Vincent and Vaccaro, and then the final confrontation between father and son that partakes of both incidents. Vincent insists on being truthful to Mitchum, who reacts understandably but then relents from exacting his revenge. There is no defending the crimes of father and son, of course, since neither can be justified. So the film ends at this terminus with the separation that must occur.
Mitchum turned in some fantastic performances at the end of his career, better showcased in good stuff like Eddie Coyle than in less successful films such as Farewell My Lovely and The Last Tycoon. Savor everything of his that you can. There is no other like him.