The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993)
"Don't ever argue with the big dog, because the big bog is always right."
The Fugitive's story and its main characters were based on the 1960s television show of the same name. I've never seen the original show (I'm not THAT old), but from my understanding, the basis of most episodes was Kimble goes to a new place every week and helps out some individual in need before narrowly escaping recapture by Gerard. Obviously, what works for 20+ hours of TV isn't necessarily going to work for a 2-hour feature film. As a result, the filmmakers condensed much of what the show did and focused on Kimble's quest to prove his innocence and less on helping those in trouble, though they do throw a bit of that in as a nod to the series.
In its essence, the main story of the film is a mystery. Thanks to some early flashback scenes, we know the one-armed man (Katsulas) was real and that he did indeed kill Helen Kimble. However, we don't know why he did it and who, if anyone, orchestrated the whole thing. As Kimble searches for the identity of the one-armed man, he uncovers a larger plot involving corruption at his former hospital and a major pharmaceutical company. This mystery is what makes the movie, which would otherwise be a standard chase film, much more engaging as we watch Kimble not only try to uncover what's going on but also dodge the U.S. Marshalls' attempts to bring him in.
It's that combination of mystery and chase movie that really helps this movie flow well. While most mysteries are often slow and often plodding affairs, The Fugitive moves along at a brisk pace and manages to build tension and suspense through the "just missed him" moments between Kimble and those hunting him. The mystery takes a back seat to the chase, for sure, but as a secondary plot focus, it gives the audience some quiet moments to get to know the characters and catch up with important plot points. Director Andrew Davis did a good job combining the best parts of both genres into an enjoyable film.
Acting/Characters:
The cast for this film is pretty solid, starting with the hero Richard Kimble, played by the great Harrison Ford. At this point in his career, Ford's two most iconic roles (Han Solo and Indiana Jones, for those who have been living under a rock) were well in his rear-view mirror. There was such a divergence in Ford's portrayal of those two iconic characters compared to Kimble. While Solo and Jones are cocky and smart-mouthed, Kimble is sincere and humble. He's not an action hero by any means. He's just a regular guy trying to prove his innocence. It's a streak contrast and shows why we shouldn't typecast great actors because you never know what else they can show us.
On the other hand, the film's other lead, Tommy Lee Jones, plays Sam Gerard much like those earlier Ford roles. Gerard is arrogant, self-assured and absolutely laser-focused on bringing in Kimble. There's a scene early in the film which sums up Gerard's character perfectly. Gerard and Kimble are in the midst of a tense standoff in which Kimble explains that he didn't kill his wife and Gerard's response is a simple "I don't care." It's such a great moment that does an excellent job informing the audience about the type of man Gerard is. Jones' performance in this film was so good he won a Best Supporting Oscar for it. In addition, when the inevitable sequel came out, it was focused on Gerard rather than Kimble. That's how good the performance was.
The rest of the cast is great, with Joe Pantoliano and Daniel Roebuck as U.S. Marshalls Refro and Biggs, respectively. Jeroen Krabbé also turns up as Kimble's friend and former colleague Dr. Charles Nichols, and we even get to see a fresh-faced Juliane Moore as a young doctor who almost gets Kimble caught. All in all, the supporting cast is pretty great.
Visual/Special Effects:
There are not many effects in this movie, but I loved how the film looked visually. The film was set in Illinois during the early spring, so scenes during the day have a dull gray look to them, contrasted by the neon blue look of Chicago during scenes at night. It's a method used countless times in cinema history, but I just think it looks neat.
Score/Music:
The film's music was composed by James Newton Howard, and at the beginning, I wasn't terribly impressed with the musical score. I thought it was just kinda...blah. However, as the movie progressed, I started to dig the music and felt it added to the tension that the story was trying to convey. It was certainly a product of its time, and if you'd heard it for the first time without any context, you'd know for sure it was written in the 90s, but still, I think it works overall.
Action:
This film has a fair amount of action, as many crime thrillers often do. In fact, several set pieces were stunning for the time and are still pretty impressive today. The most famous is probably the scene where Kimble attempts to escape a prison bus stuck on a railroad track with a train bearing down on it. Also, the chase inside the bowels of a hydroelectric dam is pretty damned entertaining. The film's climax set in and around a swanky hotel, while not all-out action, is taut and satisfying. Top marks for the action here.
Final Verdict:
I still like this movie, and I think it's one of those films that was huge in its day that has slowly been forgotten due to the passage of time. Really, this is exactly the type of movie that caused me to start this blog in the first place. Unfortunately, because it isn't associated with an ongoing franchise, it's been left off of streaming services and faces being doomed to obscurity. Seriously, watch it. It's great.
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