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(out of 5)
Fantastic western directed by Martin Ritt features Paul Newman at his best, playing among the most memorable anti-heroes in film history. It takes place on a cattle ranch where badass Hud (Newman) is living with his kindly father (a brilliant Melvyn Douglas) and their burnt-out housekeeper (an equally impressive Patricia Neal). The ranch is threatened when a disease spreads among the animals, causing a rift between father and son when Hud makes it clear that he doesn’t care for his duties as a rancher at all. That’s the main story at least, but mostly the film revolves around the personal conflicts between these characters, all of it kept under close guard by James Wong Howe’s beautiful black and white cinematography and the extremely fine screenplay. This is one of the best American films of the decade.
Paramount Pictures, Salem-Dover Productions
USA, 1963
Directed by Martin Ritt
Screenplay by Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr., based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
Cinematography by James Wong Howe
Produced by Irving Ravetch, Martin Ritt
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Production Design by Tambi Larsen, Hal Pereira
Costume Design by Edith Head
Film Editing by Frank Bracht
Golden Globe Awards 1963
