Image Courtesy of Amazon.com
Director:
John Schlesinger
Cast:
Dustin Hoffman……….Enrico Salvatore ‘Ratso’ Rizzo
Jon Voight……….Joe Buck
Sylvia Miles……….Cass
John McGiver……….Mr. O’Daniel
Brenda Vaccaro……….Shirley
Barnard Hughes……….Towny
The Movie
Hollywood and controversy never seem to be far from one another. While the mainstream has become much more accepting than it has in years past, in the early 1970s one film would push the envelope much further than it had in years past. Midnight Cowboy would cement Dustin Hoffman as an international star and make Jon Voight a household name overnight. It was the only film with an ‘X’ rating ever to win Best Picture and Best Director (John Schlesinger) at the Oscars while nabbing Oscar nominations for Voight and Hoffman for Best Leading Actor (both would lose to John Wayne for True Grit).
Voight stars as Joe Buck, a native of Texas who moves to New York City to become a male prostitute. Tall, blonde and good-lucking, Buck dreams of being paid by wealthy women to pleasure them and ventures to the Big Apple to find his fortune. He meets up with a street hustler named Ratso (Hoffman), and from there it’s a look at two losers trying to become winners. It was to the early 1970s what Brokeback Mountain has become in 2005/2006, a film that shocked the mainstream cultural standards. It has a lot of shocking moments, including an ending that would not be allowed in today’s Hollywood, as it deals with prostitution, theft, and vice in a way that would be more acceptable now than it was back then.
Culminating with 1977’s Annie Hall, the 1970s have often been viewed as one of the few golden eras of Hollywood. In an era where films are geared towards awards shows or box office bonanzas, Midnight Cowboy is one of the first films mentioned of this era of film-making when the only aim was to just make great film. While some of the techniques Schlesinger uses as a director have become out-dated, what continues to stand out is the development of Buck and Rizzo over the two hours of the film. While it doesn’t hold up like other films like Network and Rocky do, it’s a good film that still provokes an interesting response.
Score : 8 / 10
The Video
Re-mastered in high definition, the film looks much better than it has in prior releases. Presented in a widescreen format with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Midnight Cowboy looks great.
The Audio
The audio on this film has also been substantially upgraded with this release, presented in a newly created Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound created from the original mono. No complaints here.
The Extras
“After Midnight – Reflections on the Classic” is a retrospective on making Midnight Cowboy from the cast and remaining members of the crew. With acute observations about how making a film has changed since 1971, i.e. they just “made the film” as opposed to make it in committee, as well as all sorts of insights on the film nearly four decades removed from its release that runs approximately 29 minutes. The stars and crew talk about the film, its unusual story-telling as well as take a deep look at the characters they played with a refreshing frankness.
“Controversy and Acclaim” is a featurette that focuses on both the controversial elements of the film as well as the acclaim the film received. With open and frank discussion by Hoffman and Voight, amongst others, it’s an extended look at the sort of controversy the film developed in part to its subject matter as well as the resulting aftermath from its big Oscar win.
“Celebrating Schlesinger” is a retrospective on John Schlesinger, who died in 2003. With lots of genuine praise from Hoffman and Voight, friends and colleagues (and an appearance by film critic Leonard Maltin) talk about the man in a nine minute piece.
Photo gallery is a collection of stills from the movie as well as during the production itself.
Postcards with stills from the film as well as the original film poster are included as well.
Commentary with Producer Jerome Hellman
Score : 7.5 / 10
