Product: Outsider [VHS]
Rating: 5.0
A finely etched portrait whose emotions linger in the memory
Because there are as many ways to approach a film review as there are people, I call "The Outsider" an awesome and powerful film which continues to linger emotionally in the memory, forever. Affected immensely by it when it was first released, I have never been able to shake the image of Tony Curtis' performance which I place on a plane with Kirk Douglas' in "Lust for Life," James Dean's in "East of Eden" or Heath Ledger's in "Brokeback Mountain." Anyone may argue that one actor is much more accomplished than another, but all these portraits remain ensconced in a permanent place within me, yet they also share the commonality that none were recognized by the film academy as winners in their respective year. While Ira Hayes is portrayed beautifully in the newer film on the same subject - "Flags of Our Fathers," I shall always consider Tony Curtis' portrayal in the older film, arguably, his finest hour as an actor and among the most memorable portrayls by a male actor on film! While true that the film had good production values, without that haunting portrayal (and the haunting song, "Where Are You?"), it might not have been as powerful a film. This deserves to be on DVD and is sorely missing.