The Fugitive

Plot synopsis:
Dr. Richard Kimble, a prominent Chicago vascular surgeon, arrives home to find his wife Helen fatally wounded by a one-armed man. Kimble struggles with the killer but he escapes. The lack of evidence of a break-in, Helen's lucrative life insurance policy, and a misunderstood 9-1-1 call result in Kimble's conviction of first-degree murder. Being transported to death row by bus, his fellow prisoners attempt an escape. The pandemonium sends the bus down a ravine and into the path of an oncoming train. Kimble escapes the collision and flees. Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard and his colleagues Renfro, Biggs, Newman and Poole arrive at the crash site and begin the search for Kimble. Kimble sneaks into a hospital to treat his wounds and alter his appearance. He eludes the authorities, but Gerard corners him at the edge of a storm drain over a dam. Kimble leaps into the raging water and escapes.
Kimble returns to Chicago to hunt for the murderer and acquires money from his friend and colleague Dr. Charles Nichols. Posing as a janitor, Kimble enters the local county hospital's prosthetic department to obtain a list of people who had their prosthetic arm repaired shortly after his wife's murder. Following a police lead confirming Kimble's recent whereabouts, Gerard speculates that Kimble is searching for the one-armed man. Kimble breaks into the residence of one of the people on the list, a former police officer named Fredrick Sykes. Kimble discovers that Sykes is the murderer and is employed by a pharmaceutical company, Devlin MacGregor, which is scheduled to release a new drug called Provasic. Kimble investigated the drug in the past and revealed that it caused liver damage, which would have prevented it from being approved by the FDA. He also deduces that Nichols, who is leading the drug's development, arranged a cover-up and ordered Sykes to kill him – his wife's death was incidental. Gerard follows Kimble's lead to Sykes' home and draws the same conclusion.
As Kimble takes an elevated train to confront Nichols at the drug's presentation in a hotel, Sykes appears and attacks him. In the struggle, Sykes shoots a transit cop before being subdued and handcuffed to a pole by Kimble. Kimble arrives at the pharmacon conference and interrupts Nichols's speech, accusing him of falsifying his medical research and orchestrating his wife's murder. They fight while being chased through the hotel by the marshals and police. Gerard calls out to Kimble that he knows about Nichols' conspiracy. Nichols knocks out Renfro and takes his gun and attempts to shoot Gerard, but Kimble attacks him from behind, knocking him unconscious. Kimble surrenders to Gerard, who escorts him out of the hotel. Nichols and Sykes are arrested. Kimble is exonerated and driven from the crime scene by Gerard.

Tags: tragedy, allegory

Review:
There are essentially two ways in which to view this movie.The first one is to compare and contrast this film with the novel from which it is loosely inspired, "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene.
While Greene's masterpiece described how even the most outwardly depraved and despicable of human beings can be redeemed by their last actions of faith and sacrifice, John Ford was more concerned with showing how circumstances may transform a cowardly priest into a martyr for the faith.
Rather, it is a beautifully-made story of a man's journey from fear and doubt to a better understanding of his role, no matter how modest, in the grand affairs of the world.The photography is truly a work of art, masterfully using light and shadows, brightness and dark, close-ups of faces distorted by anguish and halos of figures resembling statues in church alcoves.
If it had been sold as an anti-Communist as opposed to a pro-Catholic film it might have done better in those beginning years of The Cold War.The Fugitive is based on a Graham Greene novel The Power and the Glory and it is about a priest in an unnamed South American country who is a fugitive because of his calling.
Dolores Del Rio as his estranged wife was already familiar to American audiences from the silent screen.The original novel by Greene had the priest as somewhat less than true to all his vows.
It lessened the impact of the film.And with the whitewashing of Fonda's character came some rather heavy handed symbolism of Fonda as a Christlike figure.Still The Fugitive might be worth a look for Ford, Greene, and Fonda fans..
what do you this movie will be like?In the hands of the crusty but sentimental John Ford, you might expect this movie to be some kind of hagiography, showing the priest as he performs his pastoral labors with fierce courage as well as with patient devotion, and anticipates his fate with Christian resignation.
Henry Fonda, as the priest, gives at one point a stunning assessment of his motives for what he does which turns any picture of a heroic shepherd on its ear.This is one of John Ford's lesser known pictures - an unknown masterpiece..
Unlike many of the Westerns that brought director John Ford his greatest fame, 'The Fugitive' is entirely unconcerned with any form of action or dialogue; Ford's film-making is so concentrated on establishing the correct emotional atmosphere for each scene that it occasionally strays into tedium.
"The Labyrinthine Ways"} and concerns the plight of a victimised Christian priest, in an unnamed Latin American country where religion has been outlawed.Perhaps the film's greatest weakness, from my reasoning at least, is that it is so concerned with painting each character as an icon or ideal (few characters are afforded names, and are instead credited with indefinite articles; "a fugitive," "a lieutenant of police," "an Indian woman") that it's hard to sympathise with them.
The Fugitive (Henry Fonda) is not a courageous, humble pillar of human decency, but a misguided clergy driven by an unconscious self-pride; his adversary, the Lieutenant of Police (Pedro Armendáriz), loves his country and its people deeply, but, guided by a fierce blind patriotism and an illogical hatred of religion, he is often misled towards acts of sheer barbarity.
Carrol Naish) is a Judas-like character, betraying The Fugitive to the authorities, and becoming inescapably repentant at the thought of his inhumanity.Despite not being particularly religious myself, I was sufficiently moved by Christianity's noble plight for survival, though I wasn't overly fond of the film's ultimate assertion that the lieutenant's hatred of religion stems directly from his secretly believing in God but being unwilling to admit it.
John Ford thought of the Fugitive as, despite not being a box-office success, a perfect film and one of his very favorites.
As a fan of the Ford work I've seen there are some times when he's touched perfection (Grapes of Wrath and the Searchers are it for me), and sometimes not so much, which goes without saying he directed many films.
With the Fugitive it's recognizable to me why it's split its audience: some hail it as being totally underrated and a brilliant depiction of religious allegory and suffering, and some say that it's a total crock for being far too heavy-handed and acted over-the-top.Both sides have their right points; it is an underrated picture, if only for its technical feats of cinematography (Gabriel Figueroa is just right for this kind of material for Ford) and Ford's usual talents as a basic storyteller with a tendency for pure cinema expression (i.e. lack of dialog is a plus with the emotion expressed through the camera and actors.
But it is also not well-acted in a couple of instances, notably the beautiful but overbearing Delores Del-Rio as the woman living in the town who's baby is baptized by the Priest played by Henry Fonda.
In fact it's for him that some of the picture is most watchable, as he flexes his emotional chops for a scene where it's required for complexity like when he misses the boat and is asked to bless someone dying only to realize there is no wine and must go to ask from a vulgarian for wine (which, as it turns out, is drunken with brandy and all by him).While it might not be the Fonda we all know and love from Grapes of Wrath or My Darling Clementine he does what he can with the part, and it's a tribute to him and Ford that they make it engrossing on a very simple level that carries some complex connotations.
The image of Dolores Del Rio framed in the church door has never left me...this film was shot by Gabriel Figueroa, Bunuel's cinematographer on many films and one of the great masters...it is, along with Peter Fonda's The Hired Hand and Terence Malick's Days of Heaven, the most exquisitely shot movie I have ever seen in what I would call the "intimate" style, for lack of a better term...as opposed to such a film as "Lawrence of Arabia", which otherwise would have to be considered in that list.
The Fugitive is directed by John Ford and adapted to screenplay by Dudley Nichols from the Graham Greene novel The Labyrinthine Ways.
Music is by Richard Hageman and cinematography by Gabriel Figueropa.Latin America and anti-cleric policies render the last remaining priest in this particular state a fugitive...Depending on which side of the fence you sit, this is either a turgid bore or one of John Ford's masterpieces.
With the important Mexican team that did the most famous films of director Emilio Fernandez ("Flores Silvestres", "Maria Candelaria", "Las Abandonadas" ...): Dolores del Rio, Pedro Armendariz and cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, based on work Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory" outstanding writer and an actor of the caliber of Henry Fonda for the leading role, everything seemed to assume that it would result in another great drama like that in the 30s and early 40s we had given the remarkable director John Ford.
RKO RADIO Pictures presents An ARGOSY PICTURES/PRODUCTA MEX DESCONCIDA Production, THE FUGITIVE, Directed by John Ford, Written by Dudley Nichols, Based on the Novel "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene.
Carroll Nash, Leo Carillo, Ward Bond, Robert Armstrong, John Qualen, Fortunio Bonanova, Chris-Pin Martin, Miguel Indclan, Fernando Fernandez, Rodolfo Acosta, Mel Ferrer, Jack Pennick, Jose Torvay.It's always a great experience to "find" a hereto for unknown film, that is a title that we know very little about, if even of it's existence.
Such a film is this John Ford production of THE FUGITIVE.
And the screen version follows the lead, and makes it everything that is Mexican, but without a name.The tense, ever tense story starts out with a unit of Mounted Police, entering a village of mostly peasants, in search of an outlawed Catholic Priest, believed to be in the area.
The story begs the question to the Priest and, indeed to all of us; would we do the "right thing", if we were put into such a position.Truly, THE FUGITIVE presents us with a John Ford Film of the greatest magnitude.
Henry Fonda in a larger-than-life role as a good priest is top-notch , Pedro Armendariz as a nasty general is perfect and War Bond as outlaw wanted by totalitarian police is cool .
Fonda (Grapes of wrath , Drums along the Mohawk , Young Mr. Lincoln) and Pedro Armendariz (3 Godfathers , Fort Apache) played several films for John Ford .
Besides , there appears Ford's habitual friends , someone uncredited , such as Jack Pennick , Rodolfo Acosta , John Qualen , Fortunio Bonanova , J Carrol Naish, Mel Ferrer's first film and the opening narration is by Ward Bond , who also plays an important role in the film .
You know Henry Fonda was a good actor when he can play a priest, and actually look pious.
It was filmed in Mexico and there are some nice photographic touches in here.Maybe I am just not a fan of Graham Greene's overly melodramatic writing but not many other people liked this depressing tale, either.
Furthermore, in the role of the fugitive priest south of the border, HENRY FONDA looks decidedly uncomfortable throughout.This time John Ford struck out.
The story is drab, downbeat and depressing--and both HENRY FONDA and DOLORES del RIO seem to be acting for the camera in a style that approaches silent screen acting in the worst possible way--especially during the opening scene.
Between acting styles and the extravagant use of symbolism, this is a film of many flaws, most of them in the direction and heavy-handed script.A critical failure at the time, it is in no way the masterpiece some are calling it among the user comments here.No Ford film would be complete without WARD BOND turning up as "El Gringo".
Good and Bad. This is an interesting film because the original story/novel its based on, "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene (considered one of the best novels of the 20th century), tells a very similar story but completely diferent.
The novel and the John Ford movie tell almost the same story, but with the huge difference that the priest character (Henry Fonda) is not an alcoholic, has not fathered a son with the peasant woman, and instead of cowardly he is somewhat of a martyr.
On the other hand the lieutenant of police, played very well by Pedro Armendariz, although still ruthless is now seen as being 'bad' because he is hunting down a priest.Overall the movie has great acting (particularly Armendariz), great direction, and is beautifully photographed by Mexican great Gabriel Figueroa.
Ford shoots for the stars in this uneven parable, but mostly fails.You know you're in for some heavy-handedness when, near the beginning, Henry Fonda's priest (none of the characters are named, as in a fable) opens the doors to an abandoned church and the camera lovingly lingers on his shadow, which forms a crucifix in the dusty doorway.It doesn't get better from there.
Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, obviously influenced by this film, recreates the dusty revolutionary Mexican village with more authority and authenticity.Perhaps expected to be a spiritual successor of Tom Joad, Fonda is badly miscast; his dour, pseudo-Hispanic performance is greatly reminiscent of the later The Wrong Man. It isn't until the end of the film that he's able to give a speech worthy of his natural humanity, but it comes too little, too late.John Ford, working at the top of his technical game, supplies beautiful compositions and Gabriel Figueroa's lush lensing is the highlight of the film, and for that reason alone it is recommended..
The movie made by John Ford, follows the massive effect this Catholic repression had on Mexicans and their society over this time period.
The baptisms, the hostage taking, the executions, the effect this repression had on all classes of Mexican society, were part of this understated but brilliant depiction of Mexico during the Cristero Rebellion.The fact that John Ford used the creme of the creme of Mexican films; Emiliano "El Indio" Fernandez, an iconic figure in Mexico's Golden Age of Cinema, as an associate producer, Fernando Fernandez, an accomplished singer in Mexican cinema, Miguel Inclan (the hostage), who would go on to achieve fame as the blind man in Bunuel's "Los Olvidados", Gabriel Figueroa, by far the most accomplished Mexican cinematographer of all time, Delores Del Rio and Pedro Armendariz, two of the top stars of Mexican films, to support one of America's finest movie stars Henry Fonda, speaks volumes on John Ford's efforts to craft a movie for the ages.This film has the angst found in German films, the methodical cadence characterizing films from Great Britian, the lights and shadows of Mexico, with a good helping of an American western, thanks to another great tough guy performance by Ward Bond.
Finding simple words for this portrayal of humanity and its many frailities, would say little of the creatures of love and suffering   so lovingly brought into focus by John Ford's willingness to emphasise the faults and weaknesses of the anti-hero priest, as well as to spotlight the strengths of the judas informer and his awakening to the light of understanding in his clear awareness that he is responsible for the death of a fine man, who also happens to be a priest.
Fugitive, The (1947)*** (out of 4) Henry Fonda plays a priest in Central America who finds himself on the run after the government bans all religion.
The Fugitive, a kind of Catholic adventure flick, was their first picture.This is the sort of thing John Ford really believed in.
Like the Informer (an excellent picture by the way), the Fugitive has a kind of stark simplicity to its images, giving the characters and locations an iconic look.
Ward Bond, on the other hand, does the only bit of good acting in the whole thing (in fact it's some of the best acting of Bond's whole career), and I love his "El Gringo" character, but I can't help feeling he's in the wrong film.
Henry Fonda(Priest/and Fugitive) gave a wonderful performance along with Dolores del Rio (An Indian Woman).
Ward Bond had to make an appearance as (El Gringo) and if you look real fast, you will see Mel Ferrer as Father Serra)  All of John Ford's films were great in the 30's and 40's and will always remain so..
How different then is the work of Ford's occasional collaborator, the great Greg Toland (said to have mentored Figueroa as well) who photographed "Long Voyage Home" and "Grapes of Wrath," as well as Welles' "Citizen Kane." In those films, the shadows and light serve the story, but in this one Figueroa's photography, however beautiful to see, simply overtakes the film by exaggerating all the absurd Sunday School symbolism..
especially if you like john Ford's movies, because this film was so beneath him that i suspect he was brain damaged by alcohol during the shoot.
I think that The Fugitive is perhaps Ford's last great 'art film', a high-minded show of faith, a lovingly crafted paean to his own Catholicism..
Directed by John Ford, "The Fugitive" from 1947 is based on the Graham Greene novel and concerns a priest (Henry Fonda) in Central America trying to escape the authorities.
The photography is breathtaking; of course, it's hard to go wrong with the gorgeous Delores del Rio. She gives a wonderful performance, as does Fonda as a haunted, hunted man.There are a lot of chases, some singing, not a lot of dialogue, and it's a somber film.
Fonda plays an almost silent character who has the appearance of a startled dear in the headlights of a speeding car throughout the entire length of the movie, and as this borders on an almost silent film at times there's not really a great deal to get ones teeth into.
But this is the only one where it feels like Ford got lost in experimenting and trying something different instead of making a more solid film with a good story.
The plot is about a priest (Henry Fonda) in some fictional Latin American country trying to get away from a government that has denounced religion and is looking to eliminate all religious leaders.There's a lot of Christian symbolism in this one.
This is a strange one: a John Ford film that looks more like some failed experiment by Orson Welles (something he toyed with before growing bored) with a turgid, meandering plot that, for the most part, stubbornly refuses to engage, and a leading man who looks as uncomfortable as he does ridiculous.Henry Fonda plays the fugitive of the title  a catholic priest in a Latin American police state determined to eliminate all traces of religion  with all the enthusiasm of a seven-year-old forced to attend Sunday school.
This underappreciated film was one of many great movies from the team of John Ford and Henry Fonda.
Fonda plays a Catholic priest in a small Mexican town at a time when Christians were being persecuted by the Government.SPOILERS: He is forced to go on the run and later finds sanctuary, but is tracked down by a man he had come across before.
John Ford's lesser known masterpiece, full of expressionist touches, The Fugitive might be an allegorical warning for communist rule and its story conclusion might be too predictive, nevertheless the film contains a great cinematography by legendary cinematographer, Gabriel Figueroa, excellent performances from all participating actors/actresses and the great sincerity in the manner, which the story is told.
The door opens, enters the man and says: "I'm your new priest..." Ford had a Catholic upbringing and faith, which is obvious in his many films and in this one too.
The movie contains religious symbolism, sometimes trivial, but essential to the story and the main character's development.In conclusion, I can say, that every admirer of John Ford and the cinema generally, should watch this beautifully staged and photographed drama..