MovieChat Forums > The Defiant Ones (1958) Discussion > This movie is good, but kinda overrated

This movie is good, but kinda overrated

posted 13 years ago by DeuceWild_77
4 replies | jump to latest

Oscar Noms for Curtis, Poitier, Bikel & Cara Williams? well, Poitier & Curtis were good in the lead roles, but not worthy for acting nominations, Bikel was just...there, playing the sherrif, an essential and logic character for the plot, he wasn't nothing special and Cara Williams was awful, her crying scene when Curtis was about to leave was so over-the-top and bad acted that made me cringe... I give the great cinematography and the writing Oscar nominations, but not for Best Picture neither any acting in the movie... Maybe 1958 was a weak year for movies & performances and this movie was an anti-racism hymn and they wanted to promote that.. I still give a 7/10, nothing more, nothing less.

[–] iroquoisjoe 13 years ago

I couldn't disagree with you more.

I will, however, constrain my remarks to the acting of Cara Williams. Now, whereas the physical attributes of her character made her situation a tad unbelievable she totally made up for that plot implausibility by her acting in the end. She 'convinced' me that she was a woman who knew her one great chance to get out of her trap of a life and really live was walking out that door. She was a desperate woman and she had just realized that she had totally messed up by saying too much about her insidious intentions. She felt infatuation and affinity with the Tony Curtis character, and she NEEDED that back from him. She thought he was going to be her saviour. The actress conveyed all that really well.

Anyhow, everyone else was great in this too.

[–] schwapj 10 years ago

I'm going to agree with you, four years later (just saw TDO for the first time on TCM 1/19/2015). In that crying scene Williams didn't shed one tear. Her accent and Tony Curtis' accent came and went, and I couldn't help but think how Paul Newman might have played his part, considering how he took to his roles in Long Hot Summer and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. I might have even said Curtis was trying to be Paul Newman, if this had been made ten years later. Sidney Poitier is always more good than bad, but not stupendous. 7 of 10 is generous but 6 is too low.

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

The cinematography is terrific, the acting is uniformly good, but that segment at the single mother's place just goes on forever and really does a job on the film's overall pacing. The chase loses a great deal of impetus. 🐭

[–] fanaticita 10 years ago

I saw this film a long time ago, and then most recently last night. I had totally forgotten it was such a great film. Made in 1958, yes, there were some questionable moments. . . dry cigarettes, no hair on the face from days of running, etc. etc. Both actors were amazing! I don't think Tony Curtis did a lot of drama roles, but when he did he made it clear his acting ability was superb. Poitier was magnificent in his role as well. For all the screen time the two of them had alone, I'd say it was deserving of nominations for awards and more. It was a great story, the developing friendship of the two prisoners dependent on each other for survival, and the friendship that continued after they were unchained.