Better than The Hateful Eight
I am going to start posting whether the last movie I watched is better than, equal to or not as good as the movie I watch just before.
shareI watched Hombre again recently (on Turner Classic Movies) and started thinking about the similarities to Hateful Eight with regard to...the stagecoach passengers having long talks with each other; the generally rancid and disreputable nature of many people ON the stagecoach; the way the passengers end up in one space together(not so much in "Hombre" though); and the way in which "the Western" becomes a vehicle(in both movies) for something different...a "Ten Little Indians" murder mystery in "Eight," a gripping morality tale in "Hombre."
But this above all: both films have great dialogue spoken by great actors in great alternating duets of alternating conflict and camaraderie.
And then it hit me: "Hombre" was from a novel by Elmore Leonard and has a lot of his dialogue -- Quentin Tarantino was a big Elmore Leonard fan and adapted his book "Rum Punch" for the screen, as "Jackie Brown."
Thus, a great and strong linkage forms from "Hombre" (across DECADES) TO "The Hateful Eight."
Which one's better? Oh, I don't want to pick. I love 'em both. "Hombre's " somewhat more intelligent, adult and nuanced, but "Hateful Eight" has its own Gothic power.
Very interesting comparison of the two films, which I didn't realize. But, for me, "Hombre" is vastly superior simply because it's thoroughly realistic. "The Hateful Eight" is a painful cartoon by comparison.
What the two films drive home is another reason: The survivors in "Hombre" are all seriously flawed in one way or another -- whether greedy (Fredric March), arrogant (Barbara Rush) weak (Martin Balsam), green (the kid), morally dubious (Margaret Blye) or liberally naïve (Diane Cilento) -- but the end leaves them speechless as unworthy sinners in the face of grace through Russell's sacrifice. They represent the viewer: We can take the grace offered us and live a life worthy of it or put it out of mind and continue on in our folly. It's up to us.
But what does "Hateful Eight" leave us with? For me, just disgust.
My 175 (or so) Favorite Movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/
"The Hateful Eight" is a painful cartoon by comparison.
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On general principles, "Hombre" is the better movie. Hombre was made in a more nuanced and professional time at the American movies. Professional screenwriters adapted a tough novel for a major star(Paul Newman) and a prestige supporting cast. The movie HAD to be intelligent and mean something.
The Hateful Eight came straight out of QT's head, influenced by a pack of TV Western episodes(one in particular from a show called "The Rebel" that had enough plot lifts from it to merit a lawsuit) and his own increasingly perverse mental state.
Still, as a work of cinematic art, The Hateful Eight looked gorgeous and was well composed in the images, and had Ennio Morricone's Oscar wining score -- all in service of QT's great lines and indeed disgusting worldview.
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What the two films drive home is another reason: The survivors in "Hombre" are all seriously flawed in one way or another -- whether greedy (Fredric March), arrogant (Barbara Rush) weak (Martin Balsam), green (the kid), morally dubious (Margaret Blye) or liberally naïve (Diane Cilento) -- but the end leaves them speechless as unworthy sinners in the face of grace through Russell's sacrifice. They represent the viewer: We can take the grace offered us and live a life worthy of it or put it out of mind and continue on in our folly. It's up to us.
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This is what makes Hombre not only a cracking action story ...but a meaningful thematic ride, as well. We got a lot of movies like that in the 60s and 70's.