MovieChat Forums > Midnight Cowboy (1969) Discussion > watching this movie in 2015 vs 1969

watching this movie in 2015 vs 1969

posted 9 years ago by scary_poultry
3 replies | jump to latest

i had seen bits & pieces of this movie before but finally sat & watched all of it tonight. Over the years, the impression i got of it was that it was violent & explicit. Viewing it tonight it didn't strike me as overly so in either department.
Then it occurred to me that watching it now would be very different to when it was released in 1969 or even 10 years later in 1979. I imagine back in its day it would be rather shocking to people especially those who had not seen much of the seedier side of big city life. This film was pre 'Straw Dogs' 'Looking for Mr. Goodbar', 'Scarface', 'the Exorcist', 'the Godfather'. Those films i mention because they also had a reputation for being quite explicit for their day, even perhaps a first of their kind.
So did anyone here see this back in 1969 & how did you feel about it back then? Has your view changed with subsequent viewings? Do you remember what others said about it including the media?

[–] Holloway_Harris 9 years ago

I was too young to see it when it was first released. The movie actually had an x-rating. I remember it was a really big deal when my folks went to see it and although they didn't tell me about it I could tell they were shocked.

The movie is tame by today's standards in the dirt category --but holds up well artistically.---and Jon Voight's best work.

[–] balboa76 9 years ago

This is a very good topic, in 1969 Midnight Cowboy was rated X and considered very risque, just goes to show you how times have changed, the nudity in the film is actually kind of tame by today's standards and would be considered PG-13, I agree it not only holds up artistically but it continues to exceed and is superior to all the crap made today.

[–] InherentlyYours 9 years ago

'Then it occurred to me that watching it now would be very different to when it was released in 1969 or even 10 years later in 1979.'
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Not by 1979,when sex was everywhere in films and more revealing than MC. Deep Throat and the porn revolution was 7 ys earlier. MC would had gotten an R in 79'