Midnight Cowboy
Dir: John Schlesinger
1969
*****
John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy is one of the greatest American movies ever made. Schlesinger omits much of the first half of James Leo Herlihy's story, deciding that although the film deals with sexuality, the main theme is very much of loneliness and fear, loneliness and fear being subjects a huge cross-section of society could and can still relate to. The message is timeless. The story won't be reminiscent of most peoples lives; it's quirky, tragic and at times rather amusing but most can admit to fear, loneliness and the fear of loneliness as well as confusion and tests of character. Jon Voight plays Joe Buck, a troubled young man who flees Texas for New York in the hopes of becoming a gigolo for rich and lonely housewives. Things don't quite work out for him and along the way he meets street con-artist Rizzo (played by Dustin Hoffman in one of his greatest performances) and the pair decide to work together. The film is full of outstanding performances, beautiful compositions, fantastic dialogue and many a memorable scene. It's resonance is still strong today and the amazing soundtrack (probably my second favorite of all time after Blade Runner) and heartbreaking conclusion hit my tear-ducts every single time. It opened cinema to new themes and new ideas, broke down barriers and pushed through boundaries with little controversy or resistance. Independent film has never been the same again and its influence is huge. I've always favoured the 70's as the greatest decade for film and I believe you have to thank films such as Midnight Cowboy for that as it clearly paved the way forward. It's seriously one of the greatest films of all time.