The Fugitive (1993)

Memorable, crazy movie

Let's be realistic.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

The FugitiveIt is one of those features that completely relies upon the screenplay and not the concept for no matter how simple it gets its twists and tricks will bedazzle the viewers in each and every frame as it ages on screen. Andrew Davis has done a plausible job as a director but the real game changer in here is the co-writer; Jeb Stuart, who also wrote the infamous Die Hard. Harrison Ford pulls it off like a charm along with a brilliant performance by Tommy Lee Jones which got him a well deserved Oscar for it. The Fugitive has everything in its right place i.e. from gripping screenplay to exhilarating chase sequences (one of the best part of it is that it keeps the audience engaged through these close encounters in the cat and mouse chase), from twisted plot to brilliant performances and from amazing background score (James Newton Howard has as always done a marvelous work in here) to beautiful cinematography.

"The Fugitive" is a first-rate action-packed thriller. Indeed, no matter how deep your involvement in story is, no matter how familiar you're with the original 60's TV series, or how much you appreciate the action genre, there is not a way not to enjoy it. In fact, this paragraph should be enough… unless you're not convinced, then you can read what follows.Directed by Andrew Davis whose "Under Siege" met with surprising critical acclaim (one of the few Steven Seagal movies to achieve this stunt), the film stars Harrison Ford as the ill-fated Dr. Richard Kimble, trying to find out the mysterious one-armed man who killed his wife, while escaping from the Law, incarnated by his nemesis US. Marshall Deputy Gerard played by Tommy Lee Jones. Jones was the villain in "Under Siege" but this time, it's another form of antagonism he embodies, he is a roller-coaster of a man who won't tolerate any fugitive to slip through his net. It's not even personal, this is man who wants the job done and that's perhaps enough a reason to root for him while empathizing with Kimble. Why, that's a nice way to put it.It all leads to the most famous and parodied moment of the film : the early encounter between the two men at the edge of a storm drain over a huge dam, Kimble tells Gerard: "I didn't kill my wife" and Gerard's answer is "I don't care". Whatever Kimble did is irrelevant, that's what makes his situation tricky. He sees himself as an innocent man, people see him as a fugitive. He's got one enemy to find, but for the moment, he's like the public enemy number one. This moment seals the real confrontation between two men: one represents the Law and according to the Law, Kimble was convicted, and one cannot escape the Law. Kimble represents justice, justice for his wife, and for his own life's sake, he's the only reason one could escape from the law: self-defense. And only for that reason, would a man plunge into raging waters, it's not your usual nihilistic escape, it's a race around the clock between two men who know what they want.The point of this comparison is to highlight why these men happen to be 'enemies' on the surface but as Kimble finds the path of the one-armed man and Gerard follows his footsteps, there's something evolving in his attitude and the wisecracks displayed through the film vanish in favor of a growing respect toward his target and the realization that Law and Justice can make one; it's something in the same vein than "The Defiant Ones", with Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis, movies that are entertaining but respecting viewer's intelligence and not succumbing to Manichaeism. And the power of Jones' Oscar-winning performance was to evolve to that point where we, viewers, wait for that moment where he starts to care, we never pinpoint it exactly but we can tell it from his acting, this is how great he is without forcing himself.Both Kimble and Jones are smart and competent and that's another force. In most movies, the hero easily outsmarts the villain but this time, like in a chess game, Gerard knows how to anticipate or follow the moves and the 'how he does it' is even more captivating, which creates countless situations similar to the dam one, where Kimble can slip from the Police's hands within a nick of time. No matter how often this happens, there is an attention for detail, for chronology, for simultaneity of events that leaves nothing for hazard, this is a meticulously edited movie that doesn't rely on luck. There's a moment where Kimble, passing as a janitor, prints a document of the people who repaired their prosthetic arms shortly after the murder, and to cover the buzzing sound of the printer, he pretends to be dusting the Venetian blinds. This detail reminded me of J.J. Gittes in "Chinatown" coughing loudly while he was ripping an important piece of evidence.The film works on many levels, it's a cat-and-mouse thriller served by a heart-pounding score from James Newton-Howard whose main movement works without even watching the film. The term is hackneyed but it's also character-study in the sense that you can tell how the perception toward a man changes while the chase moves forward, it's just as if Kimble needs time to get closer to his innocence as something suspected then perceived by his chasers. The film also affords the luxury of a higher scheme involving the wife's murder. And maybe there's something in the tradition of Hitchcock's movie with the eternal theme of the wrongfully accused man, who doesn't just escape for freedom but to prove his innocence, for justice. Kimble needs to find the one-armed man, maybe less to prove his innocence but to avenge his wife. Gerard being the law, will also realize that something must be done on that matter.I've often been critical about Jones' Oscar win for that role but maybe I'd reconsider my opinion. I like the duality he forms with Kimble, for one, it's personal, for the other, it's only his job. 1993 was a pretty good year for intelligent thrillers, with films like "The Fugitive" and "In the Line of Fire". This one was nominated for many Oscars, including Best Picture, it is not your usual action movie, and it finds a way to reinvent the archetypes and stay original within a rather conventional plot. This is not just a school case of from TV to movies adaptation, it's one terrific action movie, about men doing what they think they must do and doing it damn well, the film oozes quality in every inch of celluloid.

I feel like all the Oscar love gives this film a strange reputation. Did it deserve them? In hindsight, probably not. Does that somehow make this a lesser film? Of course not.This is an entertaining thrill ride but lacks the subtlety, character nuance or social/political relevance to leave a lasting impact. Does anyone really remember the plot? Or just the chase scenes and waterfall dive and insane train crash and the two great actors facing off in what is basically their movie star personas perfected?(How did Tommy Lee win for this? I don't know what his perception was at the time but this is a straight Tommy Lee perf. I love him and all but there was also Fiennes and Postelthwaite that year. Just saying.)

Long before there was CGI, special effects, and a barrage of movies based on comic books, there was movies based on good acting with solid storytelling and precise editing. The Fugitive is a timeless classic that gets better with each watch. You'll like it the first time you see it, but it will get more and more likable with each subsequent view. Tommy Lee Jones stands out and delivers a crisp performance, nailing every layer, note, and nuance of his character. Deservedly, he won the Academy Award. Harrison Ford, at the peak of his box office star pull, also gives one of his all time career best performances as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man on the run.From start to finish, The Fugitive barely lets up. Though at sometimes simplistic, intelligent layers peak through the story, and the common action scenes still feel fresh, original, and necessary. The score is excellent, editing great. A classic. 9/10