|
|
The first, and only, X-rated film to win a best
picture Academy Award, John Schlesinger's Midnight
Cowboy seems a lot less daring today (and has been reclassified as an R), but
remains a fascinating time capsule of late-1960s sexual decadence in mainstream American
cinema. In a career-making performance, Jon Voight plays Joe Buck, a naive Texas
dishwasher who goes to the big city (New York) to make his fortune as a sexual hustler.
Although enthusiastic about selling himself to rich ladies for stud services, he quickly
finds it hard to make a living and eventually crashes in a seedy dump with a crippled
petty thief named Ratzo Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman, doing one of his more effective
"stupid acting tricks," with a limp and a high-pitch rasp of a voice).
Schlesinger's quick-cut, semi-psychedelic style has dated severely, as has his ruthlessly
cynical approach to almost everybody but the lead characters. But at its heart the movie
is a sad tale of friendship between a couple of losers lost in the big city, and with an
ending no studio would approve today. It's a bit like an urban Of Mice and Men, but
where both guys are Lenny. --Jim Emerson, Amazon
Video Annotation from Amazon
Director John Schlesinger originally wanted actor Michael Sarrazin for the "Joe
Buck" role, but he was already committed to "They Shoot Horses, Don't
They?" It went to then-unknown Jon Voight instead, establishing the 31-year-old as a
major "young" talent. "Midnight Cowboy" was Dustin Hoffman's first
film after his star-making turn in "The Graduate." To achieve that distinctive
Ratso Rizzo limp, Hoffman placed pebbles in his shoes. "Everybody's Talkin'" was
featured on Harry Nilsson's 1968 album "Aerial Ballet." Nilsson's intended theme
for "Cowboy" was "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City," written
by Nilsson specifically for the film. Film was named one of the year's 10 Best
English-language films by the National Board of Review, one of the year's 10 best foreign
films by Japan's Kinema Jumpo, and the best non-European film of 1970 by Denmark's Bodil
awards. Schlesinger received best foreign director of 1969-70 from two Italian awards, the
Davids and the Silver Ribbons. Hoffman was named best actor of 1969-70 by Italy's David
Awards. Voight was named Best Actor by the New York Film Critics and the National Society
of Film Critics. Voight received the Best Actor British Academy Award for both Midnight
Cowboy" and "John and Mary." A restored print of "Cowboy" was
re-released to theaters in late February 1994 to commemorate the film's 25th anniversary.
"Cowboy" was the first major studio release to sport an X rating and was the
first X-rated film to win the Best Picture Academy Award. It was re-rated "R" by
the MPAA in 1971. Additional cast members: Gil Rankin (as Woodsy Niles), T. Tom Marlow
(Little Joe), George Epperson (Ralph), Al Scott (Cafeteria Manager), Linda Davis (Mother
on the bus), J. T. Masters (Old cow-hand), Arlene Reeder (The old lady), Jonathan Kramer
(Jackie), Jan Tice (Freaked-out lady), Peter Scalia (Grocer), Vito Siracus (Grocer), Peter
Zamagias (Hat shop owner), Arthur Anderson (Hotel Clerk), Tina Scalia (Laundromat lady),
Alma Felix (Laundromat lady), Richard Clarke (Escort service man), Ann Thomas (The frantic
lady), Joan Murphy (The waitress), Al Stetson (Bus Driver), Gastone Rossilli (Hansel
McAlbertson), Ultra Violet, International Velvet, William Dorr, Cecelia Lipson, and Taylor
Mead. Shot in Technicolor. Variety listed the film's running time as 119 minutes, and gave
the film an "R" rating.
The DVD version of Midnight
Cowboy features:
• Region 1 encoding (for
use in US and Canada only)
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
• Theatrical trailer(s)
• Full-screen and widescreen letterbox formats
|
