miercuri, 19 iulie 2017

The Defiant Ones, written by Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith, 10 out of 10

The Defiant Ones, written by Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith
10 out of 10

Notes and thoughts on other books are available at:


The Defiant Ones is a fantastic film.
It is a story about race relations and racism, friendship, loyalty and sacrifice, valor and resilience, compassion and hatred.

It was included on The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list:


This exceptional work has won:

-          The Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay- Written Directly for the screen and it was nominated in all the major categories- Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role for both Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier, Best Director…
-          It won the golden globe for Best Motion Picture- Drama

Sidney Poitier is marvelous in the role of Noah Cullen and so is Tony Curtis as John “Joker” Jackson, two convicts.
The vehicle transporting them has an accident and they take advantage and they escape, only they are chained together.

When someone from the party that are chasing them with dogs asks about the fact that a white man is chained to a black man:

-          “Law officer: How come they chained a white man to a black?
-          Sheriff Max Muller: The warden's got a sense of humor.
-          [Why they don't have to worry about finding the 2 convicts]
-          Sheriff Max Muller: They'll kill each other in five miles.”

Indeed, the two escapees do not get along together very well, at least for parts of the movie, even when in danger.
Joker saves Noah’s life when they are forced to swim in a rapid river and the latter says thanks, only to get the reply:

-          Hey, I did not save you, I just prevented you from dragging me away to drown with you

They arrive at a small town, where they try to break into a shed to get tools for the chain and some food.
Alas, when they fall inside, coming from the roof, they wake everyone up and they are soon caught by the crowd.

They are preparing to lynch the two and racism is more than evident, with hatred visible all around, with one single exception, a man who ultimately saves them, first from a horrible death and later by freeing them.
Even if the “couple” seemed to be progressing in their relationship and understanding, Joker is saying before the “Madding Crowd”:

-          “Ya'll can't lynch me! I'm a white man!”

But after this low moment of betrayal, just in front of death and after all subterfuges have failed, the two become friends.
They are after all involved in one of the Ultimate Team Building Exercises which some companies in the world might try.

Perhaps the people of the late Enron, did it, chaining themselves together physically not just spiritually, with their penchant for extreme risk, sports and gambling with so many victims money and pension savings…
A first climax is reached when one of them is faced with the option of letting the other die, in strange circumstances.

For reasons of spoiler alerts I will not say what happens, only that in the first place one of the men proves:

-          Loyalty, friendship, willing to self-sacrifice, determination, valor, grit, unselfishness and devotion

Instead of thinking about his own escape and chances, he decides to try his best to help the other one.
And the moving picture becomes one of the best dramas, a lesson of respect, anti- racism, and compassion.


And it is also proved that even people who are at the bottom of society, outcasts who have been send to jail can find redemption.

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