After watching Baltimore fall short against Pittsburgh last night (oh, well), I watched two movies that I hadn't seen in a long while:
No Way Out with Kevin Kostner, and
Judge Roy Bean with Paul Neumann. Two great old movies, made in a time before gee-whiz CG effects and louder-than-reality sound design, both movies were big on story and drama, and in each case took the audience deeply into the main character.
No Way Out was Kostner's break out film, and he was terrific. Maurice Jarre's all electronic score added to the tension of man seeing the jaws of a trap close in on him. Great performances abound by Gene Hackman, Will Patton, and many others. This movie is full of tension almost from the start to the very last scene.
Judge Roy Bean gives the story of a man who tires of wild west lawlessness and decides to create a code of conduct in a small town near the turn of the 20th century. It provides a fascinating story of a man who, although not avoiding violence to meet his goals, resists rampant crime and oppression while "cleaning up the west" one outlaw at a time. Great dialogue between Neumann and the rest of the cast, which includes Ned Beatty, Victoria Principal, Roddy McDowell, and various character actors. A fun ride!
These two films prove that great acting, great writing, and terrific ensemble can take us directly into the mind and heart of a character and cause us (even dare us) to feel what they feel. Though they are flawed, we find ourselves rooting for them.
