Cutter's Way (1981)

Simply Perfect

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This adaptation of the Newton Thornburg novel "Cutter and Bone" stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn in its principal roles. It's a sad, cynical story of friendship and loss, in a post- Vietnam, post-Watergate America. Bridges is Richard Bone, an unambitious but likable young stud currently earning a living as a yacht salesman. Heard is his friend Alex Cutter, a bitter, confrontational, and disabled veteran. And Eichhorn is Maureen, the despairing alcoholic whom they both love. One night, when his car breaks down in an alley, Richard sees a man disposing of a body. That man just might be filthy rich J.J. Cord (Stephen Elliott), and Alex relentlessly prods Richard into doing something with this knowledge."Cutter's Way" is more of a character study than anything else, taking a blunt, unflinching look at our three flawed protagonists. Cutter bemoans the lack of "heroes" in the world, and doesn't approve of the way that Bone avoids commitments. Maureen doesn't get much love or affection from her husband Cutter, and finds herself drawn to the more easygoing Bone. All three of the leads are impressive, especially Eichhorn. But it's often Heard that steals the show; his Cutter is a force of nature much of the time, although the character is not without humanity.Czech-born director Ivan Passer gives us a film that is noticeably low key and slowly paced, so it won't appeal to all tastes. The main draw really is the acting, although it's commendable that the story isn't patently predictable. It's up to us to decide if Cord really is guilty of the crime.The offbeat music score by Jack Nitzsche (reminiscent of his music for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at times) and the gorgeous photography of various Santa Barbara locations are a big plus. Also among the supporting cast are Ann Dusenberry, Arthur Rosenberg, and Nina van Pallandt; look for Billy Drago in a bit as a garbageman.Fairly compelling stuff, with some truly sobering moments.Seven out of 10.

Brilliant allegorical film about wealth, power, and commitment in America. Judging from other reviews, the film does not appeal to everyone. That's understandable. The characters are almost uniformly dislikable, from the abusive Rich (John Heard), to the egotistical Alex (Jeff Bridges), to the self-pitying Mo (Lisa Eichorn), to the slimy George (Arthur Rosenburg) there is no one left to root for. At least not until later when the two crippled halves of Bridges and Heard finally unite, figuratively and literally, into one potent whole. Then we realize that it's toward this completion that the twists and turns of the movie have been moving all along. (I think this also explains why the Ann Dusenberry character drops out at a critical stage. She is no longer needed to get the two together.) Rarely has any film dared to create such an unsympathetic cast of personalities, especially Heard's Richard Cutter. If he has a single redeeming quality, I can't find it. His loud, grating voice annoys, piling on one sarcasm after another, oblivious to the hurt he causes. Like Mo he wallows in self-pity, and even shamelessly exploits his disability. Then too, his pursuit of the god-like J. J. Cord should appear noble, yet seems more the result of paranoid rage than a desire for justice. In fact, Heard's explosion of anger on the Santa Monica pier is among the scariest, most convincing expressions of pent-up emotion that I've seen in many years of movie watching.The three lead performances are outstanding, and in particular those of the raging and damaged Vietnam veteran played by John Heard and the desperately sad, poignantly tragic, and utterly convincing Mo (his long-suffering wife) played by Lisa Eichhorn. Watching her melts the heart, brings tears to the eyes and makes you think of those times in life when you've felt raw pain, loss, emptiness, or struggled vainly in search of purpose or meaning. The tone is dark and moody, enhanced by the memorable and haunting zither music. There's anger, resentment and paranoia after the scars left by the Vietnam War and Watergate affair. The veteran charges in single-minded pursuit of evil and representatives of those he feels have ruined his life, whilst affluent America carries on regardless, and largely doesn't care.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Master Director Ivan Passer takes a strong screenplay by Jeffrey Fiskin, and with one of the greatest cinematographers Jordan Cronenweth at his side, created this first-rate thriller. The editing is tight, never draws affected attention, and enhances the luminous but always understated camera work. Casting of Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn seem perfect for Mr. Fiskin's exacting, sharp, and biting script. Jack Nitzsche was still in good form when he composed the music for the film. Even Santa Barbara never looked better as a locale for a movie.The finely executed photography, in a number of ways, creates the critical core of this film, underlining Mr. Fiskin's deceptively simple dialogue and underplayed performances by the cast.

John Heard's Cutter is a character straight out of Shakespeare. His over-the-top dramatics are more theatrical than filmic. The other central characters are more standard film characters. This effortless blending is a fascinating and curious aspect of the film. The film's showing of California's dark side in edenic Santa Barbara is in some ways comparable to the darkness descending upon the paradise of Carmel, CA in Eastwood's PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971). as well as the general disillusionment and darkness of Steinbeck's (Elia Kazan's) EAST OF EDEN (1954). CUTTER'S WAY presents more questions than it answers, but remains firmly anchored in singular place. An unusual work of art.