The Defiant Ones (1958)

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The Defiant Ones (1958) Director: Stanley Kramer Watched: May 31, 2018 Rating: 7/10 Intriguing premise, Escaped convicts wed by chain, One black and one white. Humanity defeats hate, Well acted, with room for laughs. Two music sources- Radio, irksome singing. A Defiant Film back then, Now it needs more backstory, Less vain fights and name calling. Somonka is a form of poetry that is essentially two tanka poems (the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable format), the second stanza a response to the first. Traditionally, each is a love letter and it requires two authors, but sometimes a poet takes on two personas. My somonka will be a love/hate letter to this film? #Somonka #PoemReview #AcademyBestCinematography #GoldenGlobesBestPicture #Racism

The defiant ones is by far one of the oldest movies i have watched to date and i loved every moment Tony Curtis as the joker was amazing i loved his intense aggression and at the end of the movie he understands and empathizes with Cullen. Sidney Poitier was another stand out cast member of this film with a believable character who is an African American who is trying to live happy but is constantly getting beaten and abused by the whites such a powerful message about equality. overall the story is powerful at times funny but it's a classic which in a era of some great movies The defiant ones is a classic which can be enjoyed by all.

John "Joker" Jackson (Tony Curtis), and Noah Cullen (excellent portrayal by Sidney Poitier), have escaped from prison and are shackled together. The story, well directed by message film director Stanley Kramer (see also the excellent "Ship of Fools", as well as his masterpiece "On The Beach" with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner).At any rate, the film has some good scenes, they are in the brush and swamps of Georgia, trying to escape a pack of bloodhounds, and the Sheriff well portrayed by Theodore Bikel The fact that the way Poitier is treated , simply because he is black, is a time warp as when a woman offers the refugees food, but first asks Curtis if she "should give the other guy some as well". Tony Curtis is good in the role of a desperate malcontent, his accent a bit too NY but his acting usually overcomes this. He is angry at society, that he wants to be a "success". The dated phrase "Charlie Potatoes", humorously shows us the society of 1950's America and its values of what success means. Money, at any cost.The sheriff;s bounty hunter assistant has several bloodhounds and Dobermans "I hope you treat them dogs as go as your grandma" cracks Bikel. The dogs and how they are cared for (better than minorities and the poor) is a point of reference.Bikel as sheriff has a run in with Lon Chaney Jr., a man who lets the prisoners free from a town lynch mob. The seething anger and hypocrisies of small town America are well manifested here. Racism, ignorance, bigotry.This film was made in 1958, an important message. 10/0

I was defiant to watch this movie by Stanley Kramer. The movie is the story of two escaped convicts, African-American Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier) who hates white people, and bigot white man, John 'Joker' Jackson (Tony Curtis), whom hates blacks. Both men find themselves both shackled to one another after surviving a prisoner transport car wreck. Seeing a way to escape, both men travel the back roads eluding posses, cops, and the law on their quest for freedom. Both actors were able to get down and dirty for the role, but literally as most of the scenes have them lying down in dirt, mud, and rain. They are at first on each other throat, fighting against each other, but for them to survive. They are forced to put their issues away. This is where the characters try to relied on each other. After camping out and hearing out each other stories, the mood between them soften. They are help on the way by supporting characters such as Big Sam (Lon Chaney Jr.). Lou Chaney Jr, the Hungarian actor is wonderful in the role, as he able to sport the Southern accent as well, able to play somebody that isn't trying to be sinister. Too bad, he doesn't have much screen time or much to bring to the story. Another character they met on the way is the lonely, love-hungry widow played by Cara Williams, who offers to turn in Cullen if Joker will stay with her. Cara Williams is so love struck by Tony Curtis's character, that it's seems out of the blue for her to help one stranger after one day spent with each other, but Cara Williams does a great act as a desperate woman looking for escape by any means even trying to hook up with a inmate. She can be pity and hatred when view. By the time the two men are within hailing distance of a train that might take them to freedom, they have become friends somehow. Despite its pedigree — the film lacks screen time to explain more how the two main characters' antagonism will boil over and then cool into a forged friendship based on altruism and shared sacrifice. It's running time is only 97 minutes. Way too little for this character is suddenly become cool with each other. The whole film is way too short and focus on too long on cut aways with Sheriff Max Muller. (Theodore Meir Bikel) who was also nominated for the role, just doesn't give anything new to it. I also would love to hear some music score. The film lacks any music to give the movie any suspense, feeling or drama. It felt too good of a movie, not to have a film score. The ending will a downer, but it's works for the story. One of the biggest complains in the film is that some critics stated out that Sidney's character is a 'Magical Negro'. I don't see that at all, as Joker first come in the aid to Cullen when Cullen is stuck in the swamp, as well as having back story. Nor does Sidney character gives anything special insight to change Joker. It was the outside world and the supporting characters that change Joker. The scene where Sidney Poitier comforts Tony Curtis by holding his head in his arms is not made to look like Poitier's character was a servant to the the white man, at all. He did that to comfort his friend. The movie shows that Black or white we are all equal before the harshness of life. The movie is a good movie for teaching civil rights and racial tolerance. I think the theme of racism better and even more obvious in the foreground to make time this was filmed deliberately black-and-white. The movie is pretty gutsy for its era. It's a good watch, so check it out.