The Defiant Ones

CinemaSerf 8/10/2023 9:14:50 AM 8.4

"Joker" (Tony Curtis) and "Cullen" (Sidney Poitier) are chained together on a prison bus when it has an accident. Seeing a chance, and despite the fact that they pretty much loathe each other, they abscond and plan to jump a train to escape. As they flee, they gradually learn to respect - even like - each other before arriving at a smallholding where they befriend the woman (Cara Williams) who lives there with her young son "Billy" (Kevin Coughlin). After a few days, it becomes clear that she and "Joker" have taken a bit of a shine to each other, and so she concocts a plan to drive the now separated "Joker" and her son in one direction whilst "Cullen" heads off separately into the swamp and towards the railway. All sounds good, but when "Joker" discovers that the plan has some perilous flaws for his erstwhile buddy, he has choices to make - with ramifications for all concerned, especially as the well-meaning but dogged Sherriff "Muller" (Theodore Bikel) and the less scrupulous "Capt. Gibbons" (Charles McGraw) are also in hot pursuit. Essentially this is a two hander between two actors who work well together, who use a potent - and sometimes humorous - story and script to offer us an insight into an evolution of the need for the survival into one enhanced by an increasing mutual affection. They both have their flaws, their bigotries - but when it comes down to it, their adventures illustrate the very pointlessness of these traits and that message is clearly augmented by the attitude of the decent "Muller" and also by many others whom they encounter on their trek for freedom. The story addresses political and racist issues with a punch, we are never faced with pontification here, just with an opportunity to realise for ourselves how petty and stupid some of our irrational attitudes are. This is certainly worth watching.