Plot: What’s it about?
”I’ll remember ya honey…you’re the one that got away.”
Let me tell you why Paul Newman is one of the greatest actors both on an off screen. Aside from playing parts that no other actor would touch and winning out roles that other actors couldn’t, he’s one of the most versatile actors of all time. At the age of 77, he was just nominated for yet another Academy Award for his work in “Road to Perdition”. However Newman was in his heyday back in the late 50’s and 60’s with roles in so many movies that it’s hard to pick one of his best. Though he (finally) won an Oscar for his role as “Fast” Eddie Felson in Martin Scorsese’s “The Color of Money” many feel that it was the Academy giving him the Oscar for work that he should have won for countless other films. Films like “The Long, Hot Summer”, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, “The Hustler”, “Cool Hand Luke” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” were some that defined Newman’s already outstanding career, but many feel that his role in “Hud” might be among his best. For me, I have a hard time disseminating which he’s actually better in; even “Slap Shot” has its great moments. But for the role of Hud, Newman isn’t as we have seen him before, not the hero that he has been in so many other movies, but a selfish, semi-drunken cowboy who finds it better to play by his own rules rather than please others.
Hud Brannon (Paul Newman) is a cattle rancher who finds that his livestock is stricken with a disease (hoof and mouth) that threatens not only them, but his way of life and way of earning a living as well. Hud is responsible for the death of his younger brother and his father (Melvyn Douglas who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role) doesn’t ever want to let him live it down. Lon (Brandon de Wilde) plays Hud’s nephew who idolizes him and the stage is set for the reigns to be handed to Lon as they were to Hud. The movie is more of a rite of passage of men, yet somehow we see that there is a rebellious nature of it that we’ve seen in other movies of the time (Rebel Without a Cause and The Wild One to name a couple). Hud is self-centered and callous, but somehow we seem to identify with him and Newman’s performance brings out the life of the character we see on screen. The clash between Hud and his father represents what most every person goes through with their parents. However, not labeled as a “teen” movie, we see this on a different scale. For others, Hud is just one man, yet for Hud; he represents himself and all that he can be, regardless of the cost.
Director Martin Ritt seems to direct movies that feature solemn, yet outstanding performances by his actors. Perhaps better-known for movies like “Sounder” and “Norma Rae”, we see that the central characters are strong and often accomplish what they set out to do. Newman is as much Hud as anything and Ritt, who directed him in “The Long Hot Summer” with Jo Anne Woodward, used that to convey the deep performance of Paul Newman. Not every story has a happy ending and not every movie has a character that you can truly look up to. “Hud” is a movie that tells the values of the American people and shows normal, everyday folks at work. Farmers can be self-indulgent, swaggering womanizers too, you know. The only real crime of “Hud” is that it didn’t result in any Academy Awards for Newman. Though Douglas and co-star Patricia Neal did manage to win the statue, Paul Newman would have to wait another 23 years on his reprise of the character Eddie Felson to get his due. Though it doesn’t move at the speed of light, one of the better performances by Newman and one of the better American movies to come around, is “Hud”.
Video: How does it look?
Criterion’s new 4K digital restoration from the original camera negative looks, in a word, outstanding. The 4K disc uses Dolby Vision which gives it an extra “boost” if you will. Couple that with James Wong Howe’s high-contrast and Panavision and the higher resolution and dynamic range really make for a great visual presentation. The skies of Texas have a stark white all the while not crushing the detail in the shadows or ground. Blacks are rich and contrast gives the desolate landscapes a nice “pop” against the horizon. Grain is still there, but very minimalized which gives the film a nice, textured look. Suffice it to say that this is is one amazing visual experience.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Mono track is what we might expect from a film of this age. The mono track is fairly strong and well-defined, but there’s no depth to the track at all. Then again, we don’t expect any. There are long scenes in which only dialogue can be heard and any supposed “surround” effects don’t really add to the overall excitement of the film. I didn’t find any distortion or “hiss” that is usually associated with a film of this age and, as a result, I have to say that I was fairly pleased with the final result. For fans of “Hud”, viewers won’t be disappointed as this is the best the movie has looked and sounded.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- American Film Institute – Taken from a 1974 seminar from the American Film Institute, director Martin Ritt explains the nuances of his film.
- Sally Field – This new feature has acclaimed actress Sally Field reminiscing about the film and Newman.
- Roger Deakins – Cinematographer Roger Deakins give us his take on the “immortal” James Wong Howe.
- Episode of Inside the Actors Studio – An episode of the series, hosted by James Lipton, featuring actor Paul Newman.
- Illustrated Booklet – The usual assortment of production photos as well as an essay by scholar Gabriel Miller and a 1963 American Cinematographer interview with Howe.
The Bottom Line
When you have a career like Paul Newman’s (and not many do), it’s hard to narrow down a best performance and/or his best role. But many would say that this is it. Criterion’s restoration is nothing short of amazing and with some newly-produced features, this Criterion 4K disc is right up there with the best of them.
