Graham Greene is one of the literary greats, and while the book 'The Power and the Glory' that 1947's 'The Fugitive' is based on is not one of my favourites of his and one can totally see why it was controversial at the time it is an interesting read. John Ford was a truly fine director, one of the best at that time, known for some of the finest Westerns around and he excelled too in non-Westerns (i.e. 'The Quiet Man'). The cast is an interesting one, Henry Fonda being the best known.
'The Fugitive' adaptation-wise is a loose one, and the censorship the film had to endure dilutes the impact somewhat. Two of the biggest differences being Fonda's character being no longer being an alcoholic and the central relationship not being sexual, which if included would have the film quite bold. If included though, it would have made it as divisive as the book. On its own terms, 'The Fugitive' didn't wow me and the potential was there for it to have been a much better film. But it was still not bad at all, actually thought that it was quite good, and there are a fair share of note-worthy good elements.
Coming off best of the many good things is Gabriel Figueroa's outdoor photography. Which is really quite miraculous, so many of the shots leave one in wonder in their beauty and varied technical skill. Oh and the outdoor locations are just stunning. The haunting score doesn't feel too constant or in your face, having the right mood throughout while not over-emphasising too much. Ford does show frequently how great he was as a director, at its best his direction here in 'The Fugitive' is quite masterly.
Some very thoughtful and powerful moments in the script and enough of the story compels and moves. The performances are very good, with a smouldering Dolores Del Rio (though she does have moments where she overacts) and a remarkably nuanced Fonda in a complex role being generally strong. The best performance comes from a both menacing and tortured Pedro Armendariz, who is riveting whenever he appears.
On the other hand, too much of the writing is very melodramatic to an over-cooked degree, as is Del Rio at times. Some of the pace is a bit draggy.
Do agree with those that say that the religious element of the story is very heavy-handed and at times vague. It is focused on too much and it is delivered with little subtlety, the messaging was done in a way that made me feel beaten around the head.
All in all, a lot of note-worthy things but flawed. One of those "appreciated what it tried to do" sort of films while not properly loving it, the divisiveness in opinions is understandable. 6.5/10
