THE FUGITIVE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 7.4
Date Released: 8/6/93 Running Length: 2:13 Rated: PG-13 (Violence, language, mature themes)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Jeroen Krabbe,
Andreas Katsulas
Director: Andrew Davis
Producer: Arnold Kopelson
Screenplay: Jeb Stuart and David Twohy
Music: James Newton Howard
Released by Warner Brothers
Despite his innocence, Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) has been tried, convicted, and sentenced to die for the murder of his wife. On the bus ride that takes him to the prison where he will spend the rest of his days, Kimble is accompanied by three other prisoners. When they stage an attempted escape, the driver of the bus loses control and it plunges down an embankment. Kimble is free. Ninety minutes later, Federal Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) arrives on the scene to coordinate the search for the fugitive. So, while Kimble flees Gerard and his men, he begins his search for his wife's real killer--a mysterious one-armed man (Andreas Katsulas).
THE FUGITIVE is loosely based on the 1960s television series which featured the late David Jansen in the title role. The film takes a lot of liberties with the original premise and characters, weaving a story that barely resembles the one which entertained TV audiences more than twenty years ago. Back then, Dr. Kimble was on the run for week after week, and there was more to each episode than the chase. Now, however, the flight lasts two hours, and catching the criminals is all that's on anyone's mind.
Oddly, even though THE FUGITIVE is an admitted chase movie, the scenes before the hunt begins are among the best of the movie. Everything surrounding the murder and trial, all told in a tremendously well-edited fifteen minute prologue, is engrossing. We don't see much of the relationship between Richard and Helen Kimble, but what we're presented with gives us insight into the double tragedy faced by the doctor. Not only is his beloved wife dead, but he's the one believed by everyone to have killed her. Kimble's character, revealed through these scenes, is well in place by the time his sentence is read.
Following the opening scenes, we're treated to over a half-hour of nonstop action as Gerard and his men go after Kimble. Well-photographed and directed with a flair, this part of the movie keeps viewers on the edges of their seats. Most importantly, when on the run, Kimble acts like an intelligent human being. Equally as refreshing, the lawmen are his match, not a bunch of uniformed dunces being run around in circles.
In fact, it could be argued that both Kimble and Gerard are too intelligent, not to mention too lucky. The plot is far from airtight, and there are a number of contrivances that come into play to bring about the resolution. How much of these you accept depends on how much license you're willing to give the film makers. Considering the overall quality of the movie, I think they deserve some room to maneuver, and most of the plot hiccups didn't bother me.
The movie's pace flags somewhat during the second hour as the pursuit cools down and Kimble's own search for the one armed man takes up screen time. There's a little more talking and less action during the middle portion of the movie. Of course, the action predictably starts to build again as the closing moments arrive. The ending lacks originality but is nevertheless more satisfying than not.
Most of THE FUGITIVE's problems center around Kimble's investigation of his wife's murder. There are too many leaps of intuition and handily placed clues. The murder mystery is not well-constructed and there's no way that the audience can figure out who's responsible for the killing until the film reveals it (unless they use the old tried-and-true method of guessing based on who is among the least likely of suspects). Simplifying this part of the story might have resulted in a more tightly constructed plot, and a little less confusion about the motivation of some of the characters.
Personally, I wasn't that interested in Kimble's search. Sure, I wanted him to find the one armed man, but the lure of THE FUGITIVE is the cat-and-mouse chase between the doctor and Gerard. These moments are at the heart of the movie; they make the picture work because it's through them that suspense is developed. Witness the scene at the dam--the tension as the two main characters confront each other is palpable. A little more of this Kimble/Gerard interplay might have put THE FUGITIVE squarely on the same level as another of the summer's big thrillers, IN THE LINE OF FIRE.
With all apologies to Harrison Ford, who turns in a far more emotive and less wooden performance than in PATRIOT GAMES, the real acting standout is Tommy Lee Jones. For a man whose star has been on the rise for the past couple of years, this may be the movie that finally gets him into the upper echelon of today's performers. He invests his character with charisma and energy and, as Gerard's grudging respect for Kimble grows, so does our appreciation of what Jones is doing with his seemingly straightforward role. Assuming that Kimble is the good guy (which the script goes out of its way to make clear), that means that Gerard, who's chasing him, is the bad guy. And, as the film progresses, we can't help starting to like him.
While no one could accuse THE FUGITIVE of having a masterful insight into human nature, that's not why this film was produced. There's an odd moment or two when an element of someone's behavior strikes a responsive chord, but basically the characters are developed only enough to keep us interested in them as the chase proceeds. They, like the sometimes overplotted story, are subordinate to the hunt. Fans of the old TV series will find echoes of the show here, but most of this version is new. "Innovative" is not a legitimate description of THE FUGITIVE, but "entertaining" is.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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