Touches You

Simply A Masterpiece

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Seems there maybe some viewers with expectations that are too high for small budget works and maybe too many pseudo psychologists floating around to really do us much good...**After reading several comments I just about gave up taking the time to view this curious movie. It was the interesting title, combined with a marvelous cast and hard working director, that convinced me I had to at least watch it out of curiosity. What I saw took me by surprise, so much so I had to look further into how this little film could look so remarkable ~ on such a modest budget. The crew behind this overlooked gem, all surprisingly turn out to be veteran award winners!Cinematographer: the Russian born veteran and Oscar nominated Harold Lipstein (Pal Joey '57) ~ Art Direction: by no less than 'multiple' award winner Cedric Gibbons along with fellow award winner Malcolm Brown. ~ Set Decoration: again by a multiple award winner: Edwin B. Willis and Oscar nominated Ralph S. Hurst. ~ Film Edited by: Oscar winner Conrad A. Nervig (Tale of Two Cities '35) ~ Special Effects: by A.Arnold Gillespie (Wizard of Oz '39) and Warren Newcombe (Singin In The Rain '53) both these men also 'multiple' award winners!. In the Sound dept: none other than Douglas Shearer, yet another multiple award winner. How could this film not look anything but good? Still, some viewers winged! Add to the above a top cast with awards that just keep on coming: Vittorio Gassman as Jory, the desperate man on the run, a performer with honors stacked upon honors (Bitter Rice '49, Barabbas '61) ~ Emmy winner Polly Bergin: as the Detectives wife. ~ Barry Sullivan the Emmy nominated, constantly reliable performer, known for numerous strong roles (The Bad and the Beautiful '52) as the earnest detective totally dedicated to serving incorruptible justice. ~ William Conrad as the sadistically inclined assistant to Sullivan (who also has his eye on his partners job). A couple of the support characters offer a not so subtle comment on some low grade law enforcement, especially those to be found in backwoods counties during this era ~ there's a good performance by veteran Harry Shannon as a very 'suss' sheriff. All this huge talent is then masterly guided by the highly skilled and underrated winner of the Distinguished Hollywood Film Artist award: Joseph H. Lewis. As Director, Lewis has taken a screenplay by Jack Leonard who garnished an Oscar nomination just the year before with "The Narrow Margin". For this follow up story, equally laced with observant comments and smart one liners, Lewis turns it into a taught, exciting wilderness manhunt between two men with a high respect for each other's integrity (gained from fair legal dealings earlier) but are on opposing sides of justice.I note that there are certain liberationists who in retrospect, would now have us believe these men are sexually attracted to each other...why?, well seems it's because of the understandable respect these men show toward each other after one has saved the other from a grueling certain death, then, wait for it.... they sit exhausted against a tree and quietly 'share' a cigarette!. "Hello"... I've heard of having imagination, but wish these folk would learn to use it with perhaps a little more nous. ** Looking into this further; it's a documented fact that cigarette manufacturers targeted 'personalites', film makers, actors etc - 'donating' hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure they would make smoking appear glamorous, desirable, for both sexes of any age. Many times throughout the 30s - 60s, foolish scenes (like those in this film) would be 'written-into' the screenplay for the sake of extra funding. In this case - consider the obviousness; these cigarettes have been crushed, immersed in swamp water, covered in mud (and quicksand!) but still they 'light up' to pacify the weary heroes!. Resent critiques I have read from such as Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward & Eddie Muller don't seem to take these facts into consideration, instead they quite simply interpret such actions as being homosexual tendencies. Should we perhaps expect better from these folk...or could this be seen as simply pushing other agendas, who really knows...? Now back to better ideas. There's a couple of particularly striking scenes...one where a swamp fever infected and delusional Sullivan, suffers what can only be seen as a spectacular and rather frightening hallucination. This sequence is designed and executed by first class artists and is vividly convincing. Another involves Sullivan and his partner who, while taking refuge in an abandoned swamp Cemetery, come into contact with a demented mourner, quite chilling in it's Shakespearian feel and quality. Apart from a few minor script potholes, typical to the era, this work needs to be looked at through eyes that understand the limitations these major/minor projects were forced to overcome, and did so quite handsomely. Pleased TCM have given us yet another lost gem - the image quality of the Australian print is not as good as others being screened so, being MGM, wonder if it's available out there...on a 'studio quality' DVD? Like small budget classic dramas? ~ then this could be for you.... KenR

I like crime films a lot. So, the idea of a film about an escaped convict and a cop who doggedly follows him is one I'd probably like. However, "Cry of the Hunted" turns out to be pretty poor--mostly because the writer was 'slap-happy'--literally! Characters in the film are pretty one-dimensional and spend a lot of time slapping folks around--and they way the slap-ee (is this a word?!) reacts is even more bizarre. For example, early in the film, Lt. Tunner (Barry Sullivan) wants some information out of a prisoner--so he beats the crap out of him. Then, later in the film, after this prisoner escapes, the prisoner refuses to harm the Lieutenant when he has a chance! You'd think he'd at least deck him for having worked him over earlier--but instead he inexplicably likes him! And, when Tunner and his assistant (William Conrad) are out in the bayou looking for the escapee, the assistant takes a local behind his shack and slaps him around to get information! Only moments later, the prisoner and his woman get in an argument and, surprise, surprise, he slaps her across the face--at which point she kisses him very passionately!!! I tell you, the writer was slap-happy--and reinforced some bizarre clichés about violence!This is not my only complaint about the movie. Much of the dialog is bad but the plot really doesn't make any sense. A prisoner from the bayou escapes back to the waterways he knows so well. So, the Lieutenant and only one assistant follow him--determined to get him. This makes no sense, as the Louisiana back country is a maze of waterways, islands and ferocious creatures. Yet, two lawmen are going to somehow find a man who grew up there AND who is being aided by the locals. Yeah, right. And this makes sense to whom?!The bottom line is that the film is chock full of bad writing. Despite a decent story idea, the film manages to blow it.

Vittorio Gassman is a Cajun who escapes from the law in Los Angeles and heads for home and family in the Louisiana swamps. Barry Sullivan is the police officer sent to retrieve him, accompanied by William Conrad.You have to love that funicular railway on which Gassman gets away, but the movie has to small a budget for what it wants to do. That long, dangerous trip that Sullivan and Conrad take through the bayous of Louisiana needed to be shot on location, preferably in color. As it is, we get the impression of Simi Valley or Griffith Park, with a couple of potted tropical plants added by the greensman.Gassman is always a little hard to take seriously. He overacts outrageously. His physical movements lack grace. Maybe that's why he was outstanding as the boxer with the glass jaw in "Big Deal on Madonna Street." Here, one must put up with him as he looks tortured.Barry Sullivan has never been a bravura actor but he's always reliable, and there is no one quite like William Conrad for suggesting a kind of sweaty malignancy.Polly Bergen is pretty and her character is likable. She's Sullivan's caring wife. But, my God, you ought to see the wife that Vittorio Gassman has rushed home to see. The poor woman belongs in a B movie about vampires who earn a living as dominatrices. She scowls and hits good people over the head (twice). But if SHE looks spooky, the swamp lady who sits in the graveyard at night and howls for "Raoul" is right out of MacBeth.What keeps the movie perking is the occasional wit in the dialog. For the trip through the swamp, Sullivan's wife has packed lunch in a picnic basket. As they putt along down the streams, Conrad rags Sullivan for carrying an old-fashioned basket instead of a manly paper bag. In an amusing and somewhat extended scene, Sullivan goes through the carefully wrapped and beribboned contents of the basket glumly -- tuna fish sandwich, ham sandwich, cookies, and a meatloaf that he "won't even unwrap." Later, when they encounter the howling woman in the middle of the night, Conrad asks shakily, "How're we gonna get rid of her?" "We'll give her the meatloaf," replies Sullivan.I thought it was pretty standard otherwise, but I was called away for the last fifteen or twenty minutes, so I might have missed something of importance.

At first glance a rather ordinary thriller with a disillusioned cop (Barry Sullivan - pretty good) chasing an escaped con (Vittorio Gassman) deep into the swamps of Louisiana. However, delve a little deeper and you find a dark and cynical meditation on fear, obsession and personal honour.Unlike ‘The Fugitive' this con is guilty but his crime, although serious, barely gets a mention. The script instead concentrates on the two protagonists and their similarities. Although on different sides of the law, both believe in family and personal honour and cannot compromise their beliefs. Both suffer as a result.The justice system is portrayed as idle(a Prison Warden only interested in golf), bigoted (a Southern Sheriff who pre-dates ‘In the Heat of the Night') or just plain nasty (William Conrad scoring well as the cop's partner.)On the down side, the female roles are seriously underwritten (virtuous wife & bayou trash hellcat) and the resolution is implausibly upbeat.Overall, however, a good ‘B' thriller of its' day, surprisingly violent in places. Director Joseph H Lewis made better movies (‘Gun Crazy', ‘The Big Combo') but this one still begs the question; ‘How in hell did someone so talented end up making episodes of ‘Rifleman'& 'The Big Valley'?!'