Customer Reviews

Lonely Are the Brave [Import]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I grew up in N.M., where the story takes place (Albuquerque), and my dad took me to the Route 66 Old Town Bridge where we watched the filming of Kirk crossing the Rio Grande on horseback. At that time, it was just neat to see a movie star.
I didn't truly appreciate the film until I grew up. Now, I see in it an individual very much like cowboys who were around in my childhood; fiercely independent, hard-drinking, hard-working men who, because of their disdain for fences, rules, and conformity, are themselves responsible for being alone. They are men who were born too late, who are old fashioned cowboys in a West where round-ups are now by helicoptor and ATR vehicles. A man on horseback, as a way of life, is rapidly fading away. You can see that sadness and loneliness in this film. That the hero in the film could actually believe that he could out-run modern police pursuit on horseback only adds poignancy; he is really trying to out-run modern times and loss of individuality. That is truly a lonely effort.
This film is wonderful; I agree with the reviewer who said this was kirt's best film, and his favorite. It is , for me, one of the best American films ever made. Discover this gem.

It is difficult to imagine a film like "Lonely are the Brave" being released today. Everything about this near-forgotten 1962 semi-classic seems unconventional. A bittersweet ending, a flawed hero/protagonist, quirky law enforcement officials, character-establishing scenes which move slowly though perceptibly, underlying brutality (during a vicious barroom brawl) and a thematic mourning for a time long since passed. And of course the film is in black and white.

Like great poetry, the film "Lonely are the Brave" must be savored several times, it's taste acquired, it's ideas earned through thought and contemplation. Quite simply, the film is one of the finest westerns ever made.

A simple tale, though with crisp dialogue and underlying substance, "Lonely are the Brave" tells the story of the modern-day loner cowboy Jack Burns, brilliantly played by Kirk Douglas. Upon his horse, Burns rides into a dusty New Mexico town to visit old friends, dodging speeding cars on a highway. He soon discovers his best friend, a childhood chum he used to carouse with, has been jailed for transporting illegal immigrants from Mexico. In the blink of an eye, Douglas has himself arrested in an attempt to help his buddy break out of jail.

But his friend refuses, instead choosing the life of a family man, wishing to return to his wife and child as soon as possible. Douglas promptly breaks out of jail, deciding to cross the mountains into Mexico and wait for "things to blow over." A chase ensues, with a relaxed sheriff (superbly played by a young Walter Matthau) trying to cut off "the cowboy." The chase contrasts the loner (Douglas) on horseback in the mountains versus the modern-day technology of radios, helicopters, the U.S. military and jeeps.

But it is the small scenes in "Lonely are the Brave" that truly give the film its depth and status. A quiet moment as Douglas pauses at the bedroom door of his friend's son, perhaps imagining what his life could have been under different circumstances; a firm hug and kiss with his friend's wife (Gena Rowlands in one of her earliest roles) insinuating past love; a conversation with a mountain squirrel while waiting for a helicopter to fly past; a humorous soliloquy while washing his hands discussing the variety of signs hanging from a barbed wire fence; and other telling, comfortable scenes creating a character of fierce independence trapped within a shrinking land of convention.

"Lonely are the Brave" harkens back to a time of literate drama and well-written dialogue born of the theater and literature. It is also a film that, like its protagonist, slowly moves along the trail until its inevitable, heartbreaking conclusion. But that's the way it should be. Kirk Douglas' character wouldn't have it any other way.

"Lonely are the Brave" is an unforgettable film. If you have not seen this gem before, you are in for a western treat.

I have been trying to get this movie for years. Saw it when it first came out in the theaters. It still stands out as excellent in every way.(love it)

I first saw this movie 40 years ago. Since then I saw it twice in Art Houses before I got a VHS copy. It's probably my favorite movie. (I read that it was the favorite of Kirk Douglas.)

It was written by Dalton Trumbo, a real Hollywood hero, which brings me to my theme. A hero goes, more often, unrewarded. Jack Burns, the protagonist, is a hero to Gena Rowlands, a love he never had, and to Walter Matthau, the sheriff reluctant to capture him. He shines through as foolish, a prime attribute of a hero.

It's a good story. With magnificent actors giving there best performances, and I'm sure I'll watch it several times more.

The prior reviewers neglected the appearance of the late Carroll O'Conner as the truck driver.

The movie consists of the refusal to conform to modern day standards. From rockets to computers, some do not like to conform. Sometimes for good reason.

The final scene should tear you up..."yup".

Every reviewer prior to me neglected the appearence of the late Telly Savalas as the truck driver.

This is a movie that should reflect the events of today.

From the simple times of Mayberry to the modern age of rockets and computers, some do dislike change. And that comes through with the character that Mr. Douglas plays.

The end will tear you up. A real tear-jerking scene. "yup!"

I HIGHLY recommend it to those who appreciate classic cinema.

In today's movie world of slick technology and violent themes, it is refreshing to watch a movie with heart-felt emotion. Edward Abbey's novel of a cowboy lost in a modern world comes to life with Kirk Douglas playing one of his best roles (he has often said this was his favorite movie). The film goes far beyond the common western to convey a melancholy sadness of the passing of the freedom and spirit that was once the west. Lonely are the Brave reveals that not only is this spirit gone from the west, but also from the hearts of its modern day inhabitants.

If you like being dazzled by mindless, techno-junk movies don't bother with this little gem.

Filmed in black and white in 1962 (When the West still had vague similarities to the past), it has a great supporting cast with Walter Mattthau, George Kennedy, and Gena Rowlands.

Modern-day cowboy Kirk Douglas refuses to adhere to the rules of an increasingly suburbanized and civilized West and pays a steep price for staying true to his values. Wonderful performances by all but especially Douglas and Walter Matthau in a truly, moving film. Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo from the superb novel "The Brave Cowboy" by environmental icon Edward Abbey.

When men were men. Kirk Douglas in perhaps his finest role as a cowboy who breaks out of jail to help a friend and then braves the elements, treacherous (and breathtakingly beautiful) terrain, and the posse that doggedly tails him (including the sheriff superbly portrayed by Walter Matthau), until tragedy at last overtakes him. That the film is black and white adds to its power, and Douglas, as the ultimate man's man, is unforgettable.

My understanding is that Kirk Douglas listed this as his favorite film. Truly excellent. If you are a Douglas fan, this movie is a must-see.