Rating: 
Summary: Timeless Classic!!! Score: 90 (out of 100).
Review: Here is a movie that looks like it was made yesterday. Paul Newman's character, Hud Bannon, is a spoiled-rotten, waste of a man. He is the personification of selfishness - booze, adultery, and various other sins are his way of life. He has even distanced himself from his aging father, Homer (Melvyn Douglas - Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Homer is a principled, upright rancher. When Homer faces a crisis, his relationship with Hud is put to the test. Homer turns to Hud for advice, and Hud responds, "he didn't ask me about anything in fifteen years." Homer is familiar with Hud's persona. Homer states "you live just for yourself (Hud)." Homer's housekeeper, divorcee Alma Brown (Patricia Neal, Best Supporting Actress Oscar), knows Hud's type of person, too. After Hud makes advances on Alma, she tells him "I done my time with one cold-blooded bastard. I'm not looking for another." The tie that binds the three of them happens to be Lon Bannon - Hud's nephew. Lon idolizes Hud. Homer is fearful of this and he doesn't want him to be like Hud. Gradually, we come to find out toward the end of the film what has alienated Hud from his father, and vice versa. In the end, Lon learns Hud's true identity after several more tragedies. Neal and Douglas are brilliant. James Wong Howe won Oscar for cinematography. The film was also nominated for Best Actor (Newman), director (Martin Ritt), screenplay (Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch), and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White (Robert R. Benton, Sam Comer, Tambi Larsen, Hal Pereira). This is Newman's BEST movie!!!! Pros: Acting, direction, cinematography, screenplay
Cons: Adult, depressing atmosphere Score: 90 (out of 100)
Rating: 
Summary: A VERY CHARISMATIC ANTIHEROE PLAYED BY PAUL NEWMAN.
Review: Hud Bannon is rebel, arrogant, corky, stubborn, he is a bully, and he is always fighting with his father. Usually a character like this one would be the villain in a movie, so a great actor was required to portray the role of Hud Bannon, and that great actor is Paul Newman. Few actors could have portrayed such a difficult role, only actors like James Dean, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and of course, Paul Newman, are capable of portray an antihero, and still are able of winning the sympathy of the audience. And Paul Newman was the right choice to play the role of Hud. This movie is carried by the performances, the direction and the story. Not only Paul Newman did a great job, the rest of the cast brought an excellent performance as well, actors like Melvyn Douglas as Homer (Hud's father), Patricia Neal as Alma (Hud's love interest) and Brandon de Wilde as Lon Bannon (Hud's nephew) were outstanding in "Hud". The music and the photography also contributed to make "Hud" a great movie, one of the most underrated classics. "Hud" is a great movie with a great cast and an excellent story.
Rating:
Summary: The look of the country changes because of the men we admire
Review: Hud Bannon, (Paul Newman), is a man we all know. He's out to get what he wants, and that's all that matters to him. Hud is manipulative and unscrupulous. When he makes a crude pass at Alma (Patricia Neal), the Bannon ranch's earthy, sexy housekeeper, she isn't intimidated. "Don't you ever ask?" To which Hud replies, "The only question I ever ask a woman is, what time does your husband get home?" Hud is not bound by any moral values, or feelings of genuine concern for other people. By contrast, Hud's father, cattle rancher Homer Bannon, (played by Melvyn Douglas), is a paragon of the traditional moral values and work ethic that made America great. He wants desperately to pass those same values on to his grandson Lonn, having failed to instill them in Hud. As the movie begins, he is confronted with the possibility of losing all the cattle he spent his lifetime breeding, to hoof and mouth disease. He cautions his grandson, (played by Brandon de Wilde who was also the little boy in the movie "Shane"), not to emulate his Uncle Hud. "Lonnie, little by little the look of the country changes because of the men we admire." Lonn ultimately must decide whose influence will shape his character. Superb direction by Martin Ritt, an incredible cast turning out their career best performances, (this is what Paul Newman should have won the Oscar for), a great screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, along with James Wong Howe's brilliant black and white cinematography, combine to make "Hud" a truly great American movie.
Rating:
Summary: A truly great modern Western
Review: Hud, adapted from the short novel (Horseman, Pass By) by Larry McMurtry, is one of the greatest Westerns of all-time. Paul Newman plays the title character, and it's arguably his best performance. His father, Homer, (Melvyn Douglass) is a cattle rancher, and the two of them are constantly at odds. Homer is the kind of character we're used to seeing in Westerns - upstanding, honest, and a lover of the land. In contrast, Hud cares only about himself and his own pleasure, including chasing married women. Torn between the two is Lon (Brandon de Wilde), the son of Homer's older son who died. He admires his grandfather and is a cattleman at heart, but he cannot help but be drawn to the wild Hud and his much more exciting lifestyle.This push and pull ends up having tragic consequences for all. Patricia Neal is also on hand as the family's maid and the only major female character. Of interest, in the book, Neal's character is African-American and race relations are explored. The acting is truly top-notch; the performances are so natural and easy-going that it's easy to overlook the greatness of the cast. Patricia Neal won the Oscar for Best Actress and Melvyn Douglass won for Best Supporting Actor. Despite the oustanding acting, the real star is the theme - the death of the old west and the rise of a new Texas. As such, the movie is very bittersweet. If you like this movie, you should also check out the novel, as well as the novel and movie "The Last Picture Show," which was also written by Larry McMurty and explores similar themes. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Finally! This wonderful film on DVD.
Review: HUD, quite simply, has some of the best performances ever put on film by its four leading cast members: Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal and Brandon De Wilde. Equally powerful is the black and white photography, which serves as the perfect background for the story and the performers. (B&W just can't be beat for some types of stories, and this is one of them.) Newman has never been given as much credit as he deserves, in my opinion, and he makes the tactless, self-centered, womanizing Hud come to life spectacularly. Patricia Neal, who won the Oscar for this, is amazing to watch, using her body language and her voice with consummate mastery. This film leaves you with an appreciation of how simple stories, handled by talented professionals, can pack a punch even forty years later. When compared to half of the "product" that's pumped out these days, HUD towers over most, propelled by character and story. Not a bad thing, if you ask me!
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent in every respect
Review: I cannot say enough about this movie. Paul Newman ("HUD") is completely convincing as the narcissistic son of an aging cattle rancher (Melvyn Douglas) who takes all he can get from life, leaving only destruction in his wake. Perhaps the reason Newman is so convincing is that, despite HUD's reprehensible character, one is drawn in to the allure of his personality, just like those on the screen that are used and tossed aside. Although we may not be "rooting" for HUD, we become more than a little sympathetic to his cause, probably a reflection of our own selfish natures. And it is a tribute to Newman's acting ability to draw out these conflicting emotions from the audience. The supporting cast in this "character study" is nothing short of superb. Melvyn Douglas as the pious and self-righteous father is the perfect mirror image of HUD. Patricia Neal (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) is simply outstanding as the earthy, motherly yet somewhat-still-sexy housekeeper who both HUD and Lon (Brandon De Wilde) have sexual yearnings for, but for very different reasons. James Wong Howe's cinematography is top notch and his choice of black and white film really makes this movie work - far more than it would have in color. There are also other "small touches" that add so much to the film. When HUD picks up Patricia Neal by the side of the road with her groceries, she offers him a Fig Newton. The same effect was used again when Lon is discussing the book "From Here To Eternity" with the local drugstore owner. Not a just a "cookie" or a "book", but real pieces of "Americana" the help set the mood, tone and timeframe of the film. There is one last item I think is worth commenting on, because it is often overlooked. That is the seeming genuine affection that HUD has for his nephew (Lon). Yes, HUD is a scoundrel out for himself first and foremost, but there are many scenes where HUD appears almost human (particularly when HUD finally tells Lon how his father died), and those scenes are always with Lon. This is why, if the movie has any flaw in my mind, it is the ending where Lon is leaving the ranch and HUD is left all alone. I get the sensation that HUD is practically begging Lon to stay, though outwardly this isn't the case at all and HUD tries to act aloof and non-caring, shouting one of his famous lines "This world is so full of ..., a man's gonna get into it sooner or later whether he's careful or not." Whether my reaction was the one Martin Ritt had in mind I am not sure, but the last scene always leaves me unsettled, at least in terms of HUD's humanity. Regardless, a first class film in every way. There are very few this good.
Rating:
Summary: Angst in the Heartland
Review: I don't know why anyone would want to live in Texas after the big-screen depictions of it as a place full of nothing but boredom and misery. Surely it can't be that bad. Well, "Hud" certainly makes it seem like it is. This bleak and depressing story shows Hud (Paul Newman), only surviving son of a farm owner (Melvyn Douglas) who has found him to be nothing but a disappointment, selfishly whiling away the hours in Nowheresville, Texas. Newman portrays Hud as almost ridiculously virile and full of annoying machismo. His character doesn't know how to interact with anyone on a genuine level, so he instead uses aggression (physical, verbal, and sexual) as his only means of communication. It's a great performance by Newman, but the character as written isn't fully fleshed out, and it's hard to ever feel anything but dislike for Hud. Also great in the film is Patricia Neal, who dubiously won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance as the live-in housekeeper who finds Hud obnoxious and alluring at the same time. Her performance is obviously a supporting one and should in no way be considered a lead (though she really is the only female character in the movie), but she's great in it, and I only wish she was in the film more. Rounding out the cast of characters if Hud's nephew, son of his dead brother, played by Brandon de Wilde (of "Shane" fame), who's also very good. Every actor has a natural style of delivery that makes this film seem so much more contemporary than other '63 releases. "Hud" is an incredibly sombre film. Don't go into this expecting to be cheered. Characters continuously reach out for human contact and repeatedly find none. But it's a very solid film, if a bit heavy-handed at times, and the acting is by far its greatest asset. Grade: B+
Rating:
Summary: Angst in the Heartland
Review: I don't know why anyone would want to live in Texas after the big-screen depictions of it as a place full of nothing but boredom and misery. Surely it can't be that bad. Well, "Hud" certainly makes it seem like it is. This bleak and depressing story shows Hud (Paul Newman), only surviving son of a farm owner (Melvyn Douglas) who has found him to be nothing but a disappointment, selfishly whiling away the hours in Nowheresville, Texas. Newman portrays Hud as almost ridiculously virile and full of annoying machismo. His character doesn't know how to interact with anyone on a genuine level, so he instead uses aggression (physical, verbal, and sexual) as his only means of communication. It's a great performance by Newman, but the character as written isn't fully fleshed out, and it's hard to ever feel anything but dislike for Hud. Also great in the film is Patricia Neal, who dubiously won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance as the live-in housekeeper who finds Hud obnoxious and alluring at the same time. Her performance is obviously a supporting one and should in no way be considered a lead (though she really is the only female character in the movie), but she's great in it, and I only wish she was in the film more. Rounding out the cast of characters if Hud's nephew, son of his dead brother, played by Brandon de Wilde (of "Shane" fame), who's also very good. Every actor has a natural style of delivery that makes this film seem so much more contemporary than other '63 releases. "Hud" is an incredibly sombre film. Don't go into this expecting to be cheered. Characters continuously reach out for human contact and repeatedly find none. But it's a very solid film, if a bit heavy-handed at times, and the acting is by far its greatest asset. Grade: B+
Rating:
Summary: Paul Newman's Best Movie
Review: I've watched this movie at least 50 times over the years. I think it is a true classic and Paul Newman's best movie. It should have won best picture and best actor oscars in addition to the 3 it did win. Patricia Neal is outstanding!
Rating:
Summary: A Great American Tragedy
Review: If there is a picture in this world that proves film is as great an art form as the novel, it is "Hud." Intricate, well layered, and ultimately heartbreaking, "Hud" is an American tragedy that easily merits comparison with Eugene O' Neil's New England dramas as it is a simple, yet profound contemplation of human nature. Though a tale of morality, "Hud" is at its core a eulogy to a bygone era of America's past, and devastating portrait of modern degeneration. The performances are nothing less than fantastic as the characters presented in "Hud" are all so well realized that their presences will haunt the viewer long after the screen fades to black. Paul Newman is at his best as the despicable title character, while Patricia Neal gives her most legendary performance as a rangy housekeeper. Equally brilliant are Melvyn Douglas whose character functions as the film's moral center, and the young Brandon de Wilde whose character serves as the innocent spectator to the story's tragedy. Though the deserved winner of several Academy Awards, "Hud" has become somewhat of a forgotten masterpiece. If you have never seen this beautiful movie, go out and rent it now! I guarantee it will move you to tears!
|
