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The Hitch-HikerRating:
Release Date: 18 January, 2000 Retail Price: $29.95 OUR Price: $26.99 You SAVE: $2.96! Cast: Complete Cast (7 total) |
The Hitch-Hiker Reviews
"You've always had it good, so you're soft."
"The Hitch-Hiker", directed by actress Ida Lupino is touted as film noir, and it's included in many compendium DVD sets. But even so, after finally watching the film, I think it's a stretch to call it 'noir'--this film suffers for the lack of one of those really evil film noir female characters. And at least for this film noir fan, those evil women are one of the greatest aspects of film noir.
The plot of "The Hitch-Hiker" is simple--two married men escape from their wives for a fishing trip. On their way to Mexico, they stop and pick up a hitch-hiker. As luck would have it, the hitch-hiker, Emmett Meyers (William Talman) is an escaped killer who's hitched and killed his way south of the border. Meyers plays twisted cat-and-mouse games with the two men--even using them for target practice at one point. Meyers is a sinister figure whose paralyzed eyelid translates into an inability to close that lid when sleeping, so that his captives can't tell if he's asleep or staring right at them.
One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the resentment Meyers has towards the two men--mechanic Roy Collins (Edmond O'Brien) and draughtsman Gilbert Bowen (Frank Lovejoy). Meyers identifies with his two victims in a sense--they're about the same age, etc. But Bowen and Collins are decent fellows who are fiercely loyal to each other. Meyers--a career criminal--is a loner, an outsider who despises Collins and Bowen for their respectable lives.
The film's first few scenes are tense, but that sense of tension is lost as the film wears on. There are attempts to create tension as Meyers herds his captives through certain encounters (in the small Mexican market, for example), but the level of tension is merely lukewarm. The film remains a fairly mediocre crime drama focusing on the dilemma of the hostages weighing a decision to cooperate and perhaps live--or escape--even if it means dying in the attempt.
The Alpha DVD print is decent--a couple of white splotches appear on the print on a few occasions, and there are no extras--displacedhuman
Fishing Trip Takes Turn for the Worse with "Hitch-Hike Slayer" Aboard.
"The Hitch-Hiker" is a 1-hour-and-10-minute low budget suspense that has the distinction of being the only classic film noir directed by a woman. It was directed by Ida Lupino, who starred in a few film noirs herself, and went on to direct many television series. The screenplay was based on an unpublished story by Daniel Mainwaring, who wasn't credited by RKO, because Howard Hughes didn't like his politics. The film is introduced with the declaration "This is the true story of a man and a gun and a car." It was inspired by a real crime that took place in the early 1950s.
Two friends, Roy Collins (Edmund O'Brien) and Gil Bowen (Frank Lovejoy), are seeking some rest and relaxation on a fishing trop to Mexico, where they pick up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker immediately pulls a gun on them and identifies himself as wanted killer Emmett Myers (William Talman). Myers holds the men constantly at gunpoint as they make their way toward Santa Rosalia, where Myers intends to evade pursuit by crossing a river. Myers plays sadistic games with Roy and Gil, and reminds them, "You guys are gonna die, that's all. Just a question of when," as both Mexican and American authorities hone their search for the missing men. In a comically cruel twist of fate, Emmett is afflicted with an eye that doesn't stay shut, so no one can tell if he is awake or asleep.
I found the opening of "The Hitch-Hiker", when we see the atrocities of a ruthless, faceless murderer, to be the most effective part of the film. Director Ida Lupino really creates a sense of menace in a few minutes. After that, the film is fine but predictable. Collins is hot-headed and emotional, while Bowen is more even-tempered and less impulsive. It is unclear which strategy is best under the circumstances, which adds a little interest. But this is not one of Edmund O'Brien's more memorable performances. There's just not much to it. William Talman is more memorable as thoroughly sociopath Emmett Myers. The film's perspective on Mexico and Mexicans is interesting. Conversations that take place in Spanish are not translated. Gil Bowen appears to be fluent in Spanish himself. And Mexico is not the haven for American criminals that it usually is in movies. Mexican authorities work hard to catch Myers. "The Hitch-Hiker" didn't always keep my interest, but it's a solid B-movie, intended for the second half of a double bill. 3 ½ stars.
The DVD (Kino Video 2000): This print is unrestored but acceptable. There are some white specks and the sound could use a little cleaning up. There are no bonus features or subtitles.
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