Lonely are the Brave
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, Carroll O'ConnorDirector: David Miller
Studio: Universal Studios
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release: July 7th 2009
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DVD Review
Academy Award winner Kirk Douglas ignites the screen with one of his most personal roles as a cowboy on a collision course with the modern world in Lonely are the Brave. After landing himself in jail trying to break out his friend, Jack Burns (Douglas) finds himself alone and on the run from the law. Leading the manhunt is Sheriff Morey Johnson (Walter Matthau), who must bring Burns to justice despite his own sympathy for the fugitive. Co-starring Gena Rowlands, George Kennedy and Carroll O?Connor, Lonely are the Brave is an unforgettable portrait of a lawless man defying life in an orderly world.
User Reviews
Douglas At his best - Rating: 5/5
At last we are able to see a DVD of Lonely Are The Brave - It's been a long time coming. As a long time fan of Kirk Douglas, I'm divided over what constitutes his best work. The most ardent of fans would have to say that Douglas scored some stinkers in his time. But most would agree that he more than held his own with his peers of the 50's, 60's & 70's, e.g. Stewart, Wayne, Fonda, Heston etc and at times surpassed them. It's generally held that Kirk's best work encompasses such films as Champion, Paths Of Glory, Lust For Life, Spartacus, Seven Days In May and Lonely Are The Brave. The latter is all the more remarkable because it was made on a shoestring budget, was filmed in black & white and introduced us to some future acting luminaries such as Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau & George Kennedy, along with the musical genius of Jerry Goldsmith. If Lonely Are The Brave is not Douglas's best work, it certainly comes close. For me 5 stars, without a doubt.
Great movie - Rating: 5/5
One of the best movies - a favorite of mine that is finally released on DVD. What took so long? Great study in an old way of life struggling in the new world. As relative today as it was when released.
An awkward attempt at myth-making - Rating: 1/5
Lonely Are The Brave is a dishonest and mixed-up piece of misplaced nostalgia and sentimentality. It attempts to eulogize the death of the "wide open spaces", the loss of the alleged "simple life" and unfettered freedom of the mythical West, while begging us to empathize with an "anti-heroic" cowboy, played by Kirk Douglas.
However, upon reflection, Douglas' character seems reckless and obnoxious, even. His apparent macho disregard for authority reeks of a childish compulsion to have his own way at any cost. He is an outcast not because he rebels, but because his rebellion is selfish. He commits himself to nothing and to no one, so his non-conformist actions ultimately seem foolish and suicidal.
If his character stands for anything, it could only be for a way of life that is rootless, greedy and arrogant. What happens to him in the end, is what you would expect to happen to a man who behaved as though he could do whatever he wanted, when and wherever he wanted to do it. If he was lonely, it wasn't because he was brave, but because he was a user and a taker, two ways of being that typically don't win you friends. And Hollywood tries to make those repellent and unattractive personal traits look charming and noble and "heroic."
Besides, as a nation, we threw away our only chance to enjoy the simple life when we attempted to exterminate the very people who could have taught us how to live it: the aboriginal indigenous people of the North and South American continents.
A Masterpiece - Rating: 5/5
I've always loved this film, but viewing this new DVD edition was a real mind-blower. The film, if anything, was much more powerful and emotional than I remembered. All of the performances were first rate, but Douglas clearly gave the best performance of his life. I'm not surprised that it is his favorite film. It's too bad he (and the film) got no recognition at the time. I like a lot of Douglas's films, but he never did anything as natural or convincing as this. I know he wasn't thrilled with the director, David Miller, but I can't fault his direction; some of the shots are beautifully framed and they used lenses that kept everything in focus, both what is close up and what is far away, which works beautifully in those sweeping scenes of the mountains and valleys during the getaway sequence. The script by Dalton Trumbo (whom Douglas got off the Hollywood blacklist on "Spartacus") is perfect, and Jerry Goldsmith's spare score is one of his best. A lot of the players were unknown at the time, but later became stars, like Carrol O'Connor, Walter Mathau, Gena Rowlands and George Kennedy. All played their roles to a "T". This film has often been praised as a "little gem," but there's nothing little about it. It is the bittersweet story of a man out of his time, but desperately fighting to preserve his way of life, even after it has clearly vanished. It is wonderfully understated, as is Douglas's grand peformance. If you haven't seen it, you are in for a real treat. It is also wonderful to see Goldsmith's score finally released on CD by Varese Sarabande.
Ten Star Movie - Rating: 5/5
The opening scene in Lonely Are the Brave, contrasting jet aircraft soaring across the sky to that of Jack Burns (Kirk Douglas) inertly lying on the dessert floor, is surprising, metaphoric and portent of things to come. Unlike the airborne jet fighters, which are mesmeric because they know no boundaries in the vast openness of space above him, yet are still regimented, Jack's spirit for autonomy and independence that drives him, in actuality, restricts him to a life of confrontation and struggle. Nonconformity is Jack's fix. The battle grounds that lay before him are set in limited space and race against time. Still, his quench for self-rule heartens this rugged cowboy's risk taking while clashing with accord and conformity. His mode of transportation, an unruly horse named Whiskey, is a far cry from those jet fighters. In a sense, he is one of those pilots on a mission of his own. Whiskey represents Jack's uncultivated character. Like the jets that defy gravity, both man and animal are at odds with each other because of their self-determination, which proves to be their eventual collapse, despite their mutual respect in a world neither belongs. Ultimately, Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau), Jack's nemesis, determined to bring him in by any means he can marshal, including dismissing the Army General, may be the only person who truly understands Jack, aside from Jack's imprisoned friend's wife (classy Gena Rowlands) who clearly loves him. Johnson realizes, perhaps too late, that any man willing to die for liberty deserves to be set free. I first saw this film as a child when it was released in theatres during the early sixties. This is not only my favorite Kirk Douglas film, but my personal favorite unparalleled American film. It is a tender movie that must be experienced to value its natural poignancy. Watching it, I am right there with Jack Burns, tired, thirsty and down-trodden. It is incredible filmmaking and easily a ten-star movie on all levels!
