The Hunted Review
by Michael J. Gold (mjgold01 AT yahoo DOT com)March 17th, 2003
The Hunted ***
Directed By: William Friedkin
Written By: David Griffiths, Peter Griffiths and Art Monterastelli Music By: Brian Tyler
L.T. Bonham: Tommy Lee Jones
Aaron Hallam: Benicio Del Toro
Abby Durrell: Connie Nielsen
Running Time: 1:34
Rated R (for strong bloody violence and some language.)
Reviewed by: Michael J. Gold
Aaron Hallam (Benicio Del Toro) is a trained killer who served with the United States forces in Kosovo. There he saw and did things that would forever haunt him. Years later, in Oregon he attacks and butchers a couple of deer hunters, or were they? These particular hunters had high-powered rifles with telescopic sights and Hallam suspects that perhaps they were there not for the deer, but for him.
The FBI sends for L.T. Bonham, to help them to hunt down the man responsible for the killings. It's interesting that this character should go by the name of L.T., which for the majority of military personal would be slang for Lieutenant, yet Bonham has never served in the military. Perhaps, he chose to se his initials to spite his military father who forbade him to enter into the military after his older brother was killed in Vietnam.
When we first meet L.T. Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones) he is tracking a wounded wolf through the snow. This scene nicely foreshadows the fact that Bonham will soon be tracking an even more dangerous animal; one of his own creation. For Bonham used to train young soldiers in survival tactics, tracking and of course, how to kill quickly and efficiently.
"The French Connection" and "To Live and Die in L.A." featured two best car chase scenes ever filmed and in this film William Friedkin treats us to a third masterful car chase. Each of these chases is unique and each is a work of genius. Part of the appeal of these car chases is that Friedkin keeps them grounded in reality. Instead of seeing cars leaping over bridges or riding up on two wheels we see cars pushing their way through a traffic jam and going onto sidewalks.
In some ways the film is very much a chase film and one can't help drawing comparisons to "The Fugitive" as we watch Del Toro jump off a bridge into the water below as Jones stands there watching helplessly. What makes this film unique is the gorgeous cinematography of four time Oscar nominee Caleb Deschanel and the talent of the actors involved in a film that really has no meaningful dialog.
Deschanel mixes a gray and gritty palette for the city sequences, especially in the opening battle where the explosions and gunfire all seem dim and understated, and then contrasts those scenes with a bevy of rich greens in the lush forests of Oregon. We are pulled into these locations and can feel the mud squish and give way a little under our boots as we walk through the woods with Bonham searching for a clue to Hallam's whereabouts.
Tommy Lee Jones has played the perceptive and experienced man in charge that he is a natural in the role. The difference between this role and U.S Marshal Samuel Gerard or Agent K is that it required Jones to be a lot more physical than he has ever had to. When Bonham and Hallam battle it's not the ballet of a slick choreographed fight, but exhausting and balanced combat of two experienced and deadly warriors.
Benicio Del Toro gives a riveting performance as the tortured soldier that is unable to cope with the horrors he has seen and committed. Del Toro's eyes have always been his most powerful acting tool and they serve him well here. Those eyes speak far better than any spoken word and we can always look into them and know exactly what his character is thinking.
The film works because the characters are intelligent and authentic. They are real people in a world where the laws of physics are still enforced. In the end, we realize that this is more than just a pursuit, but the clash of two professionals doing what they do best.
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