Product Description: Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 02/05/2008 Run time: 113 minutes Rating: R
Amazon.com essential video: The first, and only, X-rated film to win a best picture Academy Award, John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy seems a lot less daring today (and has been reclassified as an R), but remains a fascinating time capsule of late-1960s sexual decadence in mainstream American cinema. In a career-making performance, Jon Voight plays Joe Buck, a naive Texas dishwasher who goes to the big city (New York) to make his fortune as a sexual hustler. Although enthusiastic about selling himself to rich ladies for stud services, he quickly finds it hard to make a living and eventually crashes in a seedy dump with a crippled petty thief named Ratzo Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman, doing one of his more effective "stupid acting tricks," with a limp and a high-pitch rasp of a voice). Schlesinger's quick-cut, semi-psychedelic style has dated severely, as has his ruthlessly cynical approach to almost everybody but the lead characters. But at its heart the movie is a sad tale of friendship between a couple of losers lost in the big city, and with an ending no studio would approve today. It's a bit like an urban Of Mice and Men, but where both guys are Lenny. --Jim Emerson
Good but.... ^ To be honest, I was 6 when this movie came out and when I got grown I had absolutely no interest in seeing nothing about no cowboy trying to make his way to the big city film; But as time moved on, I was a bit interested in this film. matter of fact, I was at Walmart looking at Oscar awarded films, this was about one of the few I have seen, and I got it. Once I seen it, I got mixed feelings. Joe Buck(John Voight) is a young overconfident Texan who knows he can please the ladies, and decides to go to N.Y. and be a hustler servicing ladies. If I can say anything, the fella gets my vote for his confidence & bravery. However, once he hits the Big Apple, he finds life is not what it may seem. For one, he gets taken by the rich lady he serviced(ain't that something?)then he gets with this crippled grifter(Dustin Hoffman), who hooks him up with this man who supposedly had connections to the male escort business, but was more a religious kook more interested in praying which brought the flashbacks back even more so. Even though the film alludes to flashbacks that he was abused sexually by his grandmother, we can see what makes up the package of Joe Buck.Yet we don't get that with Rizzo; With him, you can see it from the door. After getting put out of his hotel, being hungry and having to sell it on the streets to a young boy who delivered but didn't have a thin dime, Buck gets hip and upon seeing Rizzo, starts to beat him down; Instead, he gets a place to lay his head as well as an unlikely partnership. In time, Buck starts to care for Rizzo; Rizzo starts dreaming of Florida and when he gets sicker, Buck gets up one more job gone a bit crazy to get him to Florida. I will be honest, for it's time, you'll see the grittiness of the big city and holding on to a dream even though the dream's not for you. This movie isn't for everyone either and it doesn't end on a great note, but at least you see Joe Buck coming out of the experience a much better person for it.
The second time around.... ^ Bought for my son's college class. Thought I would also see it again since I hadn't watched for over 30 years. With the elapse of time and the advance of film making (if that's what you want to call it) I wasn't enthralled with this film as when I first saw it. Listening to Nilsson's Everybody's Talkin was nostalgic. If you're a baby boomer child you'll probably like it better than the younger generation.
"A Masterpiece" ^ Jon Voight made a name for himself in Hollywood in "Midnight Cowboy" where he stars as a naive Texan who comes to New York City with dreams of making it big being a high-class male prostitute servicing wealthy older women. He eventually encounters a con man, played brilliantly by Dustin Hoffman, who encourages him to join him in his hustling profession by ripping people off. The chemistry between Voight and Hoffman is impeccable and "Midnight Cowboy" has gone on to be a cinematic classic. Although made in 1969 the film has aged remarkably well as the subtext of the film is still predominant today as people strive to better themselves anyway they know how in order to survive. The movie won three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director for John Schlesinger, and Best Screenplay. "Midnight Cowboy" is the only film in the history of the Oscars to win Best Picture with an X Rating as the film shows many explicit sex scenes that were even more shocking in the late '60's. Both Voight and Hoffman were nominated for Best Actor. This beautiful 2 disc set features the film in breathtaking widescreen format cleaned from its original print. As a bonus there is an informative audio commentary by Jerome Hellman and a great featurette called "After Midnight: Reflecting On The Classic 35 Years Later". Siskel and Ebert give the film "Two Thumbs Up! It stands the test of time!"
THE EXTRA FEATURES ARE INVALUABLE! ^ Given all the praise the film itself has earned from Amazaon reviewers, it is pointless to do anything except punctuate that praise.
A couple of reviewers were upset that "no one" has discussed the second disc's features.
To me, the second disc extras (and the first one also has one major commentary) made the DVD invaluable. Its astute commentary by producers, directors, and the actors themselves not only offers insight into the decisions that created the film and the history of the times but also offers a profound insight into the nature of the characters leading in turn to their behaviors.
Just having the movie itself pleases me, of course, but not having the extra disc, produced in 2004, would sadden me because it was a time when the main actors and others affiliated with the movie were still alive and filled with vivid memories of the making of the film. ENJOY! Penny from Plano
Overrated And Pointless ^ This is a movie that has had a lot of hype in years past. It deserves little of that.
Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman both have strong acting performances, but those are contained in a show with little direction and no discernable plot. Simply put, it is rubbish.
None of the characters have any redeeming qualities. The two main ones move from con to con in a meaningless manner. My recommendation would be to skip this one.
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