Review of Midnight Cowboy (1969) by Jesús G — 04 Apr 2011

Beneath this disturbing look at the gritty urban life of a New York hustler and his con-man friend is a message of facades and fake appearances. Just like the cowboy costume that Joe Buck (Jon Voight) sports for most of the film, New York appears to be a city of impressive appearances, only to be revealed as a hollow wasteland of ambitious and broken dreams.

It is superbly acted by Voight and Dustin Hoffman, who's portrayal of Ratso Rizzo is perhaps his best role, and the two make the film worthwhile. It is a buddy film above everything else, and you can't help but care deeply about these characters as they grow.

The highlights of the film, however, come from the dense and experimental(we're talking 1969 here) montages that layer the film. Whether they are providing valuable windows into Buck's earlier life or showing what is perhaps one of cinema's best portrayals of the effects of marijuana, they are amazing to watch.

Midnight Cowboy, through all the grit and tragedy of the characters on screen, is inspired and original, and in retrospect will make you smile.