Review of The Defiant Ones (1958) by Karl S — 29 Nov 2008

This movie reminds me why I enjoy Stanley Kramer pictures so much. They're confrontational, drama stories that reflect society.

Sidney Poitier was really beginning to hit his stride in the late 50's and early 60's as he came into his own, becoming a marquee star. He has the presence of a veteran performer in this film. Tony Curtis was an interesting choice for a role that might've easily been given to someone along the lines of a Burt Lancaster or Marlon Brando due to his turn for comedic roles. He proves he can be an introspective performer when given a suitable role, which usually tends to be a callous wiseguy.

The cinematography, which was a crisp black and white picture, earned the film an Oscar. This is one of the better looking black and white films in an era where there were so many. It adds a whole other dynamic of symbolism to the theme of the film as well.

The story is simplistic in its nature and it has been done numerous times before: matching an unlikely pair of people in challenging circumstances. However, unlike most of the formulaic successors to this sort of film, which usually play on comedy than drama, The Defiant Ones is a serious picture. It is also a picture that portrays a southern, rascist culture that includes a scene where a lynch mob is put together to hang Curtis and Poitier.

It's not a feel good movie in a hammer over the head since, but there is a heart to the picture that reveals racial consciousness and a micro-view at potential progress between the white and black cultures of America in the second half of the 20th century.