BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Aspen Orson There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Scott LeBrun Robert Shaw and Malcolm McDowell star as MacConnachie and Ansell, too men making an escape across various rural backdrops with their hands tied behind their backs. They may have been imprisoned for crimes of some sort, and now authorities relentlessly pursue them through the countryside. Their most persistent nemesis is a helicopter manned by two people.Exactly where this is taking place, we never do find out. We don't learn very much about our protagonists, so they both remain something of an enigma. The plot is often stripped to the bare essentials; this is a very existential, interesting action-chase-thriller with a straightforward set-up. Scripted by Shaw himself, from the novel by Barry England, it does give some decent acting showcases to the two stars, and it also puts them through their paces almost non-stop. One can imagine that this must have been quite a gruelling shoot physically.Shaw and McDowell are very good, under the direction of famous blacklisted filmmaker Joseph Losey ("The Damned", "Accident"). But the real "stars" of the picture have to be the cinematographers (three of them are credited) and camera operators, who impressively capture some truly breathtaking scenery - deserts, forest, snowy mountaintops, etc. To that end, it's appropriate that "Figures in a Landscape" was shot in 2.35:1. It IS a very nice-looking picture.Exciting and harrowing at times, this is the kind of story that intrigues its viewers by largely leaving exposition out of the picture, and firing their imaginations.Seven out of 10.

Woodyanders Rugged maniacal brute MacConnachie (a fabulously ferocious and galvanizing performance by Robert Shaw) and wimpy intellectual Ansell (a sound portrayal by Malcom McDowell) are a couple of escaped fugitives who are on the run in some unspecified foreign country. The pair find themselves being relentlessly pursued by an ominous black helicopter.Director Joseph Losey makes excellent and inspired use of the harsh, sprawling, and desolate countryside. Shaw's stark and intriguing script eschews pretense and exposition in favor of stripping down the premise to its mean'n'lean existential essentials whereby the plot basically becomes a gritty meditation on survival and the ruthless extremes people will resort to in order to stay alive in a hostile and pitiless world. Shaw and McDowell play off each other exceptionally well as a couple of radically contrasting fellows who are forced to depend on each other so they can persevere through a grueling ordeal that's beyond their control or understanding. Several scenes involving close calls with the helicopter register as quite dangerous and hence are positively harrowing to watch. The striking widescreen cinematography by Guy Tabary, Henri Alekan, and Peter Suschitzky offers a wealth of breathtaking aerial shots. Recommended viewing.

Coventry "Figures in a Landscape" is definitely one of the weirdest and most unclassifiable movies I've encountered lately, and at the same time it's pretty difficult to explain why that is. Some movies are weird because they increasingly overpower the viewer with substantial twists and/or stylistic gimmicks, but still they constantly uphold the impression there's some kind of deeper meaning or hidden structure behind it. The films of David Lynch are like that, for example. Other movies, and "Figures in a Landscape" is definitely one of them, are weird because they never at one point feature abrupt story twists and never even seem to want to achieve a deeper meaning. Kind of like the 'what you see is what you get principle' and don't even bother asking background information. Based on Barry England's novel - that probably only very few people have read - "Figures in a Landscape" revolves on two escaped convicts nervously running across a desolate area. Pretty much like the title implies, they are, in fact, simply figures in a landscape. We're never explained where exactly the events take place (South America? East Asia?) or what crimes the two committed in the first place. They must have been quite serious, however, as MacConnachie and Ansell quickly find themselves besieged by a menacing black helicopter and later also by army patrols on foot. The helicopter plays a devastating mental and physical game with them, as it appears to be omnipresent and in absolutely no hurry to pick them up. This is the type of film where there are no characters to root for. You won't develop any sympathy for the fugitives as they commit some truly vile acts along their way and you can't really support the guys inside the helicopter, neither, as their faces aren't even properly shown. "Figures in a Landscape" is a brooding, moody and mildly unsettling film that doesn't always makes sense and doesn't bother to involve the viewer. But, if you manage to put all the unanswered questions aside from you, this also might turn out one extremely enchanting viewing experience. Every shot, every inch of the landscape seems precisely measured and re-considered at least a dozen times before featuring in the film. The choreography is simply wonderful and the filming locations – apparently Spanish – are almost continuously breathtaking. The performances of Robert Shaw and Malcolm McDowell couldn't be more apt and Joseph Losey's direction is very surefooted. After seeing only this and the even more unique "These are the Doomed", I'm more than anxious to check out Losey's further repertoire.

JasparLamarCrabb FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE presents two men escaping from military capture somewhere out in the desert (filmed in Spain) seeking refuge in another, hospitable country. They're endlessly pursued by a helicopter with an unseen pilot, who seems more interested in toying with then than capturing them. It's an exciting, thought-provoking piece of work. Director Joseph Losey has finally made the great ambiguous movie he was shooting for with the like of BOOM! and SECRET CEREMONY. The film is startling in its use of the vast scenery the two men find themselves against. Losey's direction has never been so tightly controlled, with sharp, jarring editing and a creepy, sparsely used score by Richard Rodney Bennett. A huge asset is the casting of Robert Shaw (who also scripted) and Malcolm McDowell as the escapees. They have great chemistry...McDowell's naiveté and neediness working well against Shaw's veteran soldier's gruffness. Shaw has a great speech where he recall's the courtship of his wife during "the war." A thrilling, rarely seen, movie!