Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Wuchak RELEASED IN 1966 and directed by Arthur Penn, "The Chase" details events in an East Texas town (think Beaumont, TX) when Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford) escapes from prison and how this affects the populace. Marlon Brando plays the sheriff who tries to track down Bubber's whereabouts while Angie Dickinson is on hand as his supportive wife. Jane Fonda plays Bubber's ex-girlfriend and James Fox her secret beau. Janice Rule appears as a drunken woman of dubious morality, Robert Duvall her hubby and Richard Bradford one of the men with whom she cheats. E.G. Marshall is on hand as the town mogul. Look for a young Paul Williams as one of the partying teens (he's easy to spot). "The Chase" is mid-60's Southern Gothic in the manner of "The Fugitive Kind" (1960), "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), "Cape Fear" (1962), "This Property Is Condemned" (1966) and "The Long, Hot Summer" (1958). It's arguably on par with most of these, but is significantly superior to the last one. The first act is weak as it establishes the characters, but the story becomes captivating starting with the second act and the surreal drunken party at the mogul's mansion (and the teens in a neighboring abode). Imagine if "Village of the Giants" (1965) was shot as a serious melodrama, minus the giants, and that's the general vibe. The movie addresses elements of hedonistic revelry, racism, sexual revolution (several of the players are involved in affairs), political corruption (the sheriff is wrongly thought to be bought by the mogul), and vigilante non-justice. The most iconic scene is when the sole voice of reason is viciously beaten by the character played by Bradford, along with his buds. Marlon later cited this as an example of his renowned Method approach. The wild last act in an auto graveyard is also iconic.Despite the picture's many strengths, it's too meandering and unfocused to be wholly effective, as was Penn's great "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967). But you can't beat the cast, especially Brando. THE FILM RUNS 2 hours and 13 minutes and was shot in California (Calabasas, Chico, Agoura & Burbank studios). WRITERS: Horton Foote (play) & Lillian Hellman (script). GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

yelofneb-63037 ***may contain accidental spoilers*** There are movies and there are great movies. This is one of the latter--a magnificently mixed up story about good and bad people and not so good and not so bad people working their way through a crazy hot night in a small Texas town where slowly but surely all hell breaks loose. Even though it sounds like a lead-up to your average and common teen horror flick, The Chase is filled with the best actors in US movie history--even the first ever screen appearance of Robert Redford. It has Marlon Brando, still back in the days before he turned into Marlon the Hutt, with then absolutely gorgeous Angie Dickinson as his wife. Jane Fonda is there but only recognizable for her acting skill.Given such a talented cast, the director, Arthur Penn (Little Big Man and quite a few other little big movies), delivers a tight and perfectly controlled story that builds slowly from languid frustrations through tense dialog, slowly building to a literal explosion. Definitely worth watching.

dougdoepke Despite the talent in front of the camera and behind, the movie amounts to a swollen mess. The script utterly fails in character development, settling instead for brief snatches. As another reviewer points out, there are no close-ups to reveal inner feelings or to ease our identifying the person. The latter is especially troublesome since so many scenes unfold in half-light. Awkward staging doesn't help either, especially the ridiculous crowd scenes, where women flaunt wantonly and men stand drunkenly by. The upper-class decadence is spread on with a shovel.This may have been cutting-edge in 1966, but now it's not only woefully overdone, but plain silly too. Then there's that climactic scene from junkyard hell where our nose gets rubbed in flaming tires. It may provide cinematic spectacle but otherwise adds only to the exaggeration. It's also too bad that a hundred lesser actors could have filled Brando's role, about which he appears understandably detached. At the same time, Dickinson's role as Brando's wife looks like a wasted add-on. Plus, the flaunting slut has got to be the nadir of Janice Rule's otherwise distinguished career. Among the principals, only Redford and Marshall come through unscathed.One interesting note not emphasized in the script-- just what is Bubba's (Redford) crime, deserving of the ending. Looks to me like a tragic occurrence that otherwise goes unexplored. I wish there were something really redeeming about this mess, perhaps that its heart is in the right place racially. But there really isn't much redemptive. Too bad such a fine cast is largely wasted, while the supposed look at Southern decadence amounts more to unfunny parody than anything thoughtful. One positive note-- I'm glad director Penn's career managed a quick recovery from what could have been an industry graveyard. All in all, whatever the offscreen production squabbles, which I guess were real, they sure didn't help what ended up on screen.

wes-connors Clean-cut blond convict Robert Redford (as Charles "Bubber" Reeves) and another inmate escape from prison. His companion kills a motorist and leaves Mr. Redford to make it home alone, on foot. Before leading "The Chase" to his small Texas hometown, Redford leaves a great set of fingerprints on the rock his fellow inmate used to kill the hapless motorist. It doesn't look good for Redford, but Sheriff Marlon Brando (as Calder) thinks the young man is innocent. Town folk give Mr. Brando a hard time. People expect Redford will try to see his beautiful wife Jane Fonda (as Anna), which is to be expected. In best soap opera fashion, Ms. Fonda has hooked up with Redford's former best friend James Fox (as Jason "Jake" Rogers). His banker father E.G. Marshall (as Val Rogers) owns the town...Something better should have resulted from a motion picture produced by Sam Spiegel and directed by Arthur Penn. Lillian Hellman, who re-wrote "The Chase" from a play by Horton Foote, disowned the screenplay. Reportedly, it was re-written by others. In the central performance, Brando delivers; it's likely you'll remember him mumbling "Bubber" after forgetting most of the film's details...Early on, the director signals a creative ride by "backing up" and "parking" the camera like an automobile...The bloody fight scene with Richard Bradford (as Damon Fuller) besting Brando, and Mr. Penn's imaginary cocktail party shoot-out are memorable. Several in the cast have good moments, with Robert Duvall and Janice Rule (as Edwin and Emily Stewart) making the most of their supporting roles. Brando gets screen time with Mr. Duvall and Ms. Rule always seems ready to fall out of her dress...Everyone in town is anticipating the return of Redford's "Bubber" (or "Bubba"), and this is the film's main problem. Redford looks like he's auditioning for a shampoo or deodorant commercial when he's supposed to seem menacing. While less so, Fonda is another excellent performer who appears not to be at her potential. They could have given Redford a prison haircut, had him pocket a gun found on the dead motorist's body, and ordered the make-up crew show a few scars. Of course, they could have also re-cast the role. Making it worse, we spend an inordinate amount of time cutting away from the trashy and more interesting townspeople to see Redford running, jumping and swimming around the countryside. Instead of elevating tension, these excessive scenes break the film down.***** The Chase (2/17/66) Arthur Penn ~ Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, James Fox