The Fugitive (1993) Warner Bros./Action-Thriller RT: 130 minutes Rated PG-13 (language, violence) Director: Andrew Davis Screenplay: Jeb Stuart and David Twohy Music: James Newton Howard Cinematography: Michael Chapman Release date: August 6, 1993 (US) Cast: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbe, Daniel Roebuck, L. Scott Caldwell, Tom Wood, Ron Dean, Joseph Kasala. Box Office: $183.8M (US)/$368.8M (World)
Rating: ****
Here’s a wonderful surprise, a movie adapted from a classic television series that’s actually good. In fact, it’s GREAT! It’s my second favorite TV-to-film after The Untouchables. It’s definitely one of the best action films of the 90s.
The Fugitive stars Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) as Dr. Richard Kimble, an innocent man sentenced to death after being falsely accused of murdering his wife. He claims the real killer is a one-armed man, but the circumstantial evidence tells a different story. While being transported to prison, one of the other passengers attempts to escape causing the bus to fall right into the path of an oncoming train. While the other convicts flee, Kimble saves the life of one of the guards before taking off. Determined to prove his innocence, he needs to be on the streets to do so. After changing his appearance, he returns to Chicago to launch his own one-man investigation.
The US Marshals, led by hardened veteran lawman Sam Gerard (Jones, Men in Black 1-3), arrive on the scene and initiate a massive manhunt to recapture Kimble. Gerard is as determined to catch his prey as Kimble is to prove he didn’t kill his wife. It’s a game of cat-and-mouse as Kimble tries to stay one step ahead of Gerard until he finds the one-armed man.
I won’t reveal the motives behind the frame-up, although I expect many people already know. To be fair, The Fugitive has been around for a while. I still choose to remain silent because a big part of the fun is putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I’ll only confirm what you probably already know, that there is indeed a conspiracy afoot.
The premise of The Fugitive is more or less the same as the popular 60s TV series starring David Janssen and Barry Morse as Kimble and Gerard respectively. It tells the whole story in just over two hours thanks to a tight script by Jeb Stuart (Die Hard) and David Twohy (Pitch Black). Director Andrew Davis (Code of Silence) keeps things moving at a rapid clip. This is a filmmaker who knows how to expertly stage an action scene. The train crash is absolutely amazing. He makes the viewer feel like they’re right there in the think of the action (no 3D glasses required!) as Kimble tries to make sense of a situation that could cost him his life, either from getting shot by law enforcement or bad guys or by lethal injection. There are several narrow escapes and tense situations that effectively leave viewers sitting on the edge of their seats.
The always reliable Ford does a terrific job as a desperate man who always has to look over his shoulder. You look at what he does in The Fugitive and instantly understand why he was one of the biggest box office draws of the 80s and 90s. Jones deservedly won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the gruff, no-nonsense Marshal just doing his job. It doesn’t matter to him whether his target is innocent or guilty. That’s up to the judge and jury. He’s only interested in bringing back escaped fugitives alive or dead. Both men are intelligent; it’s thrilling to watch as they try to outsmart each other. Their relationship is more than that of the typical hero-villain scenario. We know Kimble is innocent, so we cheer as Gerard keeps failing to catch him. At the same time, Gerard is a good man who believes what he’s doing is right. It’s not his fault right is wrong in this case. It’s the fault of an imperfect legal system that sometimes gets it wrong.
As with his other movies, Davis makes great use of the Windy City and its locations (e.g. the El). Chicago, as it so happens, is one of my favorite movie settings. It has a distinct personality that translates well to film. In The Fugitive, it throbs and hums with life thanks to cinematographer Michael Chapman, the same guy who brought New York City to brilliant life in Taxi Driver. There’s never a dull moment in The Fugitive. Davis is consistent with its forward momentum. Whether it’s Kimble leaping over the edge of a dam spillway outlet into a raging river or trying to gather evidence while disguised as a janitor in a hospital crawling with cops, it’s always suspenseful and/or exciting. In the case of the latter scenario, Kimble finds the time to help a young patient whose problem has been misdiagnosed by an overworked ER doctor.
The Fugitive is one of those movies that stand up to repeat viewings. It’s every bit the cinematic joyride as Raiders of the Lost Ark minus the Biblical artifact. Thankfully, it doesn’t OD on style with a lot of frenzied editing and unnecessary camera tricks. It’s a straightforward action picture that succeeds in its goal to entertain audiences.
