Midnight Cowboy (John Schlesinger,1969): USA
Reviewed by Sofia Nagel. Viewed on DVD.
Midnight Cowboy (Schlesinger, 1969) is a film that one only needs to see once and it will never be forgotten. It is one of the most bittersweet and loving tales of friendship. Joe Buck (Jon Voight) is a young naive Texan who dreams of moving to New York City. Joe is one of the most optimistic, happy-go-lucky characters whose nativity and innocence is both endearing and heartbreaking. Joe buys one of the finest cowboy attires, packs a suitcase and boards his bus to New York City. He desires to live a life of luxury by earning his income as a prostitute. Joe has very few friends and family members and is an incredibly lonely soul. On his first humorous conquest, he actually ends up paying a woman rather than being paid. Joe spends his nights sadly dressed as a cowboy waiting for someone to pick him up. He doesn’t comprehend how the big city works nor what consists of being a “hustler.” His tragic and heart-wrenching story is told through vivid flashbacks throughout the film – peaking the viewer’s curiosity. Jon Voight does a remarkable job portraying Joe; molding the character into someone who is very sensitive and sad yet somehow still has so much hope and faith for the world.
Joe meets “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), a crippled and sickly conman in a bar one afternoon. Dustin Hoffman perfectly depicts a fast-talking and streetwise crook. Rizzo initially cons Joe yet the friendship that ensues is one of the most beautiful in film history. They are always there for one another; they stay up late talking; and even cook for one another. Joe and Rizzo have one of the most memorable male relationships in film. Both men are very isolated and find solace in each other. In the 1960s, having a man act as a male prostitute was incredibly taboo and next to unheard of (even in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the fact that Fred is a prostitute is only vaguely hinted at). Midnight Cowboy was incredibly progressive for its time and has influenced many films since.
If my review does not convince the reader to view this beautiful, visually-striking, tender film then perhaps the fact that this was the only X-rated film ever to win an Oscar will. New York City is depicted as whimsical, alluring but also irresistibly dangerous. Dustin Hoffman and a very young and handsome Jon Voight make the characters their own and create depth and substance within them. I definitely do not see myself forgetting Midnight Cowboy and how it made me feel. I also believe that Joe’s journey is not all that easy to forget. One of the most captivating aspects of the film is Joe’s hope and perseverance. As Joe Buck says, “Lotta rich women back there, Ralph, begging for it, paying for it, too…and the men – they’re mostly tutti fruttis. So I’m gonna cash in on some of that, right?…Hell, what do I got to stay around here for? I got places to go, right?”
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