The Chase (1966) User Reviews

Tense thriller

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 30 September 2017]

What starts as a simple prison break turns into an incredibly tense emotional thriller in The Chase. With an all-star cast and a perfectly eerie tone set by director Arthur Penn, you'll be kept on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Robert Redford and his cellmate break out of prison, but when his cellmate kills a man and flees the scene, everyone thinks Robert Redford is the murderer! He tries to make his way back to town to see his wife, but when the town residents get wind of his plan, they all panic. E.G. Marshall, a very important figure, is worried about his son's safety, since he's having an affair with Redford's wife, Jane Fonda. Robert Duvall, whose wife is having an affair with Richard Bradford, is worried because he knows a secret about Redford's crime. Redford's parents, Miriam Hopkins and Malcom Atterbury, feel guilty about not hiring him a lawyer before. Ken Renard knows where he is, and knows he'll get harassed because of it. And finally, Marlon Brando, the sheriff, tries in vain to keep the peace.

Lillian Hellman's script, based on Horton Foote's play, is very well-written, with plenty of characters to root for and against. Marlon Brando's character is by far the most interesting and likable, and even though he isn't usually cast in peace-keeper roles, he's very convincing as he's pulled by all sides and still tries to maintain law and order. This is a pretty heavy movie, so be prepared. There's infidelity, violence, and racial harassment. But if you tend to like dramatic films from the 1960s, rather than the fluffy ones, you'll probably enjoy The Chase.

An Orgy Of Violence, Lawlessness & Mob Rule

[seymourblack-1 · 7/10 · 1 December 2018]

One Saturday night, the underlying tensions that had festered for some time in a small town in Texas suddenly erupt into an orgy of violence, lawlessness and mob rule. The trigger for this mayhem is the news that a local man has escaped from prison and is expected to return home to settle a few scores. Many of the issues involved in this story, such as racism, social unrest and the sexual revolution reflect what was going on more broadly in American society in the 1960s and this is emphasized further by the inclusion of a Jack Ruby style killing which is just one of many incidents in which town residents intentionally disrespect or undermine the rule of law and order in their own community.

As the local banker, oil tycoon and cattle baron, the incredibly wealthy Val Rogers (E. G. Marshall) wields enormous power in the town which under his stewardship has seen the establishment of a strict class system, restrictions on the rights of black people and the appointment of a sheriff who people see as being there to do whatever Rogers instructs. Sheriff Calder (Marlon Brando), however, is fiercely independent and very assertive if anyone implies that he's anything less than entirely fair in the ways in which he carries out his duties.

When Calder hears that Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford) has escaped from prison, instead of calling in extra assistance and instigating an immediate manhunt, he takes more measured action in the hope that it'll avoid the fugitive (who he believes to be innocent) from being killed by any overzealous vigilantes who might want to dispense their own type of justice. This, however, brings him into conflict with some local people who, for various reasons, are anxious about Bubber's return.

Val Rogers' son Jake (James Fox) was Bubber's best friend. He's very unhappy in a loveless marriage of which his father approves but Jake's also openly involved in an affair with Bubber's wife Anna (Jane Fonda). Val Rogers fears that Bubber will kill Jake if he returns and finds out about the affair and on the night of his birthday party puts pressure on Sheriff Calder to head off any chance of this happening. Calder doesn't change course and also has his integrity questioned by Bubber's mother who fears that, on Rogers' orders, the Sheriff will simply be out to kill her son.

Val Rogers' party is just one of a few that are going on simultaneously and as the revelry involving the town's drunken and openly adulterous population becomes more boisterous, a group of thugs take it on themselves to hunt down Bubber and in the course of doing this, brutally beat up the Sheriff and take the law into their own hands.

With its all-star cast and a setting which acts like a microcosm of 1960s America, "The Chase" has much to commend it but the whole sprawling entity is overlong and lacks the kind of pace which could have given it much more punch and power. Marlon Brando is outstanding in this movie and the scene in which he's beaten up is immensely powerful and memorable.

Ironically, Robert Redford as the fresh-faced, clean-cut looking convict is far less odious than many of the corrupt and depraved townspeople who regard themselves as being on the right side of the law. James Fox, complete with southern accent, does really well in a role that must have been a considerable challenge for him and the contributions of Robert Duvall, Janice Rule and Richard Bradford also stand out. "The Chase", although flawed in some respects, does remain an interesting and well-acted film that's thought-provoking and makes some salient points.

better than I expected

[rupie · 7/10 · 15 December 1999]

The lukewarm reviews and comments led me to expect less than what I found in this decent movie of small-town corruption. Most of it is probably due to a pretty good cast - Brando is excellent, and Duvall, Dickinson, and E.G.Marshall put in good work. Redford's part is too small to do much with. I too was astounded at James Fox's pretty darn good Southern accent; it was so good that at first I couldn't place him, and then all those British roles came back to me in surprise. The script is ok too, and one would like to know more about the backstage fighting that went on over it between Hellman & company. The Panavision color is excellent; far better than what we have today. The portrayal of small-town bigotry, duplicity, jealousy, betrayal, and infidelity is well-done, and the spectacular junkyard Gotterdamerung is a chilling finale. The flick is definitely worth seeing.

A dated but still powerful film

[scribe_12248 · 17 January 1999]

Much sexual water has gone under the bridge since the 1960s, and more than a few installments of "The Playboy Philosophy." So now, at the millennium's turning, a tale in which the prejudices, cynicism and sexual infidelities of a small southern town's dissolute ruling class figure prominently seems dated, even quaint. Yet such is the terrifyingly plausible spiral into anarchy depicted in 1966's The Chase that Arthur Penn's controversial film remains a disturbing piece of cinema. A thinner (but still imposing) Marlon Brando plays Sherrif Calder, a lone, laconic voice of reason in a town rapidly going insane on a hot summer's night. E.G. Marshall is Val Rogers, bank president and town monarch, suitably surrounded by fawning lackeys such as Ed Stewart (Robert Duvall, uncharacteristically loathsome as a milquetoast cuckold aching for revenge). The spark for the climactic firestorm is the return of "Bubba" Reeves, who has escaped from prison after being sent away for joy-riding in a stolen airplane. Everyone assumes he is coming back to avenge himself on Rogers' son, who has been keeping company with Reeves' wife Anna (Jane Fonda). The film's weakest performance is, arguably, turned in by Robert Redford, who is much too pretty and soft-spoken to be convincing as the fugitive hellion, Bubba. Overall, however, The Chase features some memorable performances, including those of Brando, Duvall and Janice Rule as Duvall's slutty wife, Emily. In addition to the fearsome inevitability of its violence, The Chase is notable for the horrific realism of the beating inflicted on the sherrif by a couple of corporate good 'ol boys - almost certainly the most graphic beating Hollywood had ever dared to put on film, and possibly unrivalled to this day for its sheer ferocity. Critics may have made much of the film's flaws, but as a study of a dysfunctional society poised to explode, The Chase still stands up as a sobering and powerful movie experience.

Highly underrated picture.

[gridoon · 7/10 · 22 December 1999]

"The Chase" is a powerful and underrated drama. It has most of the ingredients that are required for a solid dramatic picture: exceptional acting (particularly by Brando), careful directing, well-drawn characters and good production values. The first half meanders a little, but in the second half the tension mounts and the film becomes constantly more and more involving and moving. So why does it have such a low reputation? Maybe because of all those reported production problems. But who cares? They're certainly not evident in the film! Recommended for mature viewers.

Unsung classic

[gemtea · 9/10 · 3 May 2001]

The Chase did get pretty awful reviews when it was released but this is a movie to seek out, if for nothing else the performances. A young Richard Bradford is extremely believable as the town bully and womanizer. Robert Duvall as a henpecked husband. Jane Fonda and Robert Redford in early roles. The real reason to catch this one, however, is Brando's performance, which (as noted by another reviewer) is one of his better ones. I saw this movie when it was released and left the theater feeling exhaustion as well as an inner turmoil because the movie made me so mad! The fight scene at the sheriff's office was pretty violent for it's time and was quite upsetting. Great acting all around. Check it out.

The hypocritical pack

[niunoniotro · 7/10 · 27 March 2023]

A town in the southern United States is presented as a kind of microcosm in which hypocrisy, class struggle, lust, the cult of power and money, jealousy, but also dignity, common to all societies, coexist. As the minutes go by, the townspeople become increasingly brutalized and debased, on a Saturday night that will end in tragedy. Robert Reford's character is a born loser, who has escaped from prison and returns to the only place he knows, his hometown, where his wife Jane Fonda lives, or his parents, rude people who have not given him the affection necessary to make him a worthwhile man. Marlon Brandon and his spouse Angie Dickinson, they are without a doubt the most humane couple in that 'wretched' town. The direction is sublime, with no concessions to any kind of unneeded 'joy'.

A hidden treasure

[HBaldursson · 9/10 · 25 May 2009]

I had never heard about The Chase. Rented it from the local library, since it starred Marlon Brando and Robert Redford. Just watched it this morning. It blew me away. Without a doubt it is the best movie I have seen in 2009, and one of the movies to remember.

It does have some problems with editing and music at the outset and feels oddly paced in the first half hour, but when it finds its tone and picks up the pace, it's a true roller coaster ride of emotions.

The characters are archetypes, and the story aims more for dramatic effect than realism.

Brando is fine as the honest Sheriff, and Dickinson puts in excellent performance as his supportive wife. Redford is the outlaw on the run as an escape convict, even though he seems to be one of the most decent people around. Jane Fonda is his wife, who has fallen in love with the town's prince, played by James Fox who is on his own parallel escape from his father's (E.G. Marshall) money and materialism. Robert Duvall also gives a nice little supporting performance.

The villain is mob behavior, corruption, and a society that looks for pure pleasure instead of some sense and meaning. Honest and decent people are on the run from society's destructive tendencies, and the only one to protect the innocence of society is a single Sheriff, who does everything in his power to protect the law that nobody respects but himself.

Perhaps I am giving The Chase such a high rating partly because I had never heard about it before, and was completely blown away. It contains a lot of complex characters, and feels in the opening more like a play than a movie, but if you give it a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised.

I think it should belong to the Western genre, even though it takes place in the 60's. It got guys in cowboy hats, an outlaw, a sheriff, a rich man that is taking over everything, some romance, bystanders that aren't very innocent, and a wild bunch that happens to hide within a very disturbed society.

Highly recommended.

Hot Times in the Town Tonight

[disinterested_spectator · 7/10 · 17 January 2015]

Bubber Reeves is a born loser. Actually, there are two types of born losers, so a distinction is in order: first, there are those who fate has decreed shall always lose out no matter what they do; and then there are those who are losers of their own free will. Bubber Reeves is a little of both.

It does seem that fate has dealt him a few bad hands. When he was young, he was sent to reform school for something he did not do (stealing some money). And when he escapes from prison, his fellow escapee murders a man and takes off with the man's car, leaving Bubber behind. And when he hops on board a freight train he thinks is headed for Mexico, it turns out that the train is headed north, in the direction of his home town. Of course, fate also made Bubber the best looking guy in the county, which he should have been able to work to his advantage.

That he does not turn his good looks to his advantage leads us to the fact that Bubber is also the second kind of born loser. He keeps making bad choices. At one point in the movie, he says to Lester that Lester owes Bubber, because Bubber took a rap for him once. Gee, that was a nice thing to do. But I wouldn't take a rap for anybody, especially if I already had a criminal record. Second, with only a year and three days left in his prison sentence, he makes a break for it because he was served a bad pork chop. Third, even if he did hop the wrong freight, he did not have to go to the one town in North America where everyone would know him, the town where he grew up, and where law enforcement would be most likely to be looking for him. Sheriff Calder says, "Bubber knows better than to come back here." No, apparently he doesn't.

Then there is Edwin Stewart, ultimate lickspittle and cuckold. He was the one who stole the money for which Bubber was blamed. He seems to be sorry for what he did, but then he rats out Bubber to gain favor with his boss, Val Rogers, so he is just as despicable as a mature adult as he was as an immature adolescent.

Edwin is married to Emily, a sexy, sultry adulteress. Theirs is the most ludicrous marriage since that of George and Sherry Peatty (Elisha Cooke, Jr. and Marie Windsor) in "The Killing" (1956). She not only is obvious in the affair she is having with Damon, which Edwin pretends not to notice, but she also embarrasses Edwin in front of his boss, and belittles him openly because he is such a wimp that he does not carry a gun, unlike most of the men in that town. Yes, to be a real man in this small Texas town, you have to carry a gun. And it must be a revolver. Semi-automatics are for Yankee city slickers.

And these are just some of the caricatures in this movie. We never feel that we are watching real people in a real town, but caricatures in a town that itself is a caricature. Sheriff Calder and his wife Ruby seem to be genuine people, so it is no surprise that at the end of the movie, they leave town. Not being caricatures, they just do not belong there.

As for Bubber, being the loser that he is, what would normally be an unhappy ending is actually a happy one. That is, when one of the pistol-packing citizens shoots Bubber to death on the steps of the sheriff's office, that would appear to be a bad thing, but we in the audience are relieved. Otherwise, we would have to imagine Bubber going back to prison and having to eat that pork chop.

A Must For Film Lovers

[johngiovannicorda · 9/10 · 12 November 2017]

I think that "The Chase" has been sort of loss in the shuffle of time. To see it now it's not only chilling but profound. I don't think it should be much of a surprise considering the people involved. Horton Foote (Trip To Bountiful) wrote the play, Lillian Hellman (The Little Foxes) wrote the screenplay and Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde) directed and I haven't even started with the cast yet. Marlon Brando giving one of his best, adult, performances. His walking the thin line between duty and loyalty is powerful and profoundly moving. Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Robert Duvall, James Fox, Angie Dickinson, Janice Rule, E G Marshall even Miriam Hopkins. Gene Milford's editing, and Joseph LaShelle's spectacular cinematography all wrapped up in a phenomenal score by John Barry. A must.

A Lot of Wasted Talent!

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 19 December 2006]

With all of the talent involved in the making of "The Chase" you would think that you would have had a better picture. Based on Horton Foote's play of the same name and adapted for the screen by no less than Lillian Helman, Director Arthur Penn gives us nothing but an expensive soap opera where everyone is either "loving thy neighbor", a drunk or both.

The story centers around the escape from prison of "Bubber" Reeves (Robert Redford) and the lives he affects as he makes his way back to his home town. His wife Anna (Jane Fonda) has taken up with rich man's son Jake Rogers (James Fox). Rogers father Val (E.G. Marshall) is the town banker and the richest man in town. His two vice presidents the milquetoast Edwin Stewart (Robert Duvall) and flamboyant Damon Fuller (Richard Bradford) court his favor. Stewart's wife Emily (Janice Rule) is having an affair with Fuller, while fuller's wife Mary (Martha Hyer) is a boozy flirt.

On his birthday he and his ditsy wife (Diana Hyland) host a party. The town sheriff, Calder (Marlon Brando) and his wife Ruby (Angie Dickenson are invited. Across town Stewart is hosting a party of his own. Word comes down that Bubber has escaped and is headed towards town and may have committed a murder. Everyone begins to scramble.

Bubber's parents (Miriam Hopkins, Malcolm Atterbury) ask where did we go wrong? Town snoop Briggs (Henry Hull) and his wife (Jocelyn Brando) stroll around town laying a guilty conscience upon the town.

Calder tries to keep order and find Bubber before the trigger happy town rednecks, Fuller, Lem (Clifton James) and Archie (Steve Ihnat) do. Anna and Jake examine their own situation and agree to help Bubber escape if they can. Val Rogers tries to win his son back. Finally Bubber reaches town and....................................

Brando mumbles his way through yet another role. Although he is beholding to Val Rogers, we are never sure why. Dickenson in a colorless role, is wasted as Brando's wife. Fonda and Redford were just hitting the big time and would star together in "Barefoot in the Park" the following year. Redford to me, is just not convincing as a hardened criminal. Duvall as well, was just emerging and would go on to appear with Brando in "The Godfather" (1972).

Miriam Hopkins gives the best performance in the film as Bubber's guilt laden mother. She has a powerful scene with Brando where she begs him not to hurt her son. Others in the cast include Bruce Cabot as Sol, Anna's stepfather and ex "B" cowboy star Monte Hale, Grady Sutton, Eduardo Cianelli and Ralph Moody in smaller roles. Jocelyn Brando was the sister of Marlon.

This film could have been so much better.

Fantastic!

[bellabanana93 · 9/10 · 11 October 2017]

Wow, and I mean, Wow! What a film! I was captivated by the plot from the beginning until the end. The town is freaking out over the news of Bubba's escape from prison. Everyone has a different emotion behind it and a different reason for their feelings. The film focuses on this theme.

Accusations are flown around. Affairs are being exposed. Plots are being revealed. Secrets are being unravelled. Families are turning on each other and people are trying to use their enemies for personal gain. What a sad and thought-provoking film.

The characters and acting are wonderful. The dialogue is quick and witty. The settings are lovely and unique. The plot is riveting. The title describes the movie well. Despite the complexity of the plot, the movie is easy to follow and easily understood due to its timing and how it slowly and gradually reveals important details.

Full of drama and romance, The Chase will have your eyes glued to your TV screen. Will Bubba get caught, killed, or find a way to be free? Will he be able to prove his innocence? Will Bubba ever get a normal life? I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves crime, drama, and/or thriller movies.

Brando's performance outshines the mess.

[DukeEman · 6/10 · 12 March 1999]

What a mess of a film, (possibly because of the behind the scenes conflict between director, scriptwriter and producer). It has a lot to offer but fails to deliver. I wonder if director Penn had the last say in the cutting room? But Brando's performance outshines all of that. Even Duvall's performance almost matches that of Brando. The film also bravely tackles issues such as the greediness of finacial power control, racial tension, gun control, a bored town, the new radical generation and wife swapping(!).

A Texas-sized Waste of Resources

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 19 January 2015]

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

Brando is terrific in this forgotten Arthur Penn movie.

[Infofreak · 22 June 2004]

I was interested to watch 'The Chase' for three reasons. First Brando. Brando is regarded by most movie fans as one of the greatest actors of all time, but people usually only mention a handful of his films - 'A Street Car Named Desire', 'On The Waterfront', 'The Godfather', 'Last Tango In Paris' and 'Apocalypse Now'. Without a doubt they are all fine movies but what about his equally worthy performances in his lesser known films (e.g. 'One-Eyed Jacks', and 'Burn!')? Secondly, Arthur Penn. An extremely underrated director in my opinion, especially for his almost forgotten 'Mickey One' and 'Night Moves'. Thirdly, the first rate supporting cast which includes Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, E.G. Marshall, James Fox, Jane Fonda, Angie Dickinson and Clifton James. Apparently there were lots of behind the scenes problems with this movie, but despite a few flaws it's definitely worth watching. The sexual and racial themes were pretty daring for the mid-60s, and while I can see what some people are saying about its "soap" feel, it's quite compelling. Brando plays a small town farmer turned sheriff who is despised by many of his contemporaries because they think he is the puppet of the local millionaire Val Rogers (Marshall). Rogers' son Jake (Fox) is having an affair with a local woman (Fonda) who is married to a convict Bubba Reeves (Redford). Bubba escapes from prison and an innocent bystander is killed by his fellow escapee. Bubba initially plans on heading to Mexico, but he desperately returns to his home town for help, not realizing that he is being hunted as a murderer. News of his escape causes tensions to explode in the town, with catastrophic results for everyone. Brando is terrific throughout, and reason enough to watch this, but Fonda is surprisingly good, Robert Duvall is memorable as a cuckold, and character actor Clifton James ('Cool Hand Luke', 'Live And Let Die', 'The Last Detail') almost steals the movie as a hot headed drunken redneck. 'The Chase' may not be as great as it could have been, but I still think it deserves more attention than it gets. Brando fans shouldn't overlook this one!

Dreamlike Feel Pervades Marginal Film

[sbox · 6/10 · 30 August 1999]

[WARNING: This review may contain "spoilers."]

Rumor has it that Lillian Hellman wanted to link John F. Kennedy's assassination to this "Peyton Place" of a film. Its too bad she didn't get her way. Not only would she have beaten Oliver Stone to the punch by almost twenty years, it would have made for great cheese. As it is, this film provides enough cheese of its own.

My favorite cheesy scenes involve "big" Roger's party and the town party-lynching at the junkyard. The party scene is memorable because of the prevalent sixties atmosphere. The clothing is magnificent right down to Sheriff Calder's ruffled tuxedo shirt. Moreover, the women are gorgeous. Angie Dickinson is a cinematic delight as Calder's wife. In addition, Elizabeth Rogers, beautifully played by Diana Hyland appears with well coiffed hair and the looks to match. All of this beauty mixed with a supposed East Texas birthday party equals a memorable mismatch. Go-Go dancers at a wealthy East Texan's party is simply too Hollywood to be believed.

The second, cheesy scene occurs late in the movie at the local junkyard. The town unexpectedly shows up and proceeds to burn the place down, with a mixture of molotov cocktails, flaming tires, and wanton partying.

To be sure, this is not merely a film full of silly sequences. In fact, many scenes come off downright earnest. Calder's fight at his office is probably the most riveting.

Many scenes of lesser consequence occur in which we see the acting talents of a very young, Jane Fonda, and assorted cast. Unfortunately, Redford, isn't believable as a felon the town should fear. Many more malevolent characters exist in the film as law abiding folk, which they are not.

This is another sixties, social commentary piece, and should be taken as such. There is a lot of hand wringing but little, if any solutions bantered about. Period audiences were probably meant to take their cues and adopt socialistic solutions to convoluted problems. This reach, by the makers, is what makes this film campy for modern audiences.

In same ways it feels like a melodramatic masterpiece that just missed its mark

[secondtake · 8/10 · 3 September 2017]

The Chase (1966)

I give this movie extra credit for ambition, and for richness of story and complexity. It's a torrid soap opera overall, which is a good thing because it is saved by its romanticized excesses. The title is odd, in a way, because the obvious "chase" here is the pursuit of the convict on the run (played by Robert Redford, and not his best performance). But in a way there are all kinds of other chases here—women and men wanting each other with a whole network of adultery and would-be affairs at play.

But never quite shown. This is a movie pushing the end of the censorship code, but the code is still officially in place and so there are still some boundaries, even for a director like Arthur Penn, who would help New Hollywood blossom (notably with "Bonnie and Clyde" the next year). But the steamy background as this small town wrestles with decency, among other things, is great stuff.

Decency, as a core idea, is what the main character is all about—the sheriff played by Marlon Brando. Brando is great. He isn't quite the Texas sheriff intended, of course (he's "Brando"), but he has nuance and strength, and he helps his scenes a lot. But the movie is brimming with talent: Robert Duvall, for one. Two women do their parts—Jane Fonda and Angie Dickinson—though neither is given enough to do besides support their male counterparts (Fonda is a kind of "loose woman" and Dickinson is a girlfriend having affairs).

But Penn is the biggest talent, pulling together a very complicated story in two hours. Photographer Joseph LaShelle is great, too, one of the masters of early widescreen color in the US. Together they make this movie fluid, beautiful, and constantly demanding in the best way.

What holds it back is a little of the superficiality that is so common in early 60s films—it's about sensation and effect, about drama for its own sake. You never quite care about Redford in his run (he's a surprisingly small part of the movie until the end). And even all the other characters working out their prejudices are a bit on the surface.

There is a welcome racial theme here, and a generational one (young people utterly selfish and party hungry in this version, and older folk filled with prejudice and greed). I say see this film. There's a lot going on, and I could watch it a second time just for everything I missed.

Great actors

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 January 2015]

Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford) escapes from prison. Everybody suspects that he may return to his Texas town where Bubber's wife Anna (Jane Fonda) still lives. She's having an affair with local big oil man Val Rogers' son Jake (James Fox). Sheriff Calder (Marlon Brando) tries to calm the town and bring in Bubber peacefully. Edwin Stewart (Robert Duvall) admits stealing the money that started Bubber on the journey to reform school and his downward spiral.

The cast list drew me to this movie. There are some professional acting here. Brando's fight with the crowd is probably the highlight. The movie is just trying to do too much with too many characters. For a movie called "The Chase", it has very little kinetic energy. It also keeps following different people as they have different relationships. One needs a scorecard to keep track of who's who in this town. I also feel like I should warn that Redford has a secondary role. I wish that the movie concentrates on fewer characters but it is fascinating to see the various great actors at work.

A memorable film

[Pearsey · 8/10 · 28 August 1999]

I first saw this movie in the late 60's on T.V. as a pre-teen and it really stuck with me through the years. I've seen a lot of criticism of the film and I do find some parts now silly, but there are too many memorable scenes in it to dismiss it lightly.

The scene where Marlon Brando's character of Sheriff Calder is brutally beaten is one you can't forget. I hated the character played by Steve Ihnat (one of the toughs who beat Brando up) for years afterward. Ihnat played that role with such menace that it seemed he had a larger role. I realized only recently he doesn't have a single line that I know of in the film, his gestures being sufficient to convey his character's hate.

The entire scene in the junkyard and the finale on the court house steps which echos of Ruby's murder of Oswald are also memorable.

What about the rest of the movie then? I think the cast was great, not just Brando, Fonda, Redford and Duvall, but also the supporting characters, Joel Fluellen, Henry Hull and Steve Ihnat.

the power of the mob

[dromasca · 7/10 · 16 January 2021]

1966, the year Arthur Penn made 'The Chase', belongs to the period in the second half of the 1960s that transformed American cinema. These are the years in which the French New Wave reached the shores of Hollywood, in which the producers left to the directors the responsibilities of being the lead authors and principal influencers in the making of films, and in which the golden generations of established actors from the 50s or even before began to collaborate with the new generations of young actors, extremely talented but educated in a different style of acting, natural and devoid of rhetoric and theatricality. 'The Chase' captures this transition by combining elements of a classic movie, a contemporary western if you wish (with the lone sheriff fighting for truth and justice in a small Texan town) with a social drama with surprising resonances in reality. The cast brings to screen Marlon Brando, a mega-star who had gained fame in the previous decade together with some of the younger actors who would make, each of them, formidable and lasting careers in the following decades.

'The Chase' begins with an escape that is complicated by a murder, but most of the story takes place in the mid-60s in a small Texan town. Equality in civil rights had been legislated but mentalities had not changed much. Society is stratified. The city is controlled by tycoon Val Rogers, who is the director of the bank, and the owner of oil wells and of most of the region's farms. The rest of the inhabitants spend their time gossiping and partying on jazz music sprinkled copiously with booze. Sheriff Calder (Marlon Brando) is considered Rogers' man. The community and the sheriff will be put to the test when news arrives in town that young Bubber (Robert Redford) has escaped from the prison where he landed after being arrested by the sheriff and charged with deeds of which he may not have been guilty. Meanwhile, his wife Anna (Jane Fonda) had found solace in the arms of young Jake Rogers (James Fox). The drunken mob wants to do justice alone, the only one trying to obey in the name of decency and the law is the sheriff. Will he succeed? At what price?

The way the story in 'The Chase' is conceived (based on a novel and a play written by Horton Foote) pays tribute to the style of the big studios. The social context is well described, a whole gallery of well-sketched characters populates the story. But the real surprise appears for us viewers in the final third of the film when we understand that everything we have seen so far builds-up a dramatic confrontation with surprising turns. Under the influence of alcohol, fallen into a collective psychosis, the inhabitants of the small town with its gossip and stereotypes turn into a threatening and violent mob, ready to break the law and face the people who dare to represent it. In this final part, the acting creations also stand out. Marlon Brando manages one of the solid roles of his career here, while Robert Redford, Jane Fonda and Robert Duvall seem to be preparing the significant roles they will play in the coming years. There was need perhaps for a little more depth in defining some of the characters. Fonda's Anna is mostly decorative and the reasons of her infidelity is too little explored. About Bubber, we understand that he had been a victim of circumstances, a marginalised young man, who had not had many chances, but this emerges from the stories of other characters, not from the time allotted to Redford on screen. Director Arthur Penn honourably deals with the conventional parts of the film, gradually increasing the tension towards the final confrontations. Looking at his filmography we can see that this ascent continued. The following year he would make 'Bonnie and Clyde'.

The life in a village, where the violence and the lack of tolerance among the races are its most common features

[esteban1747 · 10/10 · 7 October 2001]

Violent scenes, lack of racial tolerance, the ways high tries to oppress the low, the hypocrisy and adultery of rich people, all these are shown in the film. The cast had excellent actors, but Marlon Brando acted its best seconded again by a still then not yet famous Robert Duvall. Brando is the boss of local police whose complaints about the current injustice is never heard by the village's official authorities. Duvall was the typical coward, a man without any courage, able to discharge his misdoings over the others, always trying to climb no matter how, and, in addition, a perfect CORNUTO with his wife. Robert Redford was the bad guy of the film, but was he really bad? He probably was a product of the society where he grew and developed himself. Jane Fonda was more beautiful than ever, a good lover of two men, his husband (Redford), and his friend (James Fox), the son of the real owner of the village, E.G. Marshall. The veteran Miriam Hopkins acted as the Redford's mother, while attractive Angie Dickinson was Brando's wife. This film of Arthur Penn is, in my modest opinion, one of the best of all time, where truth and lies are sometimes mixed up. The end of the film is like a warning of what may happen where injustice prevails.

Brando takes a beating!

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 5 November 2005]

Arthur Penn, Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Lillian Hellman, Horton Foote, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall!

With a cast and crew like this, how could THE CHASE not produce at least a few entertaining moments. Yes, it's difficult to believe that all this talent is involved in what finally amounts to a pseudo-Gothic potboiler, but it's still a good deal of fun. Brando, in one his less showy '60s roles plays a small-town sheriff trying to keep people from getting too riled up when its learned that one of their own has escaped from prison and may be heading home. Robert Redford is the convict and Jane Fonda is his girlfriend. The fact that Redford's character is named Bubber tells you that this movie is closer to Tennessee Williams than anything by Horton Foote.

The supporting cast is huge with Angie Dickinson standing out as Brando's wife and Janice Rule is great as the town hussy. Brando is OK and so is Fonda, but Redford is woefully miscast in a role crying out for the likes of Rip Torn or Steve McQueen.

Director Arthur Penn got back on track a couple of years later with BONNIE AND CLYDE.

Brando rides again and brilliantly at that

[kbrai · 8/10 · 19 September 2005]

Why this film got torn apart by critics when it was released baffles me. It is a solid film with great performances all around. There is drama, tension and all in all very crisp direction.

Brando proves again why he is simple the best ever, he is absolutely brilliant. The scenes that he has with Angie Dickinson and then his legendary beating up scene are just worth the price a ticket. He over shadows everyone. His character is the moral fiber of the town and how he stands up to the bigoted town and then walk away from it is the crux of the story. Some great lines are uttered by him are hilarious and totally steal the scene from the rest of the cast.

A good film and from the period in the 60s when all the so called movie critics said he (Brando) anything great.

well they are wrong as proved by - the chase, reflections in a golden eye, burn, one eyed jacks, mutiny on the bounty.

way to go Brando and Arthur Penn.

A Southern town given to drunken revelry & vigilantism with Brando as the voice of reason

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 16 December 2017]

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)

Very poor melodrama

[scheney-1 · 1/10 · 24 September 2006]

Considering the all-star cast, it is a sentence to have to watch this picture. James Fox, the English actor, is the only cast member to even attempt a southern accent. Most amusing is Robert Redford, the escaped convict, whose hair looks fresh from the hair salon when he first hits the screen.

This is an over-the-top melodrama complete with implausible plot lines, card board cut-out characters, and gratuitous violence. Jane Fonda gives one of the few good performance in contrast to wooden performances from Brando and Redford. The film seems disjointed with little to string together the many characters, and convoluted plots and sub-plots.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Hud, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Heat of the Night or The Defiant Ones are a class above this film. Even Picnic catches the flavor of the south better and one genuinely cares about the characters, even the ones that aren't always nice, such as Rosalind Russell's aging schoolteacher.

This movie never really catches the flavor of the south or the complexity of prejudice and violence. In spite of an excellent cast, it has all the subtlety of a drill-hammer.