Review: Hud

Paul Newman plays the womanising son of a Texan cattle rancher (Melvyn Douglas, winner for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar), idolised by his impressionable young nephew Lon (Brandon de Wilde), but never able to measure up to his dead brother in the old man’s eyes. Lon wants to be just like Hud, but the old man knows that Hud’s no good (he sleeps with married women frequently) and doesn’t want him influencing the boy one bit. Meanwhile, there’s also the constant fear of the cattle on the family ranch being afflicted with foot-and-mouth disease, with inspector Whit Bissell threatening to have the cattle destroyed. Patricia Neal (terrific, but wrongly put in the Best Actress category at the Oscars, and she actually won) plays the family housekeeper Alma who treats Lon’s innocent flirtations with sensitivity whilst also having to deal with the more lecherous, often drunk Hud.

 

Paul Newman was an undeniable sex symbol, but a somewhat reluctant one. A great actor when given the right role (and thankfully that was pretty often), he often seemed to chase characters who weren’t all that easy to like. “The Hustler” and “The Verdict” spring to mind, even “Cool Hand Luke” was a stubborn, ornery sonofabitch at times. However, in 1963 director Martin Ritt (the underrated “Edge of the City”) cast him in perhaps the best example of Newman playing someone it isn’t easy to like. In fact, as the title antihero Hud, Newman is pretty much a piece of shit, and Newman’s good looks and superficial charm are perfectly used to portray the ugly side of machismo. Hud’s a charismatic and good-looking guy, but a louse who thinks of no one but himself.

 

This film is an excellent exposé and demythologisation of the studly male lothario showing him for the poor role model he truly is. And that’s what the film is about, young Lon (Brandon de Wilde) looking for a hero and with his aging grandfather (Melvyn Douglas) nearing the end of his life, Lon is thinking he’s found a hero to worship in his charming 30ish uncle Hud (Newman). Just look at how proud the kid is when he joins in a bar fight with Hud and Lon gets punched in the face. It’s sickening and shockingly true for the early 60s. Hud is no role model, he’s no real man at all, which Lon will have to learn through the course of the film. Hud may be a magnetic and charismatic guy, but be a Man, don’t be Hud. The question is, will the kid figure it out before he turns into another Hud? (Seriously, I could psychoanalyse the shit out of this film, I’ve only scratched the surface here).

 

In addition to Paul Newman giving one of his best-ever performances, Patricia Neal stands out as the family’s cynical, mature yet still hot housekeeper. She seems to know Hud’s a lousy piece of crap, and is both repelled and turned on by him. Does she know exactly what she’s in for with him? My guess is she’s flattered by the male attention, but doesn’t quite know what she’s getting into. She’s cynical and experienced enough to think she’s seen Hud’s type before, but he ends up being even more of a jerk than she expected, perhaps.

 

James Wong Howe (“Sweet Smell of Success”, “On the Waterfront”) deserves a mention for his excellent Oscar-winning B&W cinematography capturing the Texan scenery in all its bareness, with buzzards hanging about. There’s clearly not a lot going on in this place, and where there’s boredom, soon enough bad things will happen. The great Elmer Bernstein (“The Magnificent Seven”, “To Kill a Mockingbird”) also contributes an excellent, memorable acoustic guitar score. The funny thing is, there’s precious little of it throughout the film, but you won’t forget it in a hurry.

 

In addition to being a great movie, I think this is about something really, really important and it actually hasn’t aged all that much, either. Excellent performances by Newman and Patricia Neal in particular, and expertly shot in B&W. A must-see film especially for young men. Based on a Larry McMurtry novel, the screenplay is by Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch (who later teamed up for the iconic “Norma Rae”).

 

Rating: A-