Midnight Cowboy Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: Midnight Cowboy
Year: 1969
Director: John Schlesinger
Country: US
Language: English

At the time the Baby Boomer generation were coming of age Old Hollywood was rapidly losing money and audience interest. The studios needed to re-invent the way they made films or go the way of the Dinosaur. This led to the New American Wave; a period of innovation and increased risk taking, giving more control to Directors and Producers. Films weren't about the simplistic notion of "good" vs "evil" anymore, infact they were quite complex. Midnight Cowboy is one of these films. 

The plot involves Texas-born Joe Buck (Jon Voight), who arrives in New York with the hopes of being a real hustler. He finds that he is the one getting 'hustled' until he teams up with a down-and-out but resilient outcast named Ratso Rizz (Dustin Hoffman), The "country mouse" and "city mouse" relationship deepens as they fight a hostile world that doesn't quite understand them.

The first Rated X movie to win "Best Picture" at the Academy Awards, Midnight Cowboy is an excellent movie that is equal parts gritty and depressing. Its main themes are about the deprivation of humanity, shown by the darkness of the filthy city streets, and the literal exploitation of the working class. The director effectively inserts montages of flashbacks and fantasy sequences to fill in the character's fragile psyches. An atmosphere of pessimism and alienation blankets the story. 

Though Joe Buck and Ratso Rizzo are essentially criminals, in Old Hollywood they would be the villains of the story, the two characters are actually able to gain the audience's empathy. Perhaps it is because they dream of a great life, but are trapped within the limitations of their society. Perhaps it because they are really "good" people at heart but have a tendency to make foolish mistakes. Either way, I found myself rooting for them, desperately hoping they survive their hellish state of being. 

In conclusion, Midnight Cowboy is rich in substance and full of heart. This is one of the few times an onscreen relationship between two men has felt authentic and beautiful. Though it may be too depressing for some, Director John Schlesinger has crafted a remarkably made film which will hopefully be seen by generations to come. 

Praise it! 4.5/5