The Fugitive (1993), DVD Review
The Oscar-winning 1993 film reigns supreme on the DVD format.
Feb 25, 2008
A Dream Team
The 1993 blockbuster starred Tommy Lee Jones in the Academy Award-winning role of detective Sam Gerard, the obsessive hunter of The Fugitive of the title and Harrison Ford, as the on-the-run Dr. Richard Kimble. The role was originally played in the 1960's television series by David Janssen. By casting Harrison Ford, the Director drew empathy from the audience. Here was an actor who would evoke sympathy for the plight his character faced and make it last until the film's dramatic conclusion. Both actors stood up well to the testing challenge of bringing pathos to a script that is heavily reliant on grandiose action set-pieces. Ford's grieving but determined hero is wonderfully countered by Jones' sardonic but earnest portrayal of the hunter, as demonstrated in the now-legendary dam scene, where Kimble jumps hundreds of feet to the water below to escape his captor and prove his innocence.
"I didn't kill my wife." Dr. Richard Kimble
"I don't care." Detective Sam Gerard
Breakthrough Direction
Not only were Ford and Jones accomplished in their roles, the Director, Andrew Davies was on the brink of Hollywood stardom himself. At the helm of 1992's Under Siege, starring Steven Seagal, Davis' pacing of The Fugitive, made just one year on, was incredible. The train wreck at the start of the movie becoming something of a signature piece for 1990's action film-making, the benchmark for other action sequences to aspire to. With the numerous plot strands, expert direction was needed to keep the film flowing. In addition to this, both Ford and Jones' characters hardly ever share a screen together, one being hunted by the other, so the need for the audience to believe in both characters was incredibly important. Davis handles the two Hollywood stars delicately and reigns in any one-upmanship that may have blighted other films.
The Windy City
The city of Chicago is as much a star of the film as the actors, as the film's creators wanted the film to feel like The Windy City, a blustery cage for the hunter and his prey. The Chicago Memorial Hospital features prominently (indeed, it was the only setting to make it to the 1998 sequel, U.S. Marshals) as does the St. Patricks Day parade, in which Kimble manages to evade the scores of police on his tail by joining in. The tense and brilliantly plotted script is spectacular, with many twists that keep the viewer gripped right up to the climax. The Fugitive was the most successful action film in decades. Taking just under $24 million over its opening weekend, and scooping seven Oscar nominations, its success, not just in its genre but across the board, was phenomenal. To this day, The Fugitive remains the only film based on a TV series ever to win an Oscar.
DVD Extras
As well as an excellent documentary and behind-the-scenes features including how the Train Wreck scene was filmed, the latest 2002 Special Edition includes a fascinating three-way conversation between the Director, Andrew Davis and the film's two stars, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. It is an in-depth discussion which adds real charm to an already excellent package.
