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THE CHASE
Directed by Arthur Penn; with Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda,
Angie Dickenson, Robert Duvall, E.G. Marshall, James Fox, and Jocelyn
Brando
1966
ased
on the novel by Horton Foote (whose works are the basis for many Texcentric
films), perhaps a more apt title for The Chase would be "Follow
the Revelers." Though the plot centers around the prison break
and impending return of convict Bubba Reeves (Redford) to a small Texas
town ruled by wealthy oilman Val Rogers (Marshall) and his appointed
yet principled sheriff (Brando), there's not so much chasing going on
as there is partying. The story starts on the afternoon of Rogers' birthday
party -- a fancy affair whose elite guest list hints at the real turmoil
plaguing the town's inhabitants: generations of grudges, racial and
sexual tension, and the pressures of a steadfast social hierarchy. But
the uninvited host their own raucous get-together (so do the town teens
busy twisting across the street), and as news of Bubba's escape spreads,
so does the paranoia that he might have a score or two to settle. Sometime
before the sun comes up all three of these fiestas have converged on
the edge of town and there's nary a sober soul in the crowd. Aside from
capturing the transition from the conservative 50s to the wild, free-lovin'
60s -- which, in Texas, was even wilder when mixed with the gobs of oil
money floating around -- The Chase has a lot of comic moments
for a serious drama. During one scene where the sheriff is out looking
for Bubba and trying to keep the fired-up townfolk from exploding, one
of his critics utters a sarcastic "Well now, Sheriff, it's nice
to know that you're out here on patrol." Brando replies: "No,
no, I'm not on patrol. Just lookin' for an ice cream cone, that's all."
ased
on the novel by Horton Foote (whose works are the basis for many Texcentric
films), perhaps a more apt title for The Chase would be "Follow
the Revelers." Though the plot centers around the prison break
and impending return of convict Bubba Reeves (Redford) to a small Texas
town ruled by wealthy oilman Val Rogers (Marshall) and his appointed
yet principled sheriff (Brando), there's not so much chasing going on
as there is partying. The story starts on the afternoon of Rogers' birthday
party -- a fancy affair whose elite guest list hints at the real turmoil
plaguing the town's inhabitants: generations of grudges, racial and
sexual tension, and the pressures of a steadfast social hierarchy. But
the uninvited host their own raucous get-together (so do the town teens
busy twisting across the street), and as news of Bubba's escape spreads,
so does the paranoia that he might have a score or two to settle. Sometime
before the sun comes up all three of these fiestas have converged on
the edge of town and there's nary a sober soul in the crowd. Aside from
capturing the transition from the conservative 50s to the wild, free-lovin'
60s -- which, in Texas, was even wilder when mixed with the gobs of oil
money floating around -- The Chase has a lot of comic moments
for a serious drama. During one scene where the sheriff is out looking
for Bubba and trying to keep the fired-up townfolk from exploding, one
of his critics utters a sarcastic "Well now, Sheriff, it's nice
to know that you're out here on patrol." Brando replies: "No,
no, I'm not on patrol. Just lookin' for an ice cream cone, that's all."
