You can run, but you can't escape the film analysis

In the pantheon of action thrillers, few measure up to the masterfully made "The Fugitive," which still manages to pack a strong punch 22 years later. After discussing this movie's merits, CineVerse came away with these observations:

WHAT MAKES THE FUGITIVE A CUT ABOVE THE TYPICAL MODERN THRILLER/ACTION MOVIE?

• We care about these characters, primarily because there is good character development (without excessive exposition, back stories, or dialogue) and we can identify with Harrison Ford as an innocent everyman character on the run from forces outside of his control. 

• Many have praised this as one of Ford’s best performances. Ford has been noted in this role as being quite effective at emoting fear, resolve, cunning, and other feelings expected in a desperate man simply via facial expressions and gestures, without having much dialogue to work with.

• It’s crucial that we also care about the Tommy Lee Jones character in that he has an important job to do in seeking justice, he is an expert at what he does, and were hoping that he will uncover the truth and clear Kimball of all wrongdoing. Deputy Gerard is not the bad guy/villain here – he is the opposing force to Kimball and the driving factor behind much of the suspense, considering how close he is to finding his suspect. We understand what drives Gerard and can appreciate the consistency of his character. He and his team also serve as effective comic relief in an otherwise taut, suspenseful picture.

• This is an important consideration, because the film essentially is about both characters and two pursuits that, as reviewer Owen Glieberman put it, are “running on parallel – and finally convergent – tracks. Kimball and Gerard spend the entire film on opposite sides of the law. Before long, though, we realize we’re rooting for both of them; they’re both protagonists, United and brains, dedication, superior gamesmanship.”

• It’s also key that, as viewers, we are not omniscient – we only know as much as Kimball knows, so his discoveries and experiences along his journey are as revelatory to us as they are to him, allowing us to further identify with his predicament and root for his cause.

• Additionally, while there are some implausible actions/plot points, this is not a film replete with ridiculously over the top escapes, getaways, deus ex machina plot contrivances, and unrealistic action sequences that plague contemporary thrillers/action movies.

• What also sets this picture apart from contemporary thrillers is its traditional approach to filmmaking, especially no reliance on computer-generated effects or today’s process shots; in fact, the train crash/derailment scene early on is a real crash that had to be carefully choreographed. Also, Ford did several of his own stunts. This is one of the last examples, before the onset of the modern era of CGI effects, of old-school effects and stunts.

• It’s a film that also showcases a major city in a fairly accurate way, by virtue of it having been shot on location in Chicago for many of its scenes. Director Andrew Davis said in an interview: “What I really appreciated seeing it recently again, was the Chicagoese of it. I’m from Chicago, I’ve made a lot of films in Chicago. It really captures the city in a wonderful way in terms of its casting and the way people sound and act. It sort of opened the doors to Chicago as a huge production center. “ER” was based upon a lot of what The Fugitive looked like. Batman [The Dark Knight] and all those other movies that shot in Chicago and produced by Warners were there because they had such great experience from the cooperation we got.”

WHAT ARE THE KEY THEMES AT WORK HERE THAT DRIVE THIS STORY AND ITS CHARACTERS?

• The innocent man wrongly accused – a popular theme explored in Hitchcock pictures.

• How pursuit of the truth trumps all other rules and laws, even over the pursuit of justice from a law enforcement perspective.

• How large/amorphous/nameless forces, like huge corporations, can wreak terrible havoc on an individual. Corporate greed and the loss of individual/human rights are messages explored in this movie.

• It asks the question: What would you do if you were blamed for a terrible crime and had a chance to at least temporarily escape from it?

WHAT OTHER FILMS OR BOOKS DOES THE FUGITIVE REMIND YOU OF?

• The original TV series on which this film is based, which are fairly identical and set up, motivations, and situations.

• Les Miserables, in that both protagonists are punished unfairly and hunted by obsessive law-enforcement detectives as they pursue vindication.

• “The Third Man” – especially in its similarity with the man on the run using sewers/drainage tunnels.

OTHER WORKS BY DIR. ANDREW DAVIS

• “Code of Silence”

• “ The Package”

• “Under Siege”

• “Holes”