A Hard Target Search, by Tyler Smith

THE FUGITIVE (1993)
Directed by: Andrew Davis
Written by: Jeb Stuart and David Twohy
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano

It’s no secret to anybody that knows me that I have a serious aversion to action films. Perhaps more so than any other genre, “Action-Adventure” has the highest potential to make me roll my eyes and grit my teeth. There’s just something about it.

I think it may be that many action films seem to come up with the action first, then the story. I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard that, when Robert Towne was halfway through the script for Mission: Impossible II, John Woo approached him and informed him that he had already thought up two complete action setpieces, and was working on a third, and that Towne would have to work them into the script. Towne observed that these action sequences made no sense by themselves, let alone as part of a larger story. Woo just shrugged. As I said, this story may not be completely true, but the end product sure does bear it out.

Similarly, Jen and I just watched Michael Bay’s The Island, which was a good little sci-fi film until the action started. The last half hour is a total mess. The interesting story completely fell apart as the action really started to kick in. When watching the special features, Michael Bay (a director who, with longtime producer friend Jerry Bruckheimer, has done everything in his power to destroy film as we know it) talks at length about how, when speaking with a film’s writers, will instruct them to not even worry about scripting any action. He’ll handle that himself. Clearly, this is not a guy for whom strong writing is an essential element in film.

Sorry for the digression. Anyway, all that was to say that, ultimately, what really bothers me about action films (and many other films, in general) is that the action is there for its own sake. I’ve always felt that everything in a film should be a function of the characters. It is the responsibility of the characters to move the story along, as well as any action there might be. As much as I say I dislike the genre, I really do like a good, solid action movie, so long as the thrills result from characters making choices.

That said, I think that The Fugitive could possibly be the best action movie ever made. The story is very simple: a man is convicted of murdering his wife, he escapes, he is pursued by a relentless detective, but eventually manages to piece together the mystery of who really killed his wife and why. I’m usually of the opinion that simpler is better, and this movie is a prime example. While the plot gets a bit complex near the end, the basic drive of the story (one man running, another man chasing) is refreshingly familiar.

While I’m all for action films that don’t take themselves too seriously- such as The Rundown and the Indiana Jones films- this movie works precisely because the stakes are so high, and the characters are always very aware of it. As I’m now married, I think I can appreciate the movie more than I did before. If I came home to my wife murdered, it would destroy me. Then, if somebody came along and accused me of killing her, I don’t think I’d be able to wrap my mind around it. So, when Richard Kimble (well-played by Harrison Ford) is suddenly made aware that he’s the prime suspect, his response (“How dare you!”) is perfectly understandable, and it’s this kind of grounding in emotional conviction that makes this film among the best in the genre.

As Kimble escapes, he soon realizes that running isn’t enough. For him to ever truly be free, he must solve the mystery himself. As he works his way towards the truth, he becomes more sympathetic. We really get a sense that he is running for his life; he can’t stay in one place too long and can’t get too close to anyone. Often, we just wish he could get a break, just for a moment.

Much of this comes from the character of Sam Gerard, the U.S. Marshal in charge of apprehending Kimble. Played with charismatic doggedness by Tommy Lee Jones, Gerard is such a great character that he actually starred in his own movie, U.S. Marshals. In a lesser movie, Gerard would be a snarky, sneering villain, whose persecution of our main character is just as evil as the men who set him up. Not here, though. Here, he is just a man doing his job; and doing it very well.

Like a modern Inspector Javert, Gerard is a fascinating character. We only ever see him as a function of his job, which is undoubtedly how he sees himself. From the writing to Jones’ acting, everything about this character hammers home the fact that he will never stop until he has Kimble back in custody. Never. It’s this attitude that keeps Kimble in constant peril. And, yet, our feelings towards Gerard are never negative.

Perhaps because, towards the end of the film, as Kimble pursues the real killers and Gerard pursues Kimble, they wind up on the same side. It’s subtle, but we get a strong sense that Gerard no longer believes that Kimble is guilty. Wisely, this is never actually stated, but we can tell, as Gerard’s search changes gears from Kimble to the murder itself.

Finally, as Kimble is exonerated, the two men sit together in a car, we are just as exhausted as they are. A bit earlier, as the true villains are revealed, there is a short exchange.

Kimble: They killed my wife.
Gerard: I know it, Richard. (pause) I know it.

In this moment, we see some of the best acting in the film. It is as if Kimble is acknowledging that, now that he no longer has to worry about being chased, he can finally start to mourn for his wife. He’s been running for so long that he never got a chance to let the reality sink in that she is gone. As he states the obvious- “They killed my wife”- the subtext seems to be, “What am I going to do now?” And Gerard, in a moment of sympathy previously unseen in the film, simply acknowledges Richard’s innocence. Beyond that, he cannot give any real comfort to the man, but he wishes he could.

It’s a great ending to a great movie. It’s a happy ending, but not too happy. After all, Richard’s wife is still dead. If the movie were not as good, there would be a huge swell of music, indicating that “everything’s gonna be all right.” But, no, it ends on the same emotional note that Kimble must be feeling: relief, but little else.

I guess that, since I mentioned action setpieces a moment ago, I should talk about them for a minute. This movie has some great moments of action- from a train wreck, to a death drop, to a rooftop fight- and what truly makes them great is that they all result from a character’s actions. The bus carrying the prisoners doesn’t just get in an accident, allowing Kimble and other prisoners to escape. That would be a plot device. Instead, it is something that is supposed to happen. An escape was already being planned; it just goes horribly wrong. And the death drop comes from Kimble, stuck between a rock and a hard place, making a conscious decisioni that, if he escapes, great, if he dies, he’s not really losing that much anyway.

These sequences are expertly-directed by Andrew Davis, and they leave us breathless. But, it’s not the dynamics of the sequences that make this such a great action filim. It’s the fact that they happen as a result of the characters and the story. It’s the way action movies are supposed to be, but few of them are. It’s the kind of thing that Michael Bay, box office darling though he may be, will never understand.