Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

7/10

Starring

Dustin Hoffman

Jon Voight

Directed by John Schlesinger

Here is a movie I really enjoyed and I thought I wouldn’t the screenplay was majestic and the acting was soul consuming. You will be totally engrossed on how the characters of Joe Buck and Ratso are portrayed you will forget you are watching a film.

The movie is based on a 1965 book of the same name by James Joe Herlihy and this is the first movie I get to see a young Jon Voight in action.

When released it was met with critical acclaim winning three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) and BAFTA awards in Best Film, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Director for John Schlesinger and Best Screenplay.

The movie is a merger of three stories running simultaneously, that and the awesome acting pair of Jon Voigt and Dustin Hoffman are the best things this movie has to offer.

The film starts from where Joe makes up his mind to become a male prostitute and goes to New York where he meets Ratso. The director then used flashbacks for Joe’s tale of life before New York, conversations between Joe and Ratso, to tell Ratso’s tale of life before he met Joe and the present happening in the movie to tell the tale of life trying to become a male prostitute and the beginning of Joe’s friendship with Ratso.

I wouldn’t lie to you by saying the flashbacks were easy to grasps, because they weren’t, I had to read the book to fully grasp what they flashback composed of. After reading I then appreciated the screenplay adaptation.

The movie plot starts with an introduction of Joe Buck (Jon Voight) who is all dressed up as a cowboy heading to New York to become a male prostitute. On his arrival he tries to pick up women and when he finally succeeded he, ended up giving money instead of getting money for his sexual service.

While at a diner he meets a new friend a guy named Ratso, while discussing his predicament Ratso informs him he needs representation to be able to get clients, Joe pays Ratso for the required connection, which ended up being bogus and Ratso makes off with his money.

Joe now down on his luck and no money runs into Ratso after another sexual favor now to male customer warranted no pay, Ratso offers to house Joe while they come up with ways to make money.

The movie was a financial success at the box office raking in over $44 million based on a $3.2 million budget and it is rated 43^rd in the AFI list of 100 greatest Films of all time. This movie is worth seeing and you will appreciate the depth and diverse acting style it brings.