Luis Guillermo Cardona With the important Mexican team that did the most famous films of director Emilio Fernandez ("Flores Silvestres", "Maria Candelaria", "Las Abandonadas" ...): Dolores del Rio, Pedro Armendariz and cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, based on work Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory" outstanding writer and an actor of the caliber of Henry Fonda for the leading role, everything seemed to assume that it would result in another great drama like that in the 30s and early 40s we had given the remarkable director John Ford. The story begins with a perfect plane: after wandering a good trip, Henry Fonda comes to the doors of a church in a altosano. When you open the doors, we see from the inside and then pushes the wings leaving a cone of light entering from outside. He stops for a moment with arms outstretched and thus draws a significant cross that serves as a signal to understand that we are facing another martyr. Then his personality is revealed and we know that is a priest, a fugitive from an authoritarian system that pursues anti-clerical.And then guess the first flaw of the script by Dudley Nichols: Spend a long time before we see a significant gesture that motivates us affection and empathy with the priest or to explain that it is unjust persecution that is being targeted. In addition, certain to appease the church, the writer removes all characters in the work of Greene, recreating the priest as an earthly man, and prefers to characterize it as a man who does not break an egg and is left to manipulate the whole who wants to do. ¡Pure fiction! Credits, to emphasize the universality of history are made in the manner of Chaplin: Henry Fonda... a fugitive, Dolores del Rio... an Indian woman, Pedro Armendáriz... a lieutenant… And soon we realize: It is neither more nor less than the story of Jesus, moved to the 40s of the twentieth century, which is telling us. Of course! María Dolores is none other than Mary Magdalene and the bounty is the same Judas. The triangle of Nazareth to the mero mero.Unless the pertinent images Figueroa, nothing relevant that this film offers us nothing in surface waters and quite sugary.

MisterWhiplash It's been written somewhere that the cruelest thing you can say to an artist is that his work is flawless. John Ford thought of the Fugitive as, despite not being a box-office success, a perfect film and one of his very favorites. It's perhaps more than prudent then to point out some of the criticisms one would have of the film (which, perhaps, is moot since he's been dead for decades). As a fan of the Ford work I've seen there are some times when he's touched perfection (Grapes of Wrath and the Searchers are it for me), and sometimes not so much, which goes without saying he directed many films. With the Fugitive it's recognizable to me why it's split its audience: some hail it as being totally underrated and a brilliant depiction of religious allegory and suffering, and some say that it's a total crock for being far too heavy-handed and acted over-the-top.Both sides have their right points; it is an underrated picture, if only for its technical feats of cinematography (Gabriel Figueroa is just right for this kind of material for Ford) and Ford's usual talents as a basic storyteller with a tendency for pure cinema expression (i.e. lack of dialog is a plus with the emotion expressed through the camera and actors. But it is also not well-acted in a couple of instances, notably the beautiful but overbearing Delores Del-Rio as the woman living in the town who's baby is baptized by the Priest played by Henry Fonda. For Fonda, it should be said, he at least gives all he can for a performance that possibly other actors could have played with more magnificence. In fact it's for him that some of the picture is most watchable, as he flexes his emotional chops for a scene where it's required for complexity like when he misses the boat and is asked to bless someone dying only to realize there is no wine and must go to ask from a vulgarian for wine (which, as it turns out, is drunken with brandy and all by him).While it might not be the Fonda we all know and love from Grapes of Wrath or My Darling Clementine he does what he can with the part, and it's a tribute to him and Ford that they make it engrossing on a very simple level that carries some complex connotations. When focusing on the actual chase and flight from the Mexican police it works very well (particularly with a hammy but effective informer played by J. Carrol Nash). It's just when Ford over-indulges in the spiritual aspect of the picture, which is only made clearer towards the end, that it loses its footing. Indeed the start of the picture kind of threw me off for a little bit as Fonda comes in with the Christ-like symbolism highlighted on the wall, and the townspeople come in with tears in their eyes and a somber song to sing and Fonda blesses and baptizes others. I wondered: is this a little TOO much in the way of what Ford does best, which is telling the story? He can be brilliant in throwing in his deep-rooted Catholic ideas as pure visions on the screen, and once or twice in the Fugitive he does... and then other times it falls flat or goes too high where it starts to become a full-blown religious picture as opposed to a societal thriller.Should Ford fans see it? Of course; even a lessor Ford picture will have something interesting. Will everyone like it? Surely not. Yet it is usually fine, traditional work and shouldn't be completely dismissed.

ma-cortes This excellent and dramatic movie , a co-production US-Mexico , is based on Graham Greene novel and written by Dudley Nichols . It starts when a priest (Henry Fonda) attempting to flee from a Centroamerican country , because Christianity being pursued by a totalitarian govern . He encounters help by an Indian woman (Dolores Del Rio) with a baby . She gives him direction to port where he could embark towards freedom . Meanwhile , he finds a mean countryman (J Carrol Naish) craving reward and is pursued by an authoritarian officer (Pedro Armendariz). Furthermore , his existence runs parallel a bank robber , The Gringo (War Bond) also relentlessly pursued .Magnificent movie featuring awesome performances by complete casting . The film develops some John Ford's usual themes , as the sentimental nostalgia , sense of camaraderie , religion , and abound touching scenes . Henry Fonda in a larger-than-life role as a good priest is top-notch , Pedro Armendariz as a nasty general is perfect and War Bond as outlaw wanted by totalitarian police is cool . Fonda (Grapes of wrath , Drums along the Mohawk , Young Mr. Lincoln) and Pedro Armendariz (3 Godfathers , Fort Apache) played several films for John Ford . Besides , there appears Ford's habitual friends , someone uncredited , such as Jack Pennick , Rodolfo Acosta , John Qualen , Fortunio Bonanova , J Carrol Naish, Mel Ferrer's first film and the opening narration is by Ward Bond , who also plays an important role in the film . Luxurious cinematography in lights and darks by Gabriel Figueroa (usual of director Emilio Fernandez , here also producer) . Enjoyable musical score by Richard Hageman , adding Mexican songs with emotive dance included in charge of Dolores Del Rio . The picture shot in Mexico , was produced by Ford's Argosy Production Company , RKO pictures and Merian C. Cooper . Rating : Better than average , well worth seeing for John Ford enthusiasts .

JoeytheBrit This is a strange one: a John Ford film that looks more like some failed experiment by Orson Welles (something he toyed with before growing bored) with a turgid, meandering plot that, for the most part, stubbornly refuses to engage, and a leading man who looks as uncomfortable as he does ridiculous.Henry Fonda plays the fugitive of the title – a catholic priest in a Latin American police state determined to eliminate all traces of religion – with all the enthusiasm of a seven-year-old forced to attend Sunday school. Perhaps it's the fact that all the characteristics that drove the priest in Grahame Greene's source novel (i.e. drinking, womanising, doubting of God's love) have been ruthlessly whitewashed from the screen version leaving us with a blank canvas that still somehow contrives to be pious in the extreme. Fonda doesn't know what to do with the part, and Ford's heavy-handed, over-sentimentalised treatment doesn't help him one bit. Ford ladles it on – especially early on when we get a crippled child hobbling into church on his crutches, and subjects us to a number of intimate lingering shots of Dolores Del Rio's Mary Magdalene figure who blinks so rarely that I at first thought she was supposed to be blind. She really becomes quite frightening after a while, and I found my attention to what plot there is evaporating as I entered into some perverse kind of staring competition with her each time she appeared on screen.The film looks great, thanks to Gabriel Figueroa's cinematography and the location shooting, but the film goes nowhere as it hammers home its message: a soul lacking religion will quickly become corrupt and debauched, and trying to deny your faith to yourself will lead only to frustration and self-loathing. Pedro Armendariz as the tortured police captain and Ward Bond as a criminal fugitive bag the best roles, although Bond's is somewhat underdeveloped, meaning his protection of the fugitive priest in the corn field appears a little puzzling. Presumably he identifies with the priest's plight, but we are told too little about him to understand why.Bottom line: this is one of Ford's misfires, and not very interesting at that.