The Defiant Ones (1958)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Ken S

  
  Amazing black and white cinematography.

• Lady D

  
  Whilst I cringe my way through the prejudice of history, beneath their lies a film of opportunity and comradery. I couldn't help being reminded through the film of later films that perhapsmay have been influenced by this film; The Fugitive and O'Brother where art thou?… More
  Whilst I cringe my way through the prejudice of history, beneath their lies a film of opportunity and comradery. I couldn't help being reminded through the film of later films that perhapsmay have been influenced by this film; The Fugitive and O'Brother where art thou? A worthy classic.

• xGary X

  
  Two convicts, one black and one white, escape from a chain gang in the deep south and find they have more in common than they first thought. Having a racist and a black man chained together and having to co-operate to evade their captors is hardly a subtle allegory for racial tension… More
  Two convicts, one black and one white, escape from a chain gang in the deep south and find they have more in common than they first thought. Having a racist and a black man chained together and having to co-operate to evade their captors is hardly a subtle allegory for racial tension but thanks to some intelligent writing and good dialogue The Defiant Ones makes for a far more interesting story about breaking down the barriers between creeds and colours than the usual heavy handed touchy-feely nonsense you'd expect from Hollywood. The characters feel a lot more genuine than the usual racial stereotypes; if it were made today, it would no doubt have Curtis' character as a pantomime villain and Denzel as some kind of behaloed, saintly innocent man who consistently turns the other cheek. Instead we have two men who've both had the sh*t end of the stick, Curtis' racism a product of his failure to question an unjust system and Poitier is a proud and angry man who is tired of never being given an even shake. The two of course have to put their differences aside to struggle together against capture and the plot and character development doesn't feel 100% convincing as it seems to exist to help get the message across rather than create believable drama. The use of music is also very odd, the pursuers having some kind of jazz swing theme tune every time they appear on screen and Poitier's singing voice is..."different". The two have real chemistry together though, and this well intentioned and tensely paced film has stood the test of time rather well.

• First L

  
  Director Stanley Kramer's The Defiant Ones starts off with Tony Curtis calling Sidney Poitier the "N-word". This sets the tone for the rest of the film, a look at race relations in America, more specifically in the south, pre-civil rights, as seen through two escaped… More
  Director Stanley Kramer's The Defiant Ones starts off with Tony Curtis calling Sidney Poitier the "N-word". This sets the tone for the rest of the film, a look at race relations in America, more specifically in the south, pre-civil rights, as seen through two escaped cons (one white, one black) who are chained at the wrists. The prisoners are being transported by truck one dark and rainy night. When Johnny "Potatoes" (Curtis) calls Cullen (Poitier) the n-word, the two get in an altercation which distracts the driver and causes an accident. After the crash, it's discovered that two prisoners have escaped and a posse is rounded up to search the woods for them. The sheriff (Theodore Bikel) doesn't seem too concerned about them getting away after finding out it's a white man and a black man chained together: "they'll probably kill each other before they get 5 miles". It's a surprise they don't, as Johnny is the quintessential racist redneck and Cullen is the prototypical angry black man. Cullen is also the prototypical Sidney Poitier role, as Poitier plays a similarly lost and rage-filled character in "A Raisin in the Sun". Beyond the racial slurs and violence, there's a deep-seated anger in the south at that time which I think is captured quite effectively here. Poitier is like a cornered animal or a soldier trapped behind enemy lines with one of his foes in tow. While Johnny is a cheap, two-bit hood, the growth his character displays as the film progresses is both unique and socially challenging. It's a tour de force of acting and the plot and script are tightly written. Excellent film.

• Byron B

  
  The words raw and desperate come to mind. An early performance from another one of my favorite actors, Sidney Poitier. Those who say Poitier always played a clean cut, successful black man and therefore was not a threat to white audiences are basing that on just a few of his… More
  The words raw and desperate come to mind. An early performance from another one of my favorite actors, Sidney Poitier. Those who say Poitier always played a clean cut, successful black man and therefore was not a threat to white audiences are basing that on just a few of his performances. I am a fan of Stanley Kramer's pictures even though he favors a message over style. And like 49th Parallel I appreciate the study of various characters along the escape route of the two convicts. Curtis and Poitier, as the convicts, are solid anchors at the center.

• Matthew Y

  
  In 1958 this must have been one powerful film about race relations that unsurprisingly was beloved by a typically liberal Hollywood. It relies on the intriguing concept of a white con chained to a black con as the two escape their captors. Struggling to work together as their… More
  In 1958 this must have been one powerful film about race relations that unsurprisingly was beloved by a typically liberal Hollywood. It relies on the intriguing concept of a white con chained to a black con as the two escape their captors. Struggling to work together as their differences get in the way. The film focuses heavily on the black vs. white elements, a mob catches them and are surprised to find out one is white, a boy sees the two and assumes the white man is a policeman bringing the black man to jail, etc. I have been waiting to see a film like this to make the following point: It has lost its effect over time. Racism is still a problematic issue today and films (Crash, The Help) still find thematic success and audience interest for it. However The Defiant Ones is not the hot button topic it surely was over fifty years ago. This thing was nine years before the films In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and ten years before Martin Luther Kings death for crying out loud. It is decently acted with nothing too special in the way of writing or filming and it has simply lost its bite over the years. Quality film-making will stand the test of time no matter what its concept, however films like The Defiant Ones will only dim with time as their elements become less and less radical or controversial.

• Doctor S

  
  Slower-paced than I expected for a men-on-the-run film, pausing for lengthy moments of reflection. Moving climax, Poitier a strong presence as usual, and Tony Curtis impresses in atypical role as petty thug.

• Sarah P

  
  I liked this movie a lot - it was simple and complex at the same time, not to mention great performances by the two leads.

• Lizzy B

  
  If you have a heart at all you would love this movie.

• Keith M

  
  Just a great movie about survival l and what you would do if you were put in a situation you didn't want to be in. Its a lot like the Running man, but the game show is Racism. Would have been real curious to see what this would have been like if Marlon Brando had been able to do… More
  Just a great movie about survival l and what you would do if you were put in a situation you didn't want to be in. Its a lot like the Running man, but the game show is Racism. Would have been real curious to see what this would have been like if Marlon Brando had been able to do it, like it was originally intended.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings