The Defiant Ones [PG]

When a truck bound for prison gets turned over, two convicts manage to escape; both chained together, one black and one white, and each harbouring hateful and racist attitudes towards the other. After being on the run for some time, they attempt a food robbery which goes wrong and end up fleeing to the lonely countryside where they meet a lonely white woman with the means of breaking their bond. But, after spending so much time together and getting to know one another, can they go their separate ways when the time comes? 

This is a lovely movie, very poignant with strong messages about equality, the dangers of racism; it really is a self-avowed “message” movie. Not to mention that it stars Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis, I mean that is just classic casting: a great example of “opposites attract”. And they’re both so gorgeous too! 

When a truck bound for prison gets turned over, two convicts manage to escape; both chained together, one black and one white, and each harbouring hateful and racist attitudes towards the other. After being on the run for some time, they attempt a food robbery which goes wrong and end up fleeing to the lonely countryside where they meet a lonely white woman with the means of breaking their bond. But, after spending so much time together and getting to know one another, can they go their separate ways when the time comes? 

It really is a great movie; it’s armed with a solid story, simple yet offers a lot of room for dramatic interpretation, and what I particularly liked about it was that the friendship that developed between the two convicts was not an overdone or embellished brotherly bond in any way, more like they grew accustomed to one another and developed strong moral bonds towards the other. 

Most of the poignant messages about racism and acceptance in this movie are unspoken; it’s all achieved through action, which is said to speak louder than words anyway. 

The performances from both the leads were lovely. Tony Curtis delivering one that was agro, intolerant, and rather hardboiled, whilst Sidney’s was tolerant and calm, but then quite frightening when he was provoked to violence. 

Starring Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw, Lon Chaney Jr., Kevin Coughlin, and Cara Williams, The Defiant Ones was a beautiful film that was well balanced and filled with drama, action, suspense, reluctant friendship, and even a bit of comedy. I really liked it and Sidney and Tony were just were beautiful together.