Back Roads (1981)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: B-
As a way to follow-up her critical and commercial triumph
in Norma Rae in 1979, Fields reunited with director Martin Ritt for Back
Roads (1981), where she plays a hooker with a heart of gold. However, she takes the clichéd role to a new
height of realism with raw language and a fearlessness in getting down and
dirty. To make her trip to California
all the more interesting, she become involved with argumentative and
able-bodied Elmore, played by a young Tommy Lee Jones. Jones had been a great actor at the outset
and manages to match her scene for scene, not easy when Fields is at her best
like she is here.
Another cliché is the arguing they constantly have between
each other, not unlike many Screwball Comedies. However, anything screwy here is sadly limited. However, where this has been worn razor thin
by bad mall movies today, there is serious character development, which makes
conflict between them totally believable.
Gary DeVore’s screenplay is rich in amusing, if not outright funny
moments. Maybe bittersweet is a good
description. I wish even more had
happened between them, but this is an overlooked film worth your time.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is nicely shot
by the late, great John A. Alonzo, A.S.C., in real Panavision. Processed in DeLuxe color, this had to look
more color consistent than what we see here, which is just not up to snuff. Alonzo was a master of the scope frame, most
notably on Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974), which needs restored
ASAP. This film was actually produced
by CBS television’s brief-lived theatrical division, distributed at the time by
Warner Bros., but is now with Paramount since they share parent company Viacom.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is good enough for a production
form its time, but was an increasingly rare mono film with Dolby analog
becoming more and more popular.
Paramount did not decide to do a remix, despite a score by Henry
Mancini. There are no extras, not even
a trailer, but the film is definitely worth a look for the performances
alone. M. Emmet Walsh, David Keith,
Barbara Babcock, Nell Carter, Michael Gazzo and original Red Ryder Don “Red”
Barry also star. Yes, Ritt knew great
acting and great actors, which is why all his films are worth seeing.
- Nicholas Sheffo
