Review of Hud

A gritty Texas-set drama containing Paul Newman's allegedly finest performance on film. Whilst he was certainly excellent, I prefer him in roles like Butch Cassidy or Henry Gondorff in The Sting. The rest of the cast are superb, especially Melvyn Douglas and Patricia Neal. Even though the film is named after Newman's character, I feel the main focus of the film is Brandon De Wilde's character, Lon, and his transformation through adolescence to adulthood, his relationships with the people around him (his love for Neal's Alma, his close bond with his grandfather, Douglas) and his ambitions in life, somewhat stilted by his Uncle Hud's own characteristics and desired ownership of the ranch. James Wong Howe's cinematography is nothing short of astonishing, and remains the best aspect of the film in my opinion - God knows why Ritt didn't use him again for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. A solid, enjoyable film.