BORING! Nothing Happens & Hud is NOT a Hero
I was shocked at how mundane this film was. It’s set in a rural town where nothing happens anyways, but a better film depicting loneliness with actual plot points is The Last Picture Show, which came out 10 years later. That film progresses because the characters are more intriguing and the sexual tensions are much more prominent.
Hud is another example of why Paul Newman is overrated. He’s an introverted snob who allegedly acted so rude to Patrica Neal on set after she poured her heart and soul out to him about her failing marriage. “Tough” was all he said to her, leaving the bewildered actress in tears.
Newman is a method actor but he’s not very good at it. He’s an asshole in real life and it certainly shows on the small screen too. Just because he acts indifferent and tough, and cheats with various women- suddenly Hud is a hero? For whom? Conservatives who live in hillbilly towns? He even gets away with rape! But because he’s so “sexy, such a manly man” people justify the scene as merely “oh he didn’t rape her. His fly was still zipped.” Had that been a less attractive man, nobody would stand up for him.
So what happens in the movie? Nothing! It’s simply a character study. The biggest scene involved a lot of cows.
Patricia Neal is the only breath of fresh air in the story because her character exudes a confident warmth that is lacking from everyone else. She should have won supporting though, as she’s only in the film for 20 minutes. But even her character is sort of boring. I just don’t get the big deal with awarding mediocrity. She’s a housekeeper who likes to make ice cream on the front porch - big deal.
Melvyn Douglas is strong as Newman’s repressed and wise father, who calls Hud out on being selfish and not caring for other people. Everything I loathe about Hud, the father does as well. (Spoiler - and soon the nephew will
Too). The “I don’t give a damn” attitude makes for entertaining companionship when you’re at the James Dean level of your life, but as we age, if you lack compassion for others and yourself- you just come across arrogant and selfish.
Hud is NOT a hero, despite so many audience members fawning over him after the film. He’s a pompous, self centred arrogant jerk- and if I was the director I would have fired him after how he treated Neal. He’s over the top and hammy in The Hustler and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof too, but at least more is occurring in those movies.
Newman is better off selling his salad dressing and being married to Joanne Woodard (another vanilla actress) then he is at demonstrating he can play three dimensional characters. Women love him because he represents the “I don’t give a fuck” male egotistical persona that keeps them swooning. Men love him because he doesn’t have to talk a lot and gets all the girls. Big deal. But the father puts him in his place and that gives the movie a little boost it needed, but nothing to justify academy awards. It just an hour for us to finally get some humanity into the characters.
HUD is quiet, uneventful and long. Skip this and rent THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. It’s miles better then this pretentious, lonely little story with nobody to root for and snooze inducing plot structure.
FINAL GRADE: C