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Rating: 4 out of 5
Have you ever met a man that was so despicable that you wanted to hit him? A man with no moral compass thinks he is a hotshot and god’s gift to women. Some might be jealous of this man, but we all know what will happen in the end. This man will end up absolutely alone, doing the same thing over and over again. This is the full description of Hud. A man who thinks he is everything but is just as destructive as ever.
Directed by Martin Ritt, Hud is a film about a father and son at odds. Homer Bannon (Douglas) is an honest, old-school, hard-working Texas rancher. His son, Hud (Newman), is the complete opposite and the bane of Home’s existence. Hud is an amoral, egotistical, womanizing asshole. The dude spends his time chasing married woman rather than helping out his dad. Homer and Hud usually stay out of each other way. In between their conflict, Lonnie (deWilde), Hud’s nephew, and Alma (Neal), the Bannon’s live-in housekeeper. Life on the ranch is hard as both men have different views of the world. Lonnie’s father’s death hangs over the family like a dark cloud, but no one wants to resolve the issue. Things come ahead when a possible epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease strikes their cattle herd. With the only revenue and profit at risk, both sides must decide what is best for the family and ranch.
The whole story revolves around Homer and Hud. Their relationship is at an all-time low ever since the death of Hud’s brother. Hud killed his brother in a drunk driving accident where he lived, and his brother died. Ever since then, they haven’t been on the same page. Things really come to a head when one of the cows dies from what might be the foot-and-mouth disease. This is where the story picks up with the different philosophies. Homer wants to do the right thing by getting a vet to come in and see what is going on, hoping that he can keep his ranch going. Hud is evil and wants to sell the cows to make sure the ranch stays afloat. They bicker throughout the whole movie.
Let me get this out of the way right now. Paul Newman did a great job as Hub, but I am thrilled that he lost to Sidney Poitier in Lilies in the Field. Hud was a complete and total asshole. I couldn’t stand him. He has a reputation of being a low down awful person who drives a Cadillac. I am going to say that the bad boy is pink. He drives fast, gives ZERO fucks, and sleeps around with married women. Hell, the first scene with Hud is him coming from a night with a woman whose husband drives up. The only reason he leaves unscathed is because he blames it on Lonnie. The dude goes to see the cow and shoots at the buzzards who don’t really care. He gives some statements about why he can shoot at them. It is one thing after the other with Hud, and I still don’t see how anyone likes him. The dude tried to put his little willy inside Alma without her permission.
That is where the other part of the movie comes in. Lonnie looks up to Hud and idolizes him. It is like he can do no wrong in his eyes. One of the things Lonnie wants to do is just spend time with his uncle. Lonnie and Hud go to town together, and Hud seems uninterested in his nephew. Hud ditches Lonnie and goes into the bar, and tells his nephew to split. Lonnie goes to the store and picks out From Here to Eternity. I’ve seen that movie and wasn’t that impressed by it. This is a theme throughout the film as Lonnie wants his uncle’s approval but should know that he will never get it.
One relationship that should be noted is Lonnie and Homer. I remember spending time with my grandpa, and this brought up those memories. It was really nice seeing Homer and Lonnie just spending time together. They go to the movies, where Homer sings his heart out and then goes to get food after it. The special moment is soon destroyed when Hud walks into the dinner with another man’s wife. As Hud berates the old man, he seems to have a heart attack or was worn out from the day’s work. I freakin hate Hud.
The saddest part of the whole film was when Homer learns that his cows have the foot-and-mouth disease and the scene where they put down all the cows and the steers. It’s sad to see because this is Homer’s whole life, and he has to destroy the very thing he loves and cares about. When he has to kill the steers, that is when the man’s heart broke.
Besides Newman, who did a great job as the asshole Hud, others should be discussed. Melvyn Douglas as Homer Bannon was a great choice. He seemed to have that rugged rancher look down but also was a loving grandfather. He only raised his voice once in the whole movie, and you can tell the tension between him, and Hud was tense.
Patricia Neal as Alma Brown was the highlight of the whole movie, and I loved when she was on the screen. Even though she was in the film for a total of twenty-two minutes, she made every one of those minutes count. Neal played Alma with such sassiness that it was great. She told it how it was and didn’t hold back, and I loved her for it.
Hud is one of those American Westerns that has a good story, but the acting carries this film. Newman does a great job, but the supporting cast of Douglas and Neal also carry this film. It is heartbreaking to see the infighting between a father and son.
