Streaming Gems: Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Photo from IMDb
From Shane Conto
What is the lasting legacy of a film like Midnight Cowboy? For many people, they remember this as the only film to win Best Picture that was rated “X”. The infamous “X” rating has since been overtaken by “NC-17” but the idea is that these are films that no one under the age of 17 can even watch. The taboo nature of a forbidden film certainly is tantalizing (especially for teens who are looking to rebel in many different ways). But Midnight Cowboy (along with probably A Clockwork Orange) is probably the most famous film to have this distinction. That alone is honestly enough of a reason to at least be curious. What makes this film so profane that it got such a restrictive rating?
The truth? Midnight Cowboy is considerably more tame than the vast majority of “R” rated films today. The people at the time (in the late 1960s) were much more concerned about the sexual content of this film. There is probably a contingency of today’s society who would react in a similar way to a film about a young Texan heading up to the Big Apple to put his big assets to use as a gigolo. What is true is that Midnight Cowboy is about WAY more than just a gigolo struggling to make ends meet in late 60s New York. In actuality, the taboo elements of sexual content in the film are by far the least interesting elements of the film because director John Schlesinger crafted a rich and poignant film that captures American society in such an impactful way.
What does this award winning film have to show us about society? Midnight Cowboy is the prototype for counter culture filmmaking at the time. This is not a film that focuses on the false tranquility of suburban life in post WWII America. We see the seedy underbelly of this nation's cornerstone city. New York was not in a great place as the 60s were waning and the 70s were about to erupt. The dirty and grime of life where homeless spread and many live scraping by. That is the core of this film. Two men and neither one of them is making it in life how they thought. They barely have enough to survive but they dream of escaping this big concrete cage for the beautiful life they perceive to be awaiting elsewhere (a feeling that is painted in today’s America when it comes to urban life). But our protagonists also navigate the counterculture scene with artists who have a unique view of the world and want to shape a new and more honest image of what life really is.
What are the two biggest selling points of Schlesinger’s film? Jon Voight. Dustin Hoffman. This film is truly a showcase of two actors at their peak. Both of these actors would go on to become a pair of the biggest stars in 70s Hollywood and this Best Picture winner helped catapult them. Both performances are so impactful and authentic in this disturbing urban landscape that they both got nominated for Best Actor (losing to the legacy winner John Wayne for True Grit). Voight’s career really launched here with his stature and swagger bringing Jo Buck to life in such an impactful and honest way. His towering presence has since become his trademark in such films as Deliverance and The Champ. He brings a believable naivety that is pitch perfect as he quickly loses his innocence in the cut throat world of sex work. Hoffman on the other hand was already on the rise thanks to The Graduate which already positioned him in this new class of counterculture stars. The manic energy and impressive character work that Hoffman imbues in Enrico Rizzo is something to behold. These two performances are engrossing and impactful.
So is this one worth overcoming the taboo and reputation? Don’t get bogged down in a rating. Midnight Cowboy is a brilliant exploration of friendship (with this one being so unexpected and moving) and the faltering urban life of America in the late 60s. The top notch performances are the anchoring forces to make Schlesinger’s film so impactful and poignant. What makes this film so special is the ability that one film has in capturing a whole nation and society evolving while not sacrificing an intimate and moving story along the way.
You can find Midnight Cowboy (1969) streaming on Criterion Channel.
