Released : 1986
Directed By: Robert Harmon
Cast: Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh
My Rating: 4/5
A young man (C.Thomas Howell) driving across America stops to pick up a Hitcher (Rutger Hauer) and soon realises this could be the biggest mistake of his life.
Mostly people talk about Hauer’s performance in this film, but looking past that there is a lot more to like about The Hitcher. The superb cinematography for one; from the pickup in the rain to the vast vistas of the American countryside, this is a rather impressive film to look at. There were also some great distance shots of the action; the final scene is viewed from the hills and gives the feeling of emptiness and how alone people can find themselves in this vast country. It makes me wonder how many people just disappear in these places in reality.
The other thing I noticed was how sparse the soundtrack was, which helped build the tension of the film, because it wasn’t the music leading me, it was the script and the situations. There are some sombre moments in the score which I have to say I really liked, except for the up tempo track over the car chase. It sounded like we had stepped into Miami Vice!
Hauer – A Dangerous Man
As for the cast; this really is Hauer’s film, his killer is one of the finest I’ve seen on film, period. He is truly frightening mainly due to his lack of motive, and his ice cold manor. When he appears from behind the teddy it is really quite unsettling to see him laughing with the children, the fate of the family already sealed behind his smile. Hauer plays the part to perfection, he never hams it up and never turns his character into a pantomime killer. There are some rather chilling scenes in the film as Hauer torments Howell at every turn and begins to wear Howell down
C. Thomas Howell is well cast and gives a solid performance throughout the film. His journey is quite powerful coming from meek young man to a man desperate to free himself of his tormentor at any cost. While Jennifer Jason Leigh does not really have a great deal to do and is fine in her small role.
The action when it comes is good and is never really over the top, the main piece a car chase as Howell and Leigh flee from the police. Yet what got me was how brutal this film is, without actually showing me anything. The body count is quite high, but on screen deaths is quite minimal, and I like that. The scene with Leigh and the truck is superb, it enforces Hauer’s brutal side and Howell’s weaker nature.
Howell – I have to win!
Overall a tense thriller with a strong performance from Hauer. There is a remake starring Sean Bean but it doesn’t come close to replicating the original.
The Film Project 