The Fugitive Kind

Released Feb 5, 1953

1 hr. 59 min.

Drama

List

53%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When drifter Valentine Xavier (Marlon Brando) arrives in a southern town, he catches the eye of the married Lady Torrance (Anna Magnani) and the oversexed alcoholic, Carol Cutrere (Joanne Woodward). Both vie for his attention, with Lady Torrance emerging victorious, offering Xavier employment in her general store, while her cancer-stricken husband is bedridden upstairs. After impregnating Lady Torrance and butting heads with friends of her husband, Xavier must make a crucial decision.

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Franky L

This movie showed the ugly side of people, and the rampid discrimination against all kinds in the 1950s south. Marlon Brando showed his superb acting in this almost film noir. A mustxwatch for Brando fans.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

Steve D

Not a lot here despite the great cast.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

Full Review

Martin B

Absolutely riveting. The perfectly cast aging Magnani, tortured and looking for anything to make her want to live her life once again my favorite. Brando and Woodward brilliant as well. It's about the dialogue you have to be paying attention. Not a particular fan of Brando movies he's critical to make this movie work. My favorite Brando movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Lauren D

A Tennessee Williams work, based on Orpheus Descending and, like all his work, it's dark and steamy, disturbing and heartbreaking. It may come as a surprise to those watching the film for the first time just how modern its themes are. There are those who say Lumet's direction was off-key, but I disagree. It's a slow burn, filled with foreshadowing. The tragic ending is inevitable from the opening scene. Marlon Brando is perfectly cast as the still-waters-run-deep loner with a sexuality he can neither hide or escape despite his (at least in the beginning of the film) strange innocence. Is he dangerous, a kind of sexual demon-savant? Or a holy philosophical fool? Joanne Woodward is an acting revelation - profoundly vulnerable, broken, and alluring at the same time. Anna Magnani's performance of repressed rage and hurt will haunt you. Maureen Stapleton is a dollop of magical purity. In short, be warned, but watch it. "You've been a witnesss, and you know."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/22

Full Review

William L

Source material from Tennessee Williams, a performance from Marlon Brando, and direction from Sidney Lumet should have made The Fugitive Kind a classic of midcentury American film. But while Brando and particularly co-star Anna Magnani probably come the closest, none of the individual participants can likely count this film among their better or more enduring projects. The film's biggest problem seems to be the nature of the adaptation; while the original narrative focuses on repressed passion and unconventionality in the face of a traditional society, the film seems to skew much further towards the melodramatic in its presentation. The actual external conflict is surprisingly reserved and toothless up until the final scenes of the film, with the unnecessarily long runtime instead being filled with reiterative romance that feels more like fluff than character development. A film that should have worked well on paper, but never really comes together in any meaningful way. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/30/22

Full Review

Audience Member

It isn't often I have seen Lumet venture out of NYC as settings for his films but this team up with Tennesse Williams takes them south for a small town tale, no less seedy, that explores themes such as loneliness, lust, and jealousy, among others. The plot moved at a satisfactory pace and I appreciate this more reserved style of storytelling, where motivations and past actions are gently alluded to and not beat over the audience's heads as a method of forced exposition. The acting is what stood out however and made this film most interesting. Brando, Anna Magnani, and Joanne Woodward each deliver a well crafted performance, adding a sustained amount of depth to their character as the film progressed, making it easy to feel some stake in their futures. 6.5/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Marlon Brando

Valentine "Snakeskin" Xavier

Anna Magnani

Lady Torrance

Joanne Woodward

Woodward

Maureen Stapleton

Vee Talbot

Victor Jory

Jabe M. Torrance

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The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Lady Needs Val

3:14

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Fire at the Store

3:07

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Jukin'

3:04

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Snakeskin in Court

4:08

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Looking for Work

4:00

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Dead People Don't Talk

2:30

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - The Kind That Don't Belong

2:38

The Fugitive Kind: Official Clip - Carol Knows Val

2:00

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

A piece of underrated Tennesee Wiliams drama that taps into the same well that brought in the heartbreak of love and the pitfalls of small-town living surrounding an individual looking for a way out.

Mar 3, 2023

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

Even the famed Williams monologues, soulful reveries of the past and dreams and genteel possibility have the the life squeezed out of them by the weight of the film surrounding them.

Rated: 2/4

May 11, 2021

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Tragic, operatic and signature Tennessee Williams, The Fugitive Kind remains a forgotten gem of American cinema.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 10, 2020

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

If you're familiar with Williams, you won't be surprised that things end badly but you might be surprised at how relieved you are when they finally do.

Mar 12, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

An early misfire from the great Sidney Lumet.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 19, 2020

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Marlon Brando as a poetic wanderer and Anna Magnani as a tragically repressed storekeeper perform superbly under Sidney Lumet's direction.

Dec 11, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

When drifter Valentine Xavier (Marlon Brando) arrives in a southern town, he catches the eye of the married Lady Torrance (Anna Magnani) and the oversexed alcoholic, Carol Cutrere (Joanne Woodward). Both vie for his attention, with Lady Torrance emerging victorious, offering Xavier employment in her general store, while her cancer-stricken husband is bedridden upstairs. After impregnating Lady Torrance and butting heads with friends of her husband, Xavier must make a crucial decision.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Screenwriter: Tennessee Williams, Tennessee Williams, Meade Roberts
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists, Pennebaker Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 5, 1953, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Sound Mix: Mono

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