Cinema in 1970s America produced some fine paranoid political thrillers The Parallax View, The Conversation, All The Presidents Men but this one seemed to get lost somehow. Perhaps it was timing it was actually released in 1981 or the fact that it opened to a disastrous New York Times review and was effectively buried. Maybe people were tired of hearing about Vietnam and feeling a collective guilt about their country. Rarely seen on British TV and only really known because of the presence of a young Jeff Bridges, its a real discovery to see this classic film on the big screen again.
The mighty Bridges stars as Richard Bone, a gigolo waster who sells yachts to the rich and spends his time with his old pal Alex Cutter (Heard) and his wife Mo (Eichhorn). Bridges is good-looking, lean and utterly without direction in his life, while Cutter has returned from Vietnam with one leg, arm and eye, and, not surprisingly, a drink problem he shares with his wife. She seems bored by his boozy ramblings, and accuses him one night of waiting for his life to start again.
One dark, rainy night Bones car breaks down, and he witnesses the dumping of a body into a dustbin but is apparently unable to identify the driver of the Cadillac. At a carnival with his pals he suddenly recognises the suspect, JJ Cord, a wealthy and hugely powerful businessman. He is not 100% sure, but Cutter, desperate for someone to blame for the worlds evils and wrongs, becomes convinced of Cords guilt and hatches a plan. For him, Cord represents establishment America, the sort of man who has never fought in a dirty war or got his hands dirty. When the victim of the horrible murders sister meets Cutter they form a pact to get Cord one way or the other. Bone, though, is unsure, and seems to share his apathy with Mo.
Neither a straightforward thriller nor a classic buddy movie, Cutters Way is almost impossible to categorize. Its almost Raymond Chandler territory, except the Malone character doesnt seem to care who the murderer is. Its filmed in a dreamy, sunset-lit world in which lawns are always green, cars are polished and the next cocktail is moments away. Its power comes from a script which is never preachy but tackles big subject head-on Cutters pivotal speech about the abuses of power and capitalism is a masterpiece but its real meaning is always ambiguous. It is never made clear whether Cord has actually committed the horrible murder or not, and Bones confusion about what he saw is constant throughout.
The overall effect is a deeply unsettling but immensely immersive experience which haunts long after the stunning last second of the film. The performance of Bridges is, it almost goes without saying, sublime louche, handsome, charming but hollow and incapable of caring about anyone but himself. Its Heard though who catches the eye equally, in the difficult role of Cutter. Battered, slovenly, permanently drunk and seriously paranoid, he still manages to make a Cutter a sympathetic character, desperate for love from his brittle, sharp-tongued wife and respect from his peers. In one remarkable scene he returns home from a bar, wrecks his neighbours car and gets into a swearing match. When the cops turn up he becomes the epitome of polite, well-spoken youth, much to the neighbours astonishment.
Overall verdict: Classic slice of American cinema when they could do paranoiac political thrillers like no-one else. A must-see if youre a Bridges fan and a must-see if youre not. Haunting and brilliant.
Reviewer: Mike Martin