The Outrage (1964)

Without knowing it before hand, as soon as the movie started I had a definite feeling that this was a remake of the 1950 Kurosawa film "Rashomon". I thought the opening scene was great, almost like a horror movie in some respects with the sinister storm and dark atmosphere. Within moments characters portrayed by William Shatner, Howard da Silva and Edward G. Robinson appear on screen, whetting my appetite for an effectively offbeat story. Robinson's character is described as the 'Con Man' and probably has the best dialog in the picture when he's challenging what passes for status quo thinking in the Old West of the 1870's.I had to go back and read my own review of the "Rashomon" picture because I knew there was something that bothered me about it when I first saw it. Kurosawa's pacing is sometimes too laborious for me, though it surprised me that this treatment was actually a few minutes longer. And for anyone who thinks Paul Newman's performance as the bandit Carracas is over the top, you'll really have to see Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune. His characterization of the bandit Tajomaru is so manic it makes Newman's role look tame by comparison.In most other respects, the story is almost exactly the same, with the three principals involved in the murder of a Southern gentleman and the rape of his wife all telling a different story. Told in a flashback style among the characters who opened the picture, one is constantly left questioning which of the narratives is valid, and whether the people involved have a spark of dignity or honor among them. This carries right through to the finale when the old prospector (Da Silva) is hauled up short by the Con Man for being as disreputable as the ones who testified at the trial of Carracas.I guess if one has the means to do so, you might try watching both films one after the other. When I first watched "Rashomon" I had to rewind some scenes for clarification as the characters seemed more esoteric and difficult to follow. I didn't have the same reaction to "The Outrage", but that could be because I already knew the basic story. I also have a preference for Westerns, so that's part of the equation as well. Both pictures merit the same rating by my count, though for it's more familiar players, I prefer this Martin Ritt directed version.

Initially intriguing, though overwrought, but ultimately pointless and silly.A Hollywood adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon". Three men meet at a deserted station in the middle of nowhere. Soon their discussion turns to the trial that occurred in the nearby town the previous say. The trial concerned the death of a man. Three people claim they killed him, and we see their version of the events. Who is correct and why are two of them (at least...) lying?From the outset there is a degree of unnecessary complexity about the script. The script is overly wordy, almost to the point of being Shakespearean, and feels padded. The plot is quite interesting but as it goes on it becomes less and less plausible, and feels complex just for the sake of it. Soon the holes appear, none of which are filled in by the end of the movie.After a point the implausibility and complexity have descended into farce. The last few scenes are quite silly and ultimately you're left wondering what the point was and even possibly what the story was...The casting provides some interesting appearances. Paul Newman puts in a good, almost over-the-top, performance as the Mexican bandit. William Shatner is there, as a preacher (two years later Star Trek started...). Edward G Robinson gets the role of the verbose swindler (he is largely responsible for my "Shakespearean" comment). Laurence Harvey and Claire Bloom put in reasonably solid performances as the married couple. To be honest, even though many regard Rashomon as a classic, I don't. The plot for The Outrage demonstrates why Rashomon is overrated.

I am no actor, and I realize scenes are frequently shot out of sequence. But don't the actors have some sort of inkling as to how poor a picture is while they are making it?I've never been one for "flashback" movies, but this one with several different versions of the flashback is just too much.There were a couple good pieces of acting, such as when Bloom accused her husband of cowardice, but they were too few to carry the movie. The last 8 to 10 minutes were more like 3 Stooges/Laurel & Hardy slapstick comedy sliding down a waterfall into a pond and spitting water...c'mon!I did enjoy the scenery around Tucson, and the music was pretty good, also. The rest of it left me scratching my head. This is a movie I had timer-recorded to DVD and did not watch for quite a while since recording it, so it is in my collection. I have real doubts it will ever get another watch by me.And what's up with the baby? Did the writers just say "Hey, this ought to work for something?"It's a pity, too, because with de Silva, Newman, Bloom, Robinson...these are actors I really like. They could have made a much better movie.I rarely give less than 5 stars, but this one only rates 4 from me.jonesey65244

Good acting by good actors. A well-filmed movie. Good character development. No plot.Some guy is dead. His wife is raped. Eyewitnesses give different accounts. Eventually, it gets cleared up. Movie over.Lots and lots of talking. Lots and lots.It's a fairly enjoyable movie for most people, the apparent exception being people with liberal arts degrees. This is a remake. So it is automatically trash to anyone who took film-making 101 as an elective. There are two fine counter-arguments. One is that every play of Shakespeare was stolen from earlier works. The second is that all good stories will be remade someday. Yes, even Earnest Goes to Camp will be redone some day.The 1950 movie Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa is known to some as a classic. It's chief quality, the directing, is the sole reason why Rashomon is remembered today. It is remembered, but not viewed. It has too many deficiencies. Rashomon was in Japanese. Not too many of us speak Japanese. It had Japanese actors. Not too many of us know any Japanese actors. It was set in Japan. Not too many of us prefer a Japanese feudal setting to a rootin-tootin Western.Rashomon still shows in colleges. Lots of freshman find deep meaning it. Lots of professors swear it is the epitome of film-making. None of them watch it outside the classroom.Watch this movie if you like a meandering whodunit set in cowboy days.Watch Rashomon if you are Japanese, speak Japanese, like movies set in Japan, and like movies even slower than this one. Or if your professor makes you watch it.