The Border ***½ (1982, Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Valerie Perrine, Warren Oates, Elpidia Carrillo) – Classic Movie Review 5275

Director Tony Richardson’s 1982 desperately dour and downbeat thriller stars Jack Nicholson as a bored and corrupt US Border Patrol agent called Charlie Smith, who is guarding the Mexican border. He operates on the fuzzy side of the law, joining with his partner Cat (Harvey Keitel) in taking part in illegal activities in exchange for bribes, to provide a richer lifestyle for his wife.

But that changes when he takes pity on the Mexicans struggling for freedom and rebels against his bosses’ smuggling activities after a poor a young Mexican woman named Maria (Elpidia Carrillo)’s baby is put up for sale on the black market.

Unfortunately, Richardson directs with a low-key, dreary atmosphere and at a slow pace that turns the spicy premise into a film as depressing as a week-old tortilla. [Spoiler alert] The film was originally even more depressing when it ended with the hero sent to prison after bombing the border patrol headquarters. But this was changed when preview audiences disliked it.

In the film’s favour, there are some very high-class performances, especially from Nicholson, Keitel, Carrillo, Valerie Perrine and Warren Oates, there is Ry Cooder’s haunting music score, Ric Waite’s classy cinematography, Toby Rafelson’s eye-catching production designs, and the outstanding natural outdoors scenery.

It is one of Nicholson’s least well known or regarded films yet it contains one one his best, most truthful, reined-in performances.

Also in the cast are Jeff Morris, Shannon Wilcox, Mike Gomez, Dirk Blocker, Alan Fudge and Manuel Vlescas.

The writers are Deric Washburn, Walon Green and David Freeman.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5275

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