Midnight Cowboy (1969)

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Director: John Schlesinger

Writers: Waldo Salt, based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy

Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Barnard Hughes, Ruth White, Jennifer Salt, Gilman Rankin


A would-be male prostitute (Jon Voight) and a homeless street hustler (Dustin Hoffman) try to get by on the hard streets of New York. 


Joe Buck, naive and not too bright, gets a hard lesson in disillusionment as he learns that his good looks and sexual prowess do not provide the easy avenue to riches that he expected.


 Ratso Rizzo’s tough exterior masks his terror that his poor health will leave him vulnerable.


 Despite an occasional interlude that distracts us from the central plight of these two lost souls, such as an unlikely visit to an Andy Warhol type party, bravura performances from Voight and Hoffman never let us lose focus for long.


 The mutually caring relationship that grows between these two characters provides respite from the relentlessly brutal struggle to survive.


 Gritty location shooting in late 60s New York provides a powerful sense of place. 


This is essential viewing.





































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