I watched this movie tonight and toward the end I realized I had seen it years ago when I was much younger. I must confess, I didn't realize how good it was back then. There were parts of the movie that were downers, I guess I was looking for a feel good flick years ago.
Our main character played by Robert Blake is a straight by-the-rules cop. He has a partner that does not play fair and I suppose that was part of the turn off at the first viewing. Our hero has to deal with all kinds of set backs and surprises, dealing with other police who seem to be too focused on the "job" and less focused on right vs. wrong.
There were good, convincing performances all around. Never did I get the feeling they were "acting".
There is mystery, surprises, and some incredible scenery of the wild, open Arizona spaces. Even after a second viewing I'm still not certain what the message of the movie was although I did give it a nine rating. Are the majority of cops bad? Are most hippies good? Are most hippies bad? Does the desert make you crazy? I suspect the movie will leave you with similar questions. I don't think it strives to answer any in the first place. I get the impression it simply throws issues at the viewer and leaves you to fill in the blanks.
This movie will NOT spoon feed you a clear cut plot, but it will make you think.
Our main character played by Robert Blake is a straight by-the-rules cop. He has a partner that does not play fair and I suppose that was part of the turn off at the first viewing. Our hero has to deal with all kinds of set backs and surprises, dealing with other police who seem to be too focused on the "job" and less focused on right vs. wrong.
There were good, convincing performances all around. Never did I get the feeling they were "acting".
There is mystery, surprises, and some incredible scenery of the wild, open Arizona spaces. Even after a second viewing I'm still not certain what the message of the movie was although I did give it a nine rating. Are the majority of cops bad? Are most hippies good? Are most hippies bad? Does the desert make you crazy? I suspect the movie will leave you with similar questions. I don't think it strives to answer any in the first place. I get the impression it simply throws issues at the viewer and leaves you to fill in the blanks.
This movie will NOT spoon feed you a clear cut plot, but it will make you think.