Released in 1979, "The Onion Field" is a true crime drama about a disturbed two-bit criminal, Greg Powell (James Wood), and his partner (Franklyn Seales) who kidnap two cops (Ted Danson and John Savage) and kill one of them in the sticks by an onion field. Can justice be done with the California court system? How will the murder affect the surviving officer?
The entire crime sequence, which takes roughly one quarter of the runtime, is outstanding. The remaining hour is a negative commentary on the justice system and survivor guilt/PTSD. The film sticks to the facts and is gritty realistic with actors who even appear like their true-life counterparts. With the exception of the crime and its immediate aftermath this is a slow drama, but somehow compelling, perhaps partially because it really happened.
Interestingly, the character played by Woods reminds me of a former good friend who was in my wedding party, also named Greg. Like the character in the film, he's currently in prison for murder!
The film runs 122 minutes and was shot in the greater Los Angeles area and Maricopa & Taft, California.
GRADE: B+
The entire crime sequence, which takes roughly one quarter of the runtime, is outstanding. The remaining hour is a negative commentary on the justice system and survivor guilt/PTSD. The film sticks to the facts and is gritty realistic with actors who even appear like their true-life counterparts. With the exception of the crime and its immediate aftermath this is a slow drama, but somehow compelling, perhaps partially because it really happened.
Interestingly, the character played by Woods reminds me of a former good friend who was in my wedding party, also named Greg. Like the character in the film, he's currently in prison for murder!
The film runs 122 minutes and was shot in the greater Los Angeles area and Maricopa & Taft, California.
GRADE: B+