Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy
Name	Midnight Cowboy
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	John Schlesinger
Producer	Jerome Hellman
Screenplay	Waldo Salt
Based on	Midnight Cowboy, James Leo Herlihy
Starring	Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman
Music	John Barry
Cinematography	Adam Holender
Editing	Hugh A. Robertson
Studio	Jerome Hellman Productions
Distributor	United Artists
Released	1969, 05, 25
Runtime	113 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3.6 million
Gross	$44.8 million

Midnight Cowboy. It is a 1969 American drama film directed by John Schlesinger and adapted by Waldo Salt from the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film stars Jon Voight as Joe Buck, a naive Texan who travels to New York City believing he can succeed as a gigolo, and Dustin Hoffman as Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, a sickly, streetwise con artist he befriends. A landmark of New Hollywood cinema, it is notable for being the only X-rated film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and it explores themes of alienation, the American Dream, and urban decay against the backdrop of late-1960s America.

Plot

The narrative follows Joe Buck, a dishwasher from Texas who quits his job and heads to Manhattan with a delusional plan to become a kept man for wealthy women. His initial attempts at hustling fail miserably, and he is instead swindled by a frail, limping hustler named Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo. Forced into a desperate partnership, the two form an unlikely bond while struggling to survive in the city's seedy underbelly, taking refuge in a condemned building on 42nd Street. Their plan to escape to Florida for a better life drives the latter half of the story, culminating in a tragic journey on a bus to Miami, where Ratso's deteriorating health reaches a critical point.

Cast

Jon Voight portrays the central figure of Joe Buck, a role that launched him to stardom and earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Dustin Hoffman, already famous for his work in The Graduate, delivers a transformative performance as the tubercular Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, also receiving an Academy Award nomination. Key supporting roles include Sylvia Miles as the aging Park Avenue socialite Cass, a performance that garnered a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and John McGiver as the wealthy Mr. O'Daniel. The cast also features Brenda Vaccaro as Shirley, Barnard Hughes as Towny, and Ruth White as Sally Buck.

Production

The film was produced by Jerome Hellman and directed by British filmmaker John Schlesinger, who brought an outsider's perspective to the depiction of American society. Screenwriter Waldo Salt extensively revised the adaptation, drawing on his own experiences after being blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Cinematographer Adam Holender captured the gritty realism of New York City through extensive location shooting in areas like Times Square and the Bowery. The iconic score was composed by John Barry, and the film features several contemporary songs, most notably "Everybody's Talkin'" performed by Harry Nilsson, which became a major hit and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Themes and analysis

The film is a profound exploration of alienation and failed masculinity within the crumbling American Dream. Joe Buck's journey from Texas to New York City represents a critique of naive Western mythology colliding with harsh urban reality. The relationship between Buck and Rizzo is a central study of loneliness and found family amidst societal neglect. Its depiction of homosexuality, prostitution, and urban poverty broke significant taboos for mainstream Hollywood cinema. The setting of a decaying New York City acts as a powerful metaphor for the spiritual and social disillusionment of the era, aligning the film with other key works of the New Hollywood movement like Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider.

Release and reception

Upon its release by United Artists, the film was controversially rated X by the Motion Picture Association of America due to its adult themes, though this was later revised to an R rating. It premiered to critical acclaim, with particular praise directed at the performances of Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman and the direction of John Schlesinger. At the 42nd Academy Awards, it won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director for Schlesinger, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Waldo Salt. It was also a major commercial success, grossing over $44 million against a $3.6 million budget. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1994.

Legacy

The film remains a defining masterpiece of New Hollywood and a cultural landmark for its unflinching portrayal of marginal lives. Its unique status as the only X-rated film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture is a testament to its artistic impact and the changing mores of the late 1960s. The performances of Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman are consistently cited as career highlights and benchmarks for method acting. Its influence can be seen in subsequent films about urban alienation and complex male friendships, such as Taxi Driver and The Last Detail. The film's critical and enduring popularity secures its place as one of the greatest American films ever made, frequently appearing on lists by the American Film Institute and in scholarly analyses of cinema of the United States.

Category:1969 films Category:American drama films Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners