Scarecrowis a 1973 film which starsAl PacinoandGene Hackmanas two wanderers who embark on a cross-country journey for different goals. Pacino’s character (Francis Lionel “Lion” Delbuchi) is an ex-sailor who is returning to his home in hopes of rekindling his relationship with his ex-wife and child whom he has never met. Hackman’s character (Max Millan) is a hot-tempered ex-con who wants to venture to Pittsburgh to open a carwash. Max and Lion form a friendship and agree to be partners on the carwash business, if they make a few pit-stops along the way. The question is, why hasn’t anyone heard of this film on a mainstream scale?
The film was directed by Jerry Scatzberg, a lesser known filmmaker compared to those who have worked with the two lead stars. His 1973 drama has been flying under the mainstream radar for 50 years. But it should not be overlooked this much.
According to Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score from audiences and critics above 70%, and it surprisingly won the prestigious Palme d’Or award the Cannes Film Festevail. It contains gorgeous cinematography from Vilmos Zsigmond, who is considered one of the greats for his work with Robert Altman, Brian De Palma, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, and more. There’s clearly talent here, and clearly most people who have seen the film have providedpraise and accolades despite its underrated obscuirty. So why is this film so overlooked and underrated?
Scarecrow: Overshadowed By Classics
Al Pacino and Gene Hackman together have some of the most notable and prestigious filmographies of all time. Pacino’s work ranges fromThe Godfathertrilogy toSerpico, Dog Day Afternoon, The Irishman,andScarface.Hackman’s work includes award-winning films such asThe French Connection, The Conversation, Unforgiven,andThe Royal Tenenbaums.These films just scrape the surface of the immense body of work from these two masters of the craft. But who wouldn’t want to see a film where the two are on-screen together, for the only time in a fiction film?
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Perhaps one of the reasons whyScarecrowis overlooked is that its plot is not as enticing as the high stakes andrealistically violent filmsof the actors’ careers. This film is more about the dialogue and experiences these two characters find themselves in rather than a thrilling ride into the life of a mobster. It is a slow moving, quietly funny, but ultimately melancholy film which serves as a dual character study.
These two vagabonds become closely acquainted, and we learn their desires through well crafted dialogue from screenwriter Garry Michael White. The screenplay gives audiences two characters whom they can relate to, with actual wants and flaws within themselves. The film is very much a character and dialogue driven piece, which might push some audience members away, especially if they were turned on to these actors thanks to their grittier, darker films.
Spoiler Alert: The rest of this article contains an analysis of Scarecrow.
A Play on Screen
Scarecrowis beautifully crafted and presented like it was a stage-play. There are long takes where we get to see Lion and Max interacting with each other for extended periods of time, and there are some lengthy sequenceswith almost no dialogueat all, just quiet observance. ThereThis allows Hackman and Pacino the chance to build a chemistry which is fully realized in the final moments of the film. We lament with Max as he sees Lion catatonic on a hospital bed after the tragic news he received and held in. But there is a classic idea utilized in these moments that label the film a tragedy and even add suspense.
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Directors like Hitchcock note that the best use of suspense is cluing the audience in on a fact that the characters do not. In the case ofScarecrow,we find out that Lion’s child is a boy and is growing up with his mother and newly-wed husband. However, when Lion finally gets to talk to his ex-wife, we find that she lies to him out of spite from his absence. She claims that their son died of a miscarriage before birth, which we see is clearly not the case.
Lion falls intoa psychiatric breakdownand is catatonic the rest of the film. The tragedy lies in the lie itself, and makes the ending much more tragic when we see Max pleading for his friend to wake. In addition to the incredible performances, we must also ask what the purpose of this film actually is.
Scarecrowoffers everything audiences would want in a character study. We see a fully fleshed out arc in the character of Max, who is constantly getting in and out of trouble with the law for his rather heated bursts of anger which leads to aggression and rage. He and Lionland in jailfor their violent encounter at a bar. Despite Max blaming Lion, he still seeks retribution and revenge when Lion is sexually assaulted by an inmate, and we see Max fighting for something more than himself.
This is a road trip movie, but the trip does not take us anywhere. By the end of the film, Max is back where he started, alone. Lion is held in a hospital after his breakdown and Max is heading to Pittsburgh to finish what he had started. What was the point? The purpose of a film like this is to spend a bit of time with two characters whom we become closely acquainted with and share an emotional connection with. Like life, there isn’t necessarily a point.
Sometimes, especially in a film likeScarecrow,it is okay to just be with characters and learn about the human experience through well crafted dialogue. A film like this does not need bombastic violence or high stakes — it needs realism, and it succeeds in that. It is a raw and in-depth look into Middle American society, outcasts, and bonds formed on the road less traveled. This film deserves a watch and should be discussed more, as it is a brilliant showcase of its two lead star’s acting chops. AsScarecrowturns 50 this year, hopefully it will receive that long-overdue attention.
