The Fugitive (1993) * * * *

Directed by:  Andrew Davis

Starring:  Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Jeroen Krabbe, Joe Pantoliano


What makes The Fugitive so riveting is simple:  If Dr. Richard Kimble is caught, he dies.    As the film opens, Dr. Kimble is unjustly convicted of murdering his wife.    He insists a "one-armed man" was in his house and he fought with him.  No one believes Kimble.  He is soon seen being taken in chains to a bus which will take him to death row.   Fortunately for Kimble, and unfortunately for mostly everyone else aboard the bus, prisoners attempt to escape causing a crash which escalates into the bus being struck by a train.  Kimble escapes and goes on the run.   This spectacular crash scene sets the wheels of The Fugitive in motion.  

Arriving at the crash scene is Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Jones-who won an Oscar for this role), whose job is to capture Kimble and return him to prison to await execution.    Gerard is not the villain.   He is doing his job and is not expected to be concerned about whether his quarry is actually innocent.     This is made evident in the classic scene inside the sewer where Kimble protests to Gerard, "I didn't kill my wife."   Gerard replies, "I don't care."  Gerard is correct, although he is obviously not supplied with the information we already know.   However, as the film moves along, Gerard begins to see that his prey may be innocent, but he still must capture him.   

Harrison Ford creates a sympathetic fugitive.   He is a smart man who survives by his wits and manages to stay ahead of Gerard and the police, but not too far ahead.    At first, Kimble is simply trying to avoid capture, but then he begins to track down the mysterious one-armed killer.    The Fugitive evolves into a cat-and-mouse game between Kimble, Gerard, and the conspirators who framed Kimble.    Can Kimble avoid Gerard's tireless pursuit long enough to prove his innocence?   

The Fugitive is expertly crafted and suspenseful.    It also sprinkles in nice character touches amidst the action.    Example:   Kimble is at Cook County Hospital posing as a janitor in order to get access to its prosthetics lab.   A young boy is brought in with severe abdominal pain.    Kimble sees this and knows what is wrong, but he of course can't come out and say this to the doctors who are unable to diagnose the problem.     Kimble is asked by a harried doctor to take the boy to the ER.    Kimble changes the orders as he's taking the boy away.     This move saves the boy's life.    This is a crucial scene because it shows not only Kimble's nature, but sways Gerard's belief in his innocence as well.

The heavy lifting in the film is done by Jones.   He is at first seen as a duty-bound marshal who only wants to capture his quarry and move on.    But he is intelligent, resourceful, and not without sympathy for Kimble.    This is only gradually revealed and not with acting flourishes, but with subtle touches.    Gerard is even allowed to be human and funny, especially in scenes where he and his deputies are unable to find their way out of the sewer and Gerard bans the use of the word "hinky" from all conversations with him.    It is a well-rounded, subtle, nuanced piece of acting, worthy of the Academy Award Jones won in 1993.

Even though it was adapted from the 1960's TV show, The Fugitive stands on its own as a great movie.    As a chase film, it is top-notch and realistic.    It shows how and why Kimble is ahead of his captors, but not by much.    It also works splendidly as a police procedural, showing how rough it is to be a U.S. Marshal.   After all, he is responsible for bringing fugitives to justice, even if they are innocent.