mike48128
Actually a 9.5 due to a bit of very minor bloodshed (a knife fight between Lucius and a 15-year old boy), some cuss words and the "N" word. Otherwise, almost "Pollyannish" but with a slightly rougher edge. (A few "adult" situations, as part of it takes place in a "whore" house!) "The Reivers" ("river pirates") is a coming of age adventure story, set in (circa) 1905 Mississippi. The three "Reivers" are Ned (Rupert Crose), Boon (Steve McQueen) and 11 year old Lucius (Mitch Vogal) Also starring Sharon Ferrell as Corrie and Will Geer as "Boss". Music by John Williams and novel narration by Burgess Meredith. Superb cinematography. Fine period locations, sets and costumes. Just beautifully done. Also one of Steve McQueen's best comedy films. "A bumpy automobile journey" by a 1905 Winton Flyer to Memphis, involving a beautiful prostitute and a "spellbinding" horse race. (Comments from the DVD cover) (The horse loves sardines!) From a great novel by William Faulker. Most enjoyable. Worth watching and worth owning. Some drama, but a lot of good humor as well. Quite "respectful" of the black actors. It portrays them as real, honest people and not stereotypes. Not suitable at all for children under 13. (See the 1st two lines of this review.) Often with "edited dialog" and a shorter knife scene for cable, which really improves the movie quite a bit for a younger audience.
utgard14
This movie holds a special significance to me as it was one of my late father's favorites. It's a William Faulkner coming-of-age story about a boy named Lucius (Mitch Vogel) in early 1900s Mississippi. Lucius looks up to Boon (Steve McQueen), the immature handyman on his grandfather's plantation. Boon convinces Lucius to help him "borrow" the grandfather's brand new car and drive to Memphis to see Boon's prostitute girlfriend (Sharon Farrell). Tagging along for the ride is Lucius' older cousin Ned (Rupert Crosse), who's almost as irresponsible as Boon. Once in Memphis, a lot of things happen and they wind up needing to win a horse race to get the grandfather's car back.McQueen is good in a role a little outside of his wheelhouse. Vogel, Farrell, and Crosse are all good as well. Will Geer plays the grandpa. Light-hearted but with some serious moments. In many ways it plays like a Disney film of the period, except with whores and people using the N-word. William Faulkner is probably my favorite Southern author but his work hasn't been considered easy to translate to screen. This is one of the better efforts.
whpratt1
This was a great film written by the famous writer William Faulkner dealing with an old man going back to his youth sixty years ago. Steve McQueen, (Boon Hogganbeck) along with a few of his friends decided to take a trip from Mississippi to Memphis in an old time car which was relatively new during this period of time and taking along a very young boy named Lucius, (Mitch Vogel). Boon takes Lucius into a brothel where he stays over night in Memphis and learns a great deal about the birds and the bees and especially from a sweet kind lady named Carrie, (Sharon Farrell) who is a gal very much in love with Boon. There is a horse race and lots of laughs and drama to go along with the rest of the picture. There was a great deal of problems between the director of this film Mark Rydell and Steve McQueen, but the film was finally completed but the producer would never direct another picture with McQueen.
wes-connors
"Oh, Reivers
that's an old-fashioned word from my childhood," explains narrator Burgess Meredith, "In plain English, I'm afraid it meant
thieves!" The narrator is fondly recalling an adventure he had as an 11-year-old boy, "coming of age" in Mississippi. Young Mitch Vogel (as Lucius Priest) is the lad; he accompanies father-figure/handyman Steve McQueen (as Boon Hogganbeck), who steals the family's first automobile - a brand new, yellow-colored 1905 Winton Flyer. Rupert Crosse (as Ned McCaslin) makes "The Reivers" a trio by stowing away in the car's trunk. Their main destination is a bordello, where Mr. McQueen wants to hook up with prostitute girlfriend Sharon Farrell (as Corrie). Meanwhile, Mr. Crosse swaps the trio's prized vehicle for a slow horse named "Lightning"
Mark Rydell's direction of William Faulkner's final novel is a qualified success. The principal cast members work very well together, with Vogel and Crosse exhibiting as much star presence as the more famous McQueen. The supporting cast is great; the participation of Will Geer, Burgess Meredith, and Juano Hernandez add to the film's old-world charm. Richard Moore's Mississippi photography is beautiful. Although it doesn't ever go quite far enough, "The Reivers" main strength is in its depiction of real, flawed characters. Faulkner's portrayal of race and gender, as much as they show, are noteworthy. The most touching moments occur when young Vogel learns that women are not viewed the same way, after adolescence. His obvious difficulty accepting the degradation of women (through prostitution and beating) portends a different future for the younger generation. ******* The Reivers (12/25/69) Mark Rydell ~ Steve McQueen, Mitch Vogel, Rupert Crosse, Sharon Farrell
AD
