Revisiting Penn and Hackman's "Night Moves"

Film fans continue to mourn the recent passing of the supremely talented Gene Hackman. He's one of my favorite actors, and he provided us all with a number of fine performances. Hackman could transition with ease from serious dramatic roles in movies like The French Connection and The Conversation to big-budget fare like The Poseidon Adventure and Superman. What each of his films have in common is that he was excellent in all of them, giving top-notch performances each and every time. Back in 2016, I covered one of my favorite Hackman films, the neo-noir thriller Night Moves, here at Eclectic Avenue. In honor of Hackman and his superb body of work, here's a slightly updated version of that post.

In Night Moves, Hackman is Harry Moseby, a former football player who's working as a private investigator in Los Angeles. His wife Ellen has been encouraging him to join a large investigative agency so he can make more money, but he likes doing things his own way. Harry and Ellen’s relationship has hit a crossroads, and he soon discovers she's having an affair. At a friend’s suggestion, Harry takes on a new case: locating the missing child of former film star Arlene Iverson. Her teenage daughter, Delly, has run off and has been spotted in New Mexico, on the set of a film being made there. It seems Delly (Melanie Griffith, in an early role) is something of a wild child. She's been flirting (and more) with several men on the crew of the movie. When Harry arrives, she's already gone.

Harry tracks Delly to the Florida Keys, where she's staying with her stepfather Tom. Delly doesn’t want to go back, as she believes Arlene is only interested in her trust fund, which she will inherit if anything happens to Delly. Harry tries to convince the young woman to return, and in the meantime forms a bond with Paula, a woman who works for Tom. While on a boat ride with Harry and Paula, Delly goes swimming and finds the wreckage of a small plane, with the pilot’s body still inside. Paula marks the spot with a buoy and the trio goes back to shore. Delly eventually returns to Los Angeles with Harry, and reunites with her mother. A short time later, Harry learns Delly has been killed, and he feels guilty about returning her to Arlene. He's drawn back into Tom and Paula's orbit when he looks into her death. Lies are uncovered, and secrets are revealed. In classic film noir style, things do not end well for anyone.

In Night Moves, characters like Harry and Paula are stuck in places they don’t want to be, but feel powerless to change their lives for the better. Harry is the opposite of the typical film noir hero. He isn’t the tough guy punching his way through things to solve a mystery. He hasn’t discovered the truth about the case, and he hasn't figured out his own truth. Hackman is fantastic in the role, subtly conveying Harry’s anguish and frustration, which is bubbling just under the surface. There’s a fine supporting cast, including Susan Clark, Harris Yulin, John Crawford, Edward Binns, James Woods, and Jennifer Warren, who is terrific as Paula. Strong direction from Arthur Penn, a well-honed screenplay by Alan Sharp, and a moody color palette from cinematographer Bruce Surtees all contribute to the film's success.

 

Night Moves is the second of three collaborations between director Penn and star Hackman, the other two being 1967’s Bonnie & Clyde and 1985’s Target. Night Moves is not a typical thriller, but it's a truly rewarding viewing experience. It couldn’t have been produced in a more appropriate decade than the 1970s. This is one of Hackman's finest performances, and is an absolute must see for fans of his work. The film has just been released in a new Blu-ray edition by The Criterion Collection, featuring a fine selection of extras. Here’s a link to the film’s (somewhat misleading) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdlLWziBggM.a .