User Reviews

"Convicts" is very much a third act sort of film. All the dialogue and character interaction that occurs within it comes out of the long wind-down of a late southern day. And, by extension, the life of its main character, Soll (Robert Duvall).

This is the first collaboration of director Peter Masterson and writer Horton Foote. Six years earlier, the worked together on "The Trip to Bountiful", a film that seems almost action-packed in comparison to this one. Masterson is not necessarily a good director. In fact, he's just barely this side of adequate. The slow pace leaves a lot of room for cinematographer Toyomichi Kurita, who infuses the film with just the right sense of fragile light & warmth.

Because this is essentially a filmed play, with little in the way of editing or directing prowess, it all comes to the acting. As far as I'm concerned there's no flaws here. Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones, two of the best American actors (both born in January 1931), create characters that are wholly real, uninterested in anything besides living. Lukas Haas, a young actor who I was familiar with from "Testament" and "Witness", plays a character very much like his other early roles. He is quiet, withdrawn, slightly scared and sad, somehow. These are qualities that seem natural from him.

Perhaps a title like "Convicts" is a disservice to this film. That title, along with the opening scene, seem to create an image of a far more high-strung western type picture. If slow-paced stage productions don't interest you terribly, you'll want to pass on this one as well. Otherwise, this might be exactly the film you wish they made more often.

Enjoy.

Robert Duvall gives a creditable performance as the supervisor of a convict farm in 1902 Texas who befriends a young boy (Lukas Haas). The screenplay, written by Horton Foote, contrasts the difficulties of growing up and growing old. Duvall's character is senile and suffering ill health. He alienates himself from family and associates - except for a former convict assigned to his charge, the young boy who reminds him of his youth, and a couple who live in the village store.

It's a nice set piece, and the warm colors create a real feeling of turn-of-the-century South. While Duvall's character could have been fleshed out more, he does an excellent job as a man intent on dying on his own terms with help from his young charge

Soll (Robert Duval) is a sugar plantation owner in southern Texas, 1902. We catch up with him on the last day of his life when he is not doing so well, having become quite senile. He repeats himself, relives old events, asks the same questions multiple times (getting the same answers). As might be expected, Duval creates a believable character, but I have to admit that spending an hour and a half with Soll served mainly to convince me of how difficult it would be to deal with such a person.

I wasn't there, so I don't know what things were like in southern Texas at the turn of the century, but the atmosphere created in this movie struck me as believable. I had never understood that some of the southern plantations were sugar cane plantations, so that was interesting to see portrayed. At the time of this movie the workers in the field were leased convicts, almost exclusively black. It seems that over three decades after the Civil War the only change in plantation workers was from slaves to leased convicts, who were treated as slaves. Soll did trust one black man (played by James Earl Jones) to help run the plantation. You got the feeling from this film that a certain era was slowly nearing an end from a time when people like Soll proudly wore his Confederate uniform and convicts were treated like slaves to somewhat better times (convict leasing was abolished in Texas in 1910). Soll can be seen as a symbol for a way of life that had grown old and no longer viable.

I was impressed with how Horace, a teenage white boy in the house, was so patient with Sol. The relationship between Soll and Horace was a key element in the movie--as one man was leaving the earth a young man who was more understanding and patient was taking his place. I imagine Horace's experiences on the plantation were something for him to sort through for the rest of his life, particularly the racial issues.

The movie is based on a play and much of it gives evidence to that fact.

Robert Duvall is one of America's treasures. He should be given a Lifetime Achievement Award annually at the Academy Award ceremonies, and this film allows him to demonstrate, once again, how it's done. If you agree, by all means run, don't walk, to your nearest video store and rent "Rambling Rose", another of Duvall's gems...which, incidentally, also co-stars Lukas Haas, another underrated and terrific actor, as he shows in "Convicts". Most of Lukas' contribution is in the form of reaction to Duvall's ramblings, but the two of them, along with everyone else in the film, create a marvelous since of realism. Duvall is a mentally addled old drunk who can't remember that he said the same thing to you a few minutes ago, or what you told him, and it's to Duvall's credit that he manages to avoid being boring, as this sort of character so easily could have been. Duvall's character is also disreputable and mistreats the convict labor he has contracted for to work on his farm, but still you empathize with him. Lukas is, as always, wide-eyed (no one had larger eyes, or used them better) and innocent but not stupid. Horton Foote provided realistic dialog and a sure sense of place. This is a film not only to enjoy, but to study.

Like many stage adaptations, this film is a collection of set pieces without a tight overarching narrative. Not only is it adapted from the stage, but from the middle of a three-act play, which serves to remove some of the context; the viewer is just plopped into the middle of this one.

I thought the performances were good overall, but the production was somewhat lacking. Perhaps the streaming version I saw was a bad transfer, but the cinematography was nothing to write home about, the contrast was way too high in many of the daylight scenes, and the colors looked as if the film was shot on old, faded film stock.

A bit of a strange soundtrack too, but I liked it and I thought it was fitting.

I would recommend it if you like Foote, Faulkner, or Duvall.

Not a finely crafted film by any measure as the editing and directing were intrusive and clumsy, but Robert Duvall gives one of his totally unique and unforgettable performances as an old and very crusty Southern farmer riddled with dementia and poor health. His one day mental decline into death is one of the most fascinating performances I have ever seen in film. If you really love superior acting talent and skill don't miss it, as it is a rare master class to be sure.

Also see it for the well shown and very authentic love/hate, paternal interrelationship between Southern whites and blacks in the Jim Crow era. And, if you like Duvall in this one, see him in another nearly unknown film role just as good or better and one of my all time faves.... a retired Cuban gentilehombre in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway.

Treat yourself. Bigtime.

Holy crap. This was the worst film I have seen in a long time. All the performances are fine, but there is no plot. Really! No plot! A bunch of clowns talk about this and that and that's your film. Ug... Robert Duvall's character is senile and keeps asking the same people the same qestions over and over. This earns him the same responses over and over. I am pretty sure this film got upto a six because people think they should like it. Good performances with famous and well regarded actors, but the actual complete work is a steamy turd. Well, maybe that's a bit deceptive since steam rising from a fresh pile sounds a little like something happening and in this film NOTHING HAPPENS! Sack

"Convicts" is a very unpleasant film with some good actors trying their best. But the subject matter is so awful, I found myself wanting it all to just end.

The summary listed at the top of the IMDB page for the story is wrong. It says it occurs during the Depression, though it was really set around 1902....and the Depression lasted from late 1929 to about 1940.

The story is set on a chain gang prison in the rural South. The man running the place, Soll (Robert Duvall) is out of his mind...with some sort of advanced dementia or Alzheimer's. There isn't a lot of plot....just Soll ranting and asking the same questions again and again and confabulating things. It's sad and unpleasant...though it could be worse since you really don't like or care about the man.

So, if this sounds fun to you, by all means watch it. I found it unpleasant and unenjoyable. Some reviewers seemed to enjoy it....though I have a hard time understanding why.

In today's world of digital fabrication, there is no computer than can replace the actor and writer. Alas, this type of "character driven" film is far too rare these days. Duvall's performance as well as James Earl Jones are faithful to their audience's high expectations. I wonder if this movie was made for TV? It has a "close-up" personal quality to the narrative. It is an understatement to say that the performances are all Outstanding. The only thing that keeps it from being a cinema Masterpiece is the lack of a great Cinematographer, but pretty pictures are not everything. How can talent the likes of Jones and Duvall continue to produce such fine work in an age where actors pose for the digitizing?

If you care for fine acting and excellent characterization, try this film. It doesn't take the commercial, slick, easy approach to the storyline about the reason for use of convict labor on Southern plantations, or about the treatment of the convicts unlucky enough to be doing time at hard labor. Filled with well-thought-out glimpses of the declining southern gentry, the economics of plantation ownership, racism, and other tough subjects, it is also a commentary on human fragility.

When I first saw this film on cable, it instantly became one of my favorite movies. I'm a big fan of James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall. The movie paints an accurate picture of the South and the racist attitudes. Most of the attitudes came from Soll, an old plantation owner who uses convicts for labor. Soll is what makes the move, his funny ramblings give us insights in to the way The South was back then. I suppose that if Soll lived today he would be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. None the less his attitudes towards a little boy who comes to work for him and the convicts is complex. While he has racist views, he's grown to trust some of the convicts who are all black. The two convicts he trusts most are Jackson(Mel Winkler) and Ben(James Earl Jones). The conversations between Ben and Soll are the best in the movie, they have real chemistry. James Earl Jones and Mel Winkler both but in great performances as well as Hass.

This movie should have gotten more notoriety. However it's on DVD and worth the money.

Rayvyn

Along with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, Robert Duvall brings to the screen the best film acting of our generation. Unlike the other two, he can shape a "typical" role into something original and unique. Through emotional shadings and nuance, Duvall has created a remarkable gallery of Southern characters, each individualized despite having many surface traits in common. Surely DeNiro and Pacino are highly skilled actors, but the best performances of each resemble one another to a fault. Duvall has made his share of potboilers and worse, yet his most substantial roles have generated performances of singular quality.

One of them is in "Convicts." The others? Don't miss "The Apostle," "Rambling Rose," "Tender Mercies," "Stars Fell on Henrietta," and "Tomorrow."

Robert Duvall is a direct descendent of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, according the IMDb.com movie database. After seeing this film, you may think Duvall's appearance is reincarnation at it's best. One of my most favorite films. I wish the composer, Peter Rodgers Melnick had a CD or there was a soundtrack available. Wonderful scenery and music and "all too-true-to-life," especially for those of us that live in, or have moved to, the South. This is a "real moment in time." Life moves on, slowly, but "strangers we do not remain."

I don't know what to make of this film. It is certainly original and well-crafted. Duvall is outstanding as usual, as well as the supporting cast. Overall, the acting is superb, even young Horace, who is a bit stilted in his role, but that is the way the story is written. The plot never goes anywhere, and that is what is disappointing - the unidimensional nature of the story. More of a character study than a story. All in all, I may feel more strongly about the film in time, because it is the sort of cinema that stays with you, and that is the mark of a good film, anyway. Definitely unique and different and if you enjoy quirky movie, you may like this one.

One of the best films I've ever seen. Robert Duvall's performance was excellent and outstanding. He did a wonderful job of making a character really come to life. His character was so convincing, it made me almost think I were in the theater watching it live, I give it 5 stars.

No, my martyrdom with "Convicts" is not that it tormented me during watching it due to its slowness and empty content as it did to other viewers. I can fully understand the 1-star-reviews, but my torment was exactly the opposite. You see, while one viewer has gotten hold of this movie and would like to burn it, another viewer desperately wanted it but couldn't get it. That in fact is the full spectrum of its history.

Without the greatest expectations, I watched this unspectacular but heartfelt movie when it last aired on TV in my country in 1995. I had no video tape recorder of my own back then, so I missed the opportunity to add it to the movie collection my father had created for himself and me. Shortly after that, I decided to buy my own VTR and to start my personal collection, always waiting for a rerun of "Convicts".

It never came.

For years and years it haunted me that my decision to initiate a movie collection came a little too late. Worse than that, when I bought my first DVD player, this still didn't solve my problem, since I never could find a DVD release of "Convicts" in my country. When finally more than two decades later someone offered me a self-made DVD as a compensation for a favour, it felt like birthday, wedding day and Christmas (because the story takes place at Christmas) all at once, like a déjà-vu that I never dared to expect to experience again. Since that day I treat it like my personal sanctuary.

My review was written in November 1991 after watching the film at a Manhattan screening room.

Robert Duval adds another memorable character to his screen portfolio in Horton Foote's "Convicts", a static, uncinematic play to film adaptation. Despite good supporting turns, the feature is strictly for Foote fetishists.

Given Duvall's stature and his quality work here it makes sense that 18 months-on-the-shelf pic is getting an Oscar qualifying run. Financial problems of its distributor MCEG account for the tardy release.

Foote has provided Duvall with some of his best screen roles, including the Faulkner adaptation "Tomorrow" and "Tender Mercies". Simpatico "Convicts" team also includes director Peter Masterson, who acted in "Tomorrow" and directed Foote's "The Trip to Bountiful"; and producer Sterling Van Wagenen, who made his directorial debut several months after this picture with "Convicts" co-star Lukas Haas starring in "Alan & Naomi". And Haas re-teamed a bit larger with Duvall to great effect in "Rambling Rose".

Unfortunately "Convicts", the second play in a nine-play cycle Foote calls "The Orphan's Home", does not present the sort of material suitable for modern film audiences. It might have worked best in the special interest format of Ely Landau's "American Film Theater" adaptations of the early 1970s.

Set on Texas's Gulf Coast on Christmas Eve in 1902 (actually lensed on Louisiana locations), "Convicts" is told through the observations of 13-year-old Haas, working in a country store on Duvall's sugar cane plantation. Many year's back, the land's tenant farmers were dismissed and convicts were contracted for low-cost labor replacements -not unlike the original slavery system.

Civil War veteran Duvall runs the farm but is senile, his affliction allowing Foote to out-Pinter Harold Pinter in dialog repetition. Duvall's interpretation is dead-on, as he continually asks Haas and anyone else in earshot the same inane questions to ultimately yield comic relief.

Presented without much continuity in elliptical vignettes, the story does not have a cumulative, dramatic narrative. Instead, various forms of cryptic behaviors are observed via Haas' eyes. Haas is trying to earn enough money to buy a headstone for his late father's unmarked grave and Duvall, making accelerating promises of wealth to Haas, gradually takes the boy under his wing.

The convicts of the title die of overwork or are shot to death 'escaping' almost randomly, with director Masterson emphasizing their symbolic function in the story by not explaining why. Duvall is so absentmnded he keeps asking if a specific convict is a Negro, and hnas to be reminded that they all are.

All the adult white people in the cast are constantly drunk, including Duvall's relatives Carlin Glynn and Gary Swanson, who loll around the house aimlessly. Foote's portrait of a decadent society on its last legs will not please Southerners but is vividly realized in microcosm here.

Haas, as in "Rambling Rose", provides impressive naturalism to balance Duvall's barnstorming performance. James Earl Jones is also quite understated, and besides Mel Winkler's convincing period portrayal, there is a powerfully modern, almost militant turn by Calvin Levels as a convict in chains who tells his sad story to Haas.

Toyomichi Kurita's frequently backlit photography captures the atmosphere of the place but the location shooting fails to disguise the story's theatrical origins.