Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

CinePete This is one of several films that John Ford adapted from well-regarded novels, as The Informer and The Grapes of Wrath, but lacking the depth or power of those earlier works. The film moves too far from the source novel. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene is a morose, introspective tale, intensely personal and psychological. Ford turns it into a pictorial allegory, with more allegiance to Eisnestein's Que Viva Mexico and the Mexican film Maria Candelaria than to Greene's novel.The film is allegorical to a fault. Even if many sequences of The Fugitive are beautifully composed, on the whole it is an empty canvas. There never seems to be much urgency in the storyline, nor is there sufficient human dimension to the characters.I wonder if the Production Code stripped the narrative of any objectionable elements. Ford tones down the novel's moral dilemmas, particularly the self-deprecating, intensely bitter character of the priest, full of shame for his sins and his failure as a priest. The sanitized version eliminates any mention of his illegitimate offspring or the local designation as a "whiskey" priest as in the novel. The priest, stripped of his human dimension, is now merely a fugitive, and not much else.The pacing is slow, almost inert, and the fugitive, on the run from Mexican police during an anti-Catholic purge, does not engage us in his plight. Henry Fonda lacks any deep material to develop his personality. Similarly, Dolores del Rio has little opportunity to move beyond the static Madonna figure posturing. Some interest derives from J. Carroll Naish as a groveling Judas figure, and Ward Bond as a gringo renegade also running from the police. It is the formidable Mexican actor Pedro Armendariz who has the most vigorous presence as the officer in charge of the pursuit.An insistent musical score, loud and grating, fails to heighten emotions, and may be partially responsible for turning us away from the priest's dilemma.This is one of several films that employed distinguished Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, noted for The Pearl and later for Luis Bunuel's Los Olvidados. The abstract backdrops of arches, town squares, rays of light streaking into abandoned churches, shawled peasant women and police officers on parade give The Fugitive a visual dynamic that is not reflected in the drama itself.

nbbaiyuchen A nameless and conflicted Catholic priest is a fugitive in an unnamed Latin American country where religion is outlawed. Another fugitive, a murderous bandit dubbed "El Gringo", comes to town. He and a beautiful Indian woman conspire to help the priest escape. Taken to safety, the priest is then convinced by a police informant to return to the town on the pretense that "El Gringo" is dying and wishes to receive the last rites. The priest is captured and sentenced to death, but forgives the informant for betraying him. The priest's execution by firing squad brings an outpouring of public grief and shows the authorities that it is impossible to stamp out religion as long as it exists in people's hearts and minds. I think that The Fugitive is perhaps Ford's last great 'art film', a high-minded show of faith, a lovingly crafted paean to his own Catholicism.

Tom Erik Høiås Henry Fonda plays a priest on the run from the government after brainwashing people into believing god exists, in fact he actually believe he is right. this has to be the worst John Ford movie ever. it had absolutely nothing going for it. boring crap all the way. the religious glorification made me sick to my stomach. i usually don't react that way too those kinds of movies. but this one was just barfing out loads of holiness and made the priest look like the messiah or some crap. avoid at all costs! especially if you like john Ford's movies, because this film was so beneath him that i suspect he was brain damaged by alcohol during the shoot. ignore the ghastly reviews that says this is a so called masterpiece. IT'S NOT!!!

Neil Doyle It's easy to see why THE FUGITIVE was a critical and commercial box-office failure. For some reason, none of Graham Greene's novels transfer well to the screen. The somber stories are all too melodramatic and heavy-handed, and this is no exception. Furthermore, in the role of the fugitive priest south of the border, HENRY FONDA looks decidedly uncomfortable throughout.This time John Ford struck out. The story is drab, downbeat and depressing--and both HENRY FONDA and DOLORES del RIO seem to be acting for the camera in a style that approaches silent screen acting in the worst possible way--especially during the opening scene. Del Rio is so artificial, she seems to be posing dramatically for every close-up.Even PEDRO ARMENDARIZ overdoes the villainous swagger and sneer and J. CARROL NAISH overacts in the role of an informant. Between acting styles and the extravagant use of symbolism, this is a film of many flaws, most of them in the direction and heavy-handed script.A critical failure at the time, it is in no way the masterpiece some are calling it among the user comments here.No Ford film would be complete without WARD BOND turning up as "El Gringo". At least he gives the film a touch of grim realism. The busy background score by Richard Hageman is no help at all and seems more appropriate for the score of a silent film.