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Lonely Are the Brave

Play trailer Poster for Lonely Are the Brave Released May 24, 1962 1h 47m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Ranch hand Jack Burns (Kirk Douglas) feels out of place in the modern world. Jack deliberately gets into a bar room fight to be imprisoned alongside friend Paul (Michael Kane), arrested for helping illegal aliens. Jack tries to convince Paul to flee with him, but, as a family man, Paul has too much at stake. Jack escapes after a beating from a sadistic police deputy (George Kennedy) and heads for the hills. An extensive manhunt breaks out, led by sympathetic Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau).
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Lonely Are the Brave

Critics Reviews

View All (14) Critics Reviews
Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 5/5 Apr 18, 2003 Full Review George Perry BBC.com Rated: 4/5 Apr 17, 2001 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It's worth noting that Kirk Douglas long professed that Lonely Are the Brave contains one of his own favorite performances. Rated: 3/4 May 23, 2020 Full Review Sergio Benítez Espinof Such a shocking beginning is the first of many attributes that place this film as the best - and most atypical - western in which Jerry Goldsmith was involved throughout his professional career. [Full Review in Spanish] Sep 11, 2019 Full Review Nathanael Hood The Retro Set Afterwards, [Kirk Douglas] made no mystery of his love of the film, later declaring it his all-time favorite of his work. And why not? Rated: 8/10 Dec 28, 2018 Full Review Isabel Quigly The Spectator Lonely are the Brave, a film fairly stuffed with symbolism, shows how inevitably the heroic, human, in its real sense unsophisticated world of the West and its values are crushed by the synthetic, the mechanical, the wasteful and vicious in modern life. Jul 13, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bill B I am 59 years old and can’t believe that I just had the pleasure of watching this movie for the first time. A surprisingly subdued Kirk Douglas is superb and the rest of the cast, scenery, and music are equally solid. Poignant, nostalgic, and gripping all at the same time. Stumbling onto a hidden gem like this is a rare treat for me these days and a big reason why I will continue to keep scrolling through titles. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/27/24 Full Review Peter G A film for those who have have difficulty abiding Douglas as an actor. This is one of his greatest performances, IMO, as well as being a slightly off beat role for him. He plays a modern day cowboy at odds with a disaffected society who in seeking to live a chosen independent life runs afoul of the law & escapes a minor jail incarceration & with his horse attempts to exercise his freedom of choice. Gena Rowlands & Walter Matthau round out the cast effectively with early roles for Carroll O'Conner & George Kennedy. The splendid black & white cinematography of the mountainous region where Douglas evades his pursuers visually adds greatly to the films atmosphere & this is certainly one of Douglas' greatest roles. The message, courtesy of Dalton Trumbo, concerning an individuals struggle to remain true to his basically decent nature, is still a potent statement after some 60 years. Well worth seeing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/07/23 Full Review Shioka O This is said that Kirk Douglas's favourite role. What a tragic and ironic ending! This is truly moving because the film is mostly uplifting until that moment, but it was hinted in the beginning. Oldschool vs modern. Friendship between he and his humble horse 'Whiskey' is a gem. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/21/22 Full Review isla s This is a film about one man and his horse - as the title hints at, its a loner tale and its somewhat poignant at times. It has a bit of a classic feel to it with it being in black and white and I'd say its the sort of tale that most people may be able to relate to, to one extent or another, of the individual who isn't as keen to move on with the times as others. It features a decent cast and while its a little slow or even bland at times, mostly it was a good watch and so I'd recommend it to others. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review delysid d I saw this along with Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970) two of the best movies ive seen in ages Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/19/22 Full Review Audience Member One of the best movies ever!! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Lonely Are the Brave

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Ranch hand Jack Burns (Kirk Douglas) feels out of place in the modern world. Jack deliberately gets into a bar room fight to be imprisoned alongside friend Paul (Michael Kane), arrested for helping illegal aliens. Jack tries to convince Paul to flee with him, but, as a family man, Paul has too much at stake. Jack escapes after a beating from a sadistic police deputy (George Kennedy) and heads for the hills. An extensive manhunt breaks out, led by sympathetic Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau).
Director
David Miller
Producer
Edward Lewis
Screenwriter
Edward Abbey, Dalton Trumbo
Distributor
Universal International Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co
Joel Productions
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 24, 1962, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2015
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Mono
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