My high school library had a copy of Dan Peary’s book Cult Movies 2 and I’ve been trying to track down and watch the 50 films covered in there ever since. One that always intrigued me was Cutter’s Way (1981) if only to reconcile the hapless dad from Home Alone looking like a young pirate cowboy complete with eye patch and handgun. Yes, John Heard plays Cutter, a grizzled, disabled Vietnam vet whose life is a constant drinking session, picked up and watched over by best friend, Bone (Jeff Bridges), living in Santa Barbara, California in a house with Cutter’s wife, Mo (Lisa Eichorn), also a drunk with affection for both men. Bone, played by Bridges in charming hunk mode, is a vapid lothario who sells boats at the marina. One dark night, his car conked out in an alleyway, Bone witnesses another car dump something. The next day, he is implicated in the murder of a young girl found in a trashcan in that alley. When Bone spots respected businessman JJ Cord (Stephen Elliott) in a community parade and recognises him – could he be the murderer? Any doubt is pushed aside by Cutter who – in Heard’s excellent, righteous performance – comes alive at the chance to pursue justice at the 1% through any means necessary. As a neo-noir coming out of the 1970s, it is comparable to other classics like The Long Goodbye and Night Moves, echoing again the disenchantment and paranoia with American society. But in contrast to other neo noirs, Cutter’s Way isn’t as labrythine in its plotting or is about action and mayhem. It’s more about the characters, and charting the push and pull between Bone not wanting to get involved and Cutter putting everything on the line. Stylishly filmed and carefully paced, the Twilight Time Bluray is a quality transfer. Directed by Ivan Passer and based on the novel by Newton Thornburg, Cutter’s Way is an underrated character study and jaded California noir thriller that is well worth seeking out. Eerie score by Jack Nietzsche. Recommended.
VHS Tracking 