The film might be called 'Hud' but the most interesting character is Lonnie, a young man trying to make sense of the world through the wisdom of two generations of people. Wilde gives the better performance too, I feel, as Newman seems to overact in some of his scenes as the reckless uncle. Tragically, Wilde died at a very young age, another actor with great promise taken too soon.

Holy Moses does Paul Newman look good in this movie. Stellar performances from all, especially Douglas and Neal. Dusty and spare, reminded me a little of The Last Picture Show in its more contemporary look at small town Western life. Loved every minute of it.

This gloomy western mix of charred ambitions and bitter generational conflict reminds me of a Depression-era Steinbeck novel. Harsh and uncompromising, it boasts a bevy of complex characters, hard truths and tragic ends; the familiar example of a dying way of life and the unfortunate circumstances that hastened its end. In _Hud_’s unflinching perspective, good folk and bad are equally ground under the heels of a rigid, changing world. As if the Joads had stuck around in the dust bowl and let a lifetime of resentment simmer between them. Sometimes you’re just damned, no matter what you do. The title character, a charismatic scoundrel, wayward son and corruptive influence, uses that truth as an excuse to look out for number one. Paul Newman plays the part with appropriate abandon, alternately drawing admiration with his unruly charisma and scorn with his cold, selfish actions. Introduced on the doorstep of a married woman, Hud drives recklessly, incites drunken brawls, chases dishonorable spoils and clashes repeatedly with his doggedly ethical father. Melvyn Douglas is powerful in that supporting role: the stubborn, deeply principled patriarch who’s getting on in years but won’t trust the family ranch to his loser son or his unseasoned grandson. This trio is accompanied to the brink of financial crisis by a tough, worldly live-in housekeeper and object of lonesome desire, Alma (Patricia Neal). She’s not quite a knockout, but her smoldering gaze, impish smirk and playful willingness to give as good as she gets makes her an attractive option for both Hud and the awkward, almost-grown nephew (Brandon deWilde) who looks up to him. It’s a tale told with honesty and very little sentimentality. Most of the cast doesn’t change on a personal level, but the terms of their relationships do. Though it’s the forces beyond their control that drive this dire little family to the breaking point, in the end, each member lies in a bed they’ve made for themselves. Sad but authentic, and crushingly forthright. Special kudos to James Wong Howe, whose Oscar-winning cinematography depicts the stark desolation and dusty expanse of life in the Texas panhandle as a versatile character unto itself.

Absolutely top-notch anti-Western, one of the few to truly deconstruct the archetypes and tropes of the genre decades before those deconstructions became commonplace. There's a trio of terrific performances at the core of the film. Newman and Neal are great, though I'm particularly drawn to Brandon De Wilde, also great a decade earlier in "Shane". His is one of the less showy performances here since his character is mostly trying to figure out his own sense of identity in the shadow of the other characters, but it's all the better for it. It's heartbreaking to know the actor died at just 30 in a car accident; we'll never know exactly how great his career might have been. As a side note, Walker and De Wilde have a very interesting chemistry in the film. I did some digging after watching, and there are rumours that the two were involved for a while during the early years of Newman's relationship to Joanne Woodward. Whether that's true we'll likely never know, but it would explain that extra something their scenes together seem to have.

Great movie starring Paul Newman as HUD, a rough and callous alcoholic who is admitted by his young nephew. This story is one of tragedy and deceit and all those who suffer at the hands of HUD. Great classic movie