A post one from of newest community correspondents Moray McNairn. Moray talks about a film that is important to him as part of our current theme exploring the importance of film in people’s lives.
A film that had an impact on me was Midnight Cowboy. I first saw this in the 70’s, the music, everything about it was great.
It’s about a guy working in a fast food restaurant, who has dreams of going to New York to be a gigolo to rich middle aged ladies. Although his home life in small town Texas isn’t that good, the guy outfits himself in a cowboy outfit as he believes this will ingratiate him with the ladies.
Once he reaches NY he meets Ratso (who is wonderfully played by Dustin Hoffman). Both characters are poles apart. John Voight, blonde, blue eyed, Aryan as opposed to Hoffman as small disabled man of Italian descent, who is very worldly wise, against Voight’s gullible character.
A friendship is struck up (after Hoffman cons Voight) and they live in a derelict building in midwinter NY. Voight’s character’s beliefs are falling – New York is not what he expected.
Ratso has bad health and believes that Florida will cure him. Both earn enough money to buy one way tickets to Florida on Greyhound buses.
Ratso dies just before reaching Miami. Voight ditches his cowboy outfit and buys normal clothes.
The moral of the story I think is just be yourself. You have to believe that you have to be somebody else, just be you (although Voight had to leave small town America for this to manifest itself.
If you can, watch this movie and see what you get out of it.
– Moray
Image credit United Artists. Used for non-commercial purposes under fair use.
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