The Onion Field (1979)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Joseph Wambaugh (book)
Joseph Wambaugh (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 July 1980 (Norway)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

What Happened In The Onion Field Is True. But The Real Crime Is What Happened After.

Plot:

Greg Powell is a disturbed ex-con who recruits Jimmy Smith (aka Jimmy Youngblood), a petty thief, as his partner in crime...

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Thief | Lake | Cheating On Boyfriend | Oral Sex

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

John Savage	...	Det. Karl Francis Hettinger
James Woods	...	Gregory Ulas Powell
Franklyn Seales	...	Jimmy Lee 'Youngblood' Smith
Ted Danson	...	Det. Ian James Campbell
Ronny Cox	...	Det. Sgt. Pierce R. Brooks
David Huffman	...	Dist. Atty. Phil Halpin
Christopher Lloyd	...	Jailhouse lawyer
Dianne Hull	...	Helen Hettinger
Priscilla Pointer	...	Chrissie Campbell
Beege Barkette	...	Greg's woman (as Beege Barkett)
Richard Herd	...	Beat Cop
Le Tari	...	Emmanuel McFadden
Richard Venture	...	Det. Glenn Bates
Lee Weaver	...	Billy
Pat Corley	...	Jimmy's Lawyer #2

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1980) | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Boskovich Farms, Valencia, California, USA

Company:

Black Marble Productions

Trivia:

The film was financed by director Harold Becker, screenwriter Joseph Wambaugh, and many of Wambaugh's friends, which allowed them to have total creative control.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Just before Powell's arrest on March 9, 1963, he is shown driving on a road marked with "Botts Dots". The lane markers were not used statewide until September 1966.

Quotes:

[the two are eating at a diner]
Det. Karl Hettinger: You feel like another piece?
Det. Ian Campbell: Nah, I just got my weight below 200.
Det. Karl Hettinger: At least you're tall enough to carry it. Married life's making me feel like an avocado with feet.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) (TV)

True Life Story Told With Authenticity

A Los Angeles cop and his partner stop a car at night for a minor traffic violation. The car contains two petty criminals. One of the criminals panics, and orders the two cops into the car, at gunpoint, and then commands one of the officers to drive the car out to the desert. Near Bakersfield, the car turns off onto a lonesome dirt road next to an onion field. Shortly thereafter, a violent confrontation occurs. Not everyone survives.

With a plot that is direct and easy to follow, "The Onion Field" tells this story in a straightforward manner. There are almost no plot twists or turns. And the film has a breathtaking sense of authenticity. Indeed, the film's kidnapping scene takes place at the intersection of Carlos and Gower, the exact location where the real life kidnapping occurred.

The film's pacing is rather slow. Scenes tend to be lengthy, with emphasis on character development. The first half gives us a snapshot of the everyday lives, both of the cops and of the two thieves. It also describes the kidnapping incident that brought them together, and the ordeal on the deserted road. Much of the second half takes place in a courtroom setting, as we see how the criminal trial plays out. This second half of the film renders a scathing indictment of the American judicial process.

The film's cinematography is fine, if perhaps somewhat dark. The background music is low-key and appropriately ominous. Production design is adequate.

Based on Joseph Wambaugh's book, the screen story itself is the strength of the film. But the acting also is quite good. James Woods, Franklyn Seales, and Ted Danson are all convincing in their roles. John Savage gives a great performance too, despite his tendency to talk as if he's got marbles in his mouth.

Fact-based films have an inherent advantage over fictional films, in my opinion. And, "The Onion Field" is made with such authenticity, with such a sense of purpose and dedication, it easily makes my list of the best crime films of the 1970s.