The escape of notorious prisoner Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford) from the state penitentiary sends ripples through his tiny hometown in The Chase, where his parents anxiously wait for his appearance, the bitter local sheriff (Marlon Brando) tries to keep a lid on the rowdy, gossipy townspeople, his wife (Jane Fonda) worries about his safety, and his former best friend (Robert Duvall) frets he’s coming back to settle a long-time score. Arthur Penn’s masterful portrait of a small Southern hamlet bursting with interconnected secrets and grievances manages to tackle rich themes of race and class, while still supplying all the dramatic thrills of a classy crime thriller. Penn’s next film would be the game-changing Bonnie and Clyde.
