Cinema Revisted: Fate is the Hunter (1964)

Directed by Ralph Nelson. Cast: Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Jane Russell, Nehemiah Persoff, Mark Stevens, Max Showalter, Constance Towers, Mary Wickes, Angela Dawson. Released September 30, 1964. Running time: 106 minutes.

"Fate is the Hunter" is a compelling drama with stunning black and white cinematography by Milton R. Krasner.

When a plane crashes and kills everyone on board except a flight attendant (Suzanne Pleshette), it is presumed the pilot (Rod Taylor) had been drinking. However his friend, an airline executive who was once a pilot (Glenn Ford) refuses to believe his friend would be so negligent and insists on a deeper investigation.

The film opens with a shot of the passengers, including a little African American girl flying for the first time. The plane crashes in a shocking and explosive manner just before the credits roll (the shot of the child's mother finding the little girl's doll in the plane wreckage is heartbreaking).

This jarring opening immediate grabs the viewer's attention. Director Ralph Nelson uses a series of longshots to convey the depth of the crash, keeping fires and working fireman in the frame. He judiciously edits in medium shots and close-ups to convey the emotional drama of the scene. Nelson's use of the widescreen image is excellent.

With the opening having drawn the viewer in, the narrative then maintains interest by taking us on a journey with Glenn Ford's investigation to uncover just how this crash could have happened. Ford is alternately stoic and intense in his portrayal of a brooding, frustrated executive who wants badly to find the reason while refusing to believe the initial conclusions.

As strong as it seems today, "Fate is the Hunter" was a box office flop when it was released in 1964, not even making back the cost of its negative. Critics dismissed it and the film quietly found its way into late night television. During this era where older films are more easily accessible, it is nice to find a movie like "Fate is the Hunter" that turns out to be quite good in spite of its lack of commercial success.