07. THE DEFIANT ONES (1958)
Tackling the then thoroughly taboo subject of grassroots racism, The Defiant Ones packs a weighty punch in its depiction of the racial prejudice between its two main characters. John Joker Jackson (Tony Curtis) and Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier) are two convicts from a chain gang that hate each other passionately. When a prison truck accident gives them an opportunity to escape, they quickly flee with the police in hot pursuit. Still chained together, the two find that they are dependent on each other whilst they attempt to evade the police. When they finally rid themselves of their chains will their hostility and hate have transformed into friendship and respect? Combining a thoroughly suspenseful narrative with touching moments of camaraderie between men who put aside their racial differences, the film is a tremendously consummate piece of cinema. In contrast, Gigi (1958), that years winner, falls remarkably short. One of the less fondly (if at all) remembered musicals of Hollywoods extensive 50s output, it portrays its controversial subject manner elderly relatives prepare young girl to become a Parisian courtesan in what is generally considered distasteful way. In a drastic contrast, The Defiant Ones never even verges on the edge of distaste, instead offering a remarkable and moving depiction of friendship overcoming racial prejudice.