Bound For Glory

BOUND FOR GLORY (PG)

D: Hal Ashby

United Artists (Robert F. Blumofe & Harold Leventhal)

USA 🇺🇸 1976

147 mins

Biopic

W: Robert Getchell [based on the book by Woody Guthrie]

DP: Haskell Wexler

Ed: Pembroke J. Herring & Robert C. Jones

Mus: Leonard Rosenman

David Carradine (Woody Guthrie), Ronny Cox (Ozark Blue), Melinda Dillon (Mary / Memphis Sue), Gail Strickland (Pauline), Randy Quaid (Luther Johnson)

A biopic of folk musician Woody Guthrie, set in rural Texas during the Great Depression, although liberties are taken with fact, so much to the point that the majority of the story is fictional.

Despite the romanced storyline, David Carradine delivers an excellent lead performance and the supporting cast are also great.

The narrative doesn't flow as well as it could have, and 20 minutes could probably have been trimmed to give it a little more flow, but it's still quite easy to look at, mostly due to Haskell Wexler's Oscar winning cinematography which does a fantastic job capturing the period.

The film was a big deal at the time and was recognised as a Best Picture nominee by the Oscars. Unfortunately, it hasn't dated quite as well as other films released the same year.

7/10