The Onion Field

Frustrating drama has all the elements in place for a great film, but stumbles badly thanks to misjudged editing decisions; the lead-up to the crime is explained in almost pedantic detail, but the aftermath is told in sketchy, confusing snatches, with no attempt to develop any of its characters, especially Savage's PTS ravaged cop; it becomes increasingly difficult to track the timeframe as well, with no intertitles to show the way. Performances are generally terrific...

standart bir janr hikayesi etrafına incelikle örülmüş senaryoyu sürükleyici anlatıcılığıyla bir tık daha yükseltiyor harold becker -bazı sahnelerdeki tuhaf yaklaşımına rağmen-. woods tam bu rollerin adamı. lloyd'un rol ve sahnesi pek bir rüyamsı havayla girip anlatıyı biraz bozsa da genel itibariyle esaslı bir vaka incelemesi sunuyor film.

Good stuff. These are the best type of roles for Woods, menacing but with some charm. Savage is also good as the cop who got away. I have never read the source material but I may now.

Parts of it drags; but James Woods has fun with his unpredictable ex-con lunatic.

A gritty, realistic crime movie about a cop-murder, for once concentrated on the aftermath: the psychological effects on the partner, the farcical distortions of justice in the courts. James Woods does a great job as the bad guy, showing us a monster who is repulsively ingratiating and chillingly cold.

I feel like there was a solid foundation set, but there was nothing that was really good added to it. I didn't think the performances were really that special. Just seemed kind of like a flat 2 hours.

When it’s James Woods just chewing scenery in the first half dressed in leather having a silver tooth just being a scumbag it’s a great “neo-noir” exercise. When it changes to a courtroom thing followed by some PTSD police officer shlock it is not for me. Oh well

Great film.

For the first 45 minutes, each actor seems somewhat creatively stifled. Surprisingly, Ted Danson, in his feature film debut, seems the most natural. Nevertheless, Seales and particularly James Woods, who is always interesting anyway, grow less overstated and more chillingly credible. Woods has some excellent exchanges with Ronny Cox, who gives another of his exceptional performances as the detective in command of interrogating the two.