Little Fugitive

Has to go down in history as one of the greatest child performances committed to film. The scene in the batting cage is just too adorable for words.

Amazing that this was contemporaneous with Ford, Nick Ray, and Hitchcock. It's a lot of fun and quite wonderfully shot, with some really evocative footage of Brooklyn and some really funny moments, like the graffiti gag. Andusco's tough-guy accent is the best part.

Reminds me of the themes of trauma/separation and the seriousness involved in childhood evident in some of Lamorisse's fiction films. This film is less colourful in more than one way. Constructed with a strong formal sense which I find sort of cold, but has evident qualities like the striking cinematography.

Like a European neorealist movie, this beautifully shot film knows its (slight) story and doesn't mind taking the time to tell it. Unfortunately, it winds up having the re-watch value of someone else's home movies -- passably cute the first time, not quite so entertaining any other time. (Favorite scene: in the batting cage where he wallops the cameraman and tries his darnedest to keep a straight face.)

Charming story believably told through a child's POV. Well-written, edited, and surprisingly well acted.

Honestly pretty boring, but weird enough to be enjoyable.

Not bad for what it is, i guess. The main kid gives an adequately unaffected and un-precocious performance, which is nice, and like everyone else says i can see the influence it might have had on The 400 Blows. There's even something sort of proto-Harmony Korine about watching prepubescent kids talk about how to get away with murder. It's certainly better than something like Germany Year Zero, although ultimately it's still pretty slight and the verite naturalism doesn't do a whole lot for me.

The simple story sees a young boy run away to Coney Island when he mistakenly thinks he's killed his older brother. Gorgeously filmed and edited, it brings an evocative mix of sadness and joy to the screen, and the lead Andrusco does a fine job for one so young. It's easy to see how the naturalistic shooting style influenced the French New Wave.

The low budget shows andand hurts the film at times, but the content and style are so strong they allow the film to succeed regardless. It's full of wonderful little moments that get you thinking, sometimes along with the film and sometimes on tangents, about childhood and the way our perspective changes the way we see the world. It's a bit meandering, but still manages to be constantly pushing forwards and never drags because of that, coming together nicely at the end.

great cinematography, one of my favorite shots is of Joey standing under the pier, with beams of light seeping through the cracks in the wood.

watched: 2013, 2023

A beautiful paean to that aching beast called childhood.

A nice film, said to have influenced Truffaut and Cassavetes, and with its childhood theme and proto-cinema-verite style, it's easy to see how. Could probably still appeal to a sizable audience if it wasn't forgotten. Very visual, and breathes in a lot of the unique Coney Island atmosphere of those days. Despite some nice scenes, the focus is less on text, and there is a serious believability problem with the speed of Joey's recovery from the trauma of having committed fratricide.

An amateurish attempt at something honest. Not without merit.