The Outrage

1964

The Outrage

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

Tomatometer
Not Yet Available

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: N/A

40%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 364

User image

The Outrage Photos

View All Photos

Movie Info

Derived from Rashomon, the classic 1951 Japanese film, The Outrage attempts to modernize the original story of rape and murder, transporting from medieval Japan to the American Southwest of the 1870's. The story is told within the framework of three men waiting at a railway station. A con-man (Edward G. Robinson) listens to the account of a trial held recently in the town as told by a prospector (Howard Da Silva) and a preacher (William Shatner) suffering from a crisis of faith in humanity. Three witnesses at the trial of a Mexican outlaw give conflicting testimony. Each version is shown in flashback. The outlaw, Juan Carrasco (Paul Newman), confesses that he bound the husband (Laurence Harvey), raped the wife, and killed the husband in a duel of honor. The wife (Claire Bloom) claims that the outlaw raped her, and then she stabbed her husband when he contemptuously blamed her for inviting the assault. The third witness, an old Indian (Paul Fix), declares that he found the dying husband who stated that he stabbed himself because he couldn't live with the humiliation. At this point, the narrative is interrupted by an abandoned baby's cry. The child has gold hidden in his clothing which the con-man attempts to appropriate. Then the discussion of the trial continues, turning brusquely from drama to parody. The prospector admits that he witnessed the rape, but that the wife nagged the two men into fighting over her. The husband tripped and fell on his own knife. The prospector, who stole the jeweled knife from the dead body, chose not to appear in court. Possibly out of some desire for redemption, the prospector decided to care for the abandoned baby, and the preacher regains faith from the supposed altruistic action. The eerily deserted train station and the strong black-and-white cinematography contribute a mild surreal quality to the film, but can do little to save the story from its flaws. The changes in the characters necessary to accommodate the new setting cause them to lose important symbolic significance in the translation. Despite a star cast and strong acting, the new version is mediocre at best. The Outrage falls woefully short of the acclaimed Japanese original.

Watch it now

Cast

Paul Newman
as Juan Carrasco
Laurence Harvey
as Husband
Claire Bloom
as Wife
William Shatner
as Preacher
Edward G. Robinson
as Con Man
Howard Da Silva
as Prospector
Albert Salmi
as Sheriff
Thomas Chalmers
as Judge
Paul Fix
as Indian
View All

Critic Reviews for The Outrage

All Critics (2)

View All Critic Reviews (2)

Audience Reviews for The Outrage

  • Aug 06, 2010
    Even though it's not amazing, this is actually really interesting and well done movie. Sadly it will always be compared to Rashomon, even though the remake really tries to be something else and is hardly shot for shot. It has some great characters, Paul Newman as Carrasco is utterly ridiculous, yet hilarious at the same time. The cinematography is beautiful and even rivals Kurosawas, so in that respect it's a very worthy remake. This really is the best possible western interpretation of the story.
    Conner R Super Reviewer
  • Apr 02, 2008
    A direct remake of "Rashomon", but set in the old west rather than Japan. Paul Newman stars in the role that Toshiro Mifune played in the original -- that of a bandit (Mexican rather than Japanese) who rapes a woman and murders her husband....or did he? Pretty good if you've never had the chance to see Rashomon, or are put off by subtitles. Along with Newman, other cast members include Lawrence Harvey, Claire Bloom and Edward G. Robinson. William Shatner even makes a decent, although overly dramatic (as usual) appearance as the preacher. Interesting to see if you know Rashomon well. Many scenes are plucked directly from the original, with even the dialogue pretty much intact. Probably unnecessary, but not irritating like the Psycho remake. One flaw -- Paul Newman as a Mexican?!?! He did a good job, but those blue eyes don't quite fit the part.
    Cindy I Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

The Outrage Quotes

There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

News & Features