This is one of several films that John Ford adapted from well-regarded novels, as The Informer and The Grapes of Wrath, but lacking the depth or power of those earlier works. The film moves too far from the source novel. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene is a morose, introspective tale, intensely personal and psychological. Ford turns it into a pictorial allegory, with more allegiance to Eisnestein's Que Viva Mexico and the Mexican film Maria Candelaria than to Greene's novel.The film is allegorical to a fault. Even if many sequences of The Fugitive are beautifully composed, on the whole it is an empty canvas. There never seems to be much urgency in the storyline, nor is there sufficient human dimension to the characters.I wonder if the Production Code stripped the narrative of any objectionable elements. Ford tones down the novel's moral dilemmas, particularly the self-deprecating, intensely bitter character of the priest, full of shame for his sins and his failure as a priest. The sanitized version eliminates any mention of his illegitimate offspring or the local designation as a "whiskey" priest as in the novel. The priest, stripped of his human dimension, is now merely a fugitive, and not much else.The pacing is slow, almost inert, and the fugitive, on the run from Mexican police during an anti-Catholic purge, does not engage us in his plight. Henry Fonda lacks any deep material to develop his personality. Similarly, Dolores del Rio has little opportunity to move beyond the static Madonna figure posturing. Some interest derives from J. Carroll Naish as a groveling Judas figure, and Ward Bond as a gringo renegade also running from the police. It is the formidable Mexican actor Pedro Armendariz who has the most vigorous presence as the officer in charge of the pursuit.An insistent musical score, loud and grating, fails to heighten emotions, and may be partially responsible for turning us away from the priest's dilemma.This is one of several films that employed distinguished Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, noted for The Pearl and later for Luis Bunuel's Los Olvidados. The abstract backdrops of arches, town squares, rays of light streaking into abandoned churches, shawled peasant women and police officers on parade give The Fugitive a visual dynamic that is not reflected in the drama itself.

John Ford's lesser known masterpiece, full of expressionist touches, The Fugitive might be an allegorical warning for communist rule and its story conclusion might be too predictive, nevertheless the film contains a great cinematography by legendary cinematographer, Gabriel Figueroa, excellent performances from all participating actors/actresses and the great sincerity in the manner, which the story is told. Henry Fonda is magnificent as always as cowardly priest, who wants to be a martyr, but has an irresistible impulse to stay alive, almost no matter what. He tries to avoid authority of unnamed Latin country, where the priests are executed and tries to escape by steamboat. A boy approaches him, calls "father" and asks him to follow. boy's mother is dying. Boy's words are muted by steamboat's whistle. The priest overcomes the impulse and follows him, but has no wine and goes out to get it. He purchases wine from bootleggers. The priest watches two men, while they're drinking the wine, which meant to be used for sacraments, while somewhere boy's mother vainly waits for her last communion. He suffers spiritually, because he can't tell who he is.Dolores del Rio, which was a silent movie's Latina beauty, plays an Indian woman, Maria Dolores. Despite the fact, that she's good-looking yet, Ford is not interested in her sexuality. While she dances before sergeant, in order to hide the priest, her dance is not seductive for us. Ford portrays the scene from low angle. Dolores' bare feet are visible (visibly, middle-aged woman's feet), but they don't belong to seductress, they belong to martyr, in a sort of way. At the story's end, Fonda's character overcomes his fear of death and calmly follows his executioners. The governor is satisfied. At last, they caught the last priest in the country, as he says. In the church, Women are praying for the priest, someone knocks on door, women turn their heads toward the source of noise. The door opens, enters the man and says: "I'm your new priest..." Ford had a Catholic upbringing and faith, which is obvious in his many films and in this one too. He tried to show, that man's faith is stronger, than even the fear of death. The movie contains religious symbolism, sometimes trivial, but essential to the story and the main character's development.In conclusion, I can say, that every admirer of John Ford and the cinema generally, should watch this beautifully staged and photographed drama.

Directed by John Ford, "The Fugitive" from 1947 is based on the Graham Greene novel and concerns a priest (Henry Fonda) in Central America trying to escape the authorities. Christianity has been denounced, and all the priests have been shot.The priest meets an Indian woman (Delores del Rio) who has an illegitimate baby, and she explains that none of the babies in the town have been baptized. He baptizes them, but the next day, the authorities see the water in the font and that the candles have been burned and heighten their search. The priest has now disguised himself and goes to Puerto Grande, where he can board a ship for America. However, he winds up on the run again.Not one of Ford's top films, but highly recommended because it is Ford and his amazing artist's eye for framing a shot. The photography is breathtaking; of course, it's hard to go wrong with the gorgeous Delores del Rio. She gives a wonderful performance, as does Fonda as a haunted, hunted man.There are a lot of chases, some singing, not a lot of dialogue, and it's a somber film. There are other Ford films I like better, but all of his work is worth seeing.

(53%) A south of the border fictionalised state in which religion, amongst other things, has been outlawed is the setting to this down-beat take on a famous story. John Ford's direction is stuffed with religious images, from the sunlight blazing down through a church window, to the virgin Mary likened character, and the many references to Christ such as the three crosses upon a hillside and the martyr running theme. Fonda plays an almost silent character who has the appearance of a startled dear in the headlights of a speeding car throughout the entire length of the movie, and as this borders on an almost silent film at times there's not really a great deal to get ones teeth into. It's also a slow paced movie with little actually happening at times, but if you stick with it and are willing to put up with a piece that is showing signs of age then you'll be rewarded with a well made sombre flick that isn't just a old copy of of a well used plot.