reserved for hifsa no one else reply

Cutter’s Way (Ivan Passer, dir., 1981)

I plan to analyze the portrayal of female characters in Cutter’s Way, Ivan Passer’s 1976 neo-noir film. Cutter's Way, based on Cutter and Bone, Newton Thornburg's 1976 novel, was critically misunderstood when it was first released. (Vincent Canby's 1981 critique typifies the initial reaction of reviewers.)

The principal purpose of my essay is not to provide a history of the film’s critical reception, however. My paper will discuss why and how my research about the neo-noir thriller strengthened my understanding of the film's gender roles.

Maureen (Mo) Cutter, the film’s most significant female character, has a limited presence in the narrative. (She is not a narrative agent; rather, she is a narrative catalyst.)

                                                         Works Consulted

Canby, Vincent. “Film: ‘Cutter and Bone,’ An Unfocused Mystery.” New York Times.

            New York Times, 20 Mar. 1981. Web. 10 June 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/movie/

            review?res=9407E0D61138F933A15750C0A967948260>. [This review typifies the

            movie’s initial (mostly negative) reception.]

Cutter’s Way. 1981. Dir. Ivan Passer. Perf. John Heard, Jeff Bridges, and Lisa Eichhorn.

            MGM, 2001. DVD.

Meyer, David N. "Cutter's Way (aka Cutter and Bone)." The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never 

Heard Of. NY: St. Martin's, 1997. 34-5. Print. [Meyer’s brief article, an assessment of the

film’s cult status, demonstrates why and how the film’s critical reputation has changed

since its initial release in 1981.]

Thornburg, Newton. Cutter and Bone. 1976. London: Serpent's Tail, 2001. Print.

Wallace, Melanie. Rev. of Cutter’s Way.  Film Quarterly 35.2 (1981-82): 56-60.

JSTOR. Web. 12 Jan. 2011. [Wallace’s review is the antithesis of Canby’s assessment.]