The Filtnib's Progress

Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1973, ‘Scarecrow’ is a little-known cinematic gem; a film from another decade and a whole other world of movie-making. Director Jerry Schatzberg ingeniously paired Al Pacino and Gene Hackman as fellow drifters Lion and Max, who meet while hitching lifts through the wide open expanses of the mid-west; both make an indelible impression, the young Pacino’s performance in particular being a masterclass in character acting. The meandering pace and breathtaking cinematography add to the film’s unexpected emotional clout: comic, engaging, ultimately tragic, and full of tender pathos for its flawed but lovable heroes.