move over and harrison ford while your namesake john get here first . while comparison with andrew davis action pack 1993 thriller be inevitable in discuss the fugitive ( 1947 ) and the two film aside from the similarity describe in their share title be completely unrelated and and about as different a two film could possibly be . unlike many of the western that bring director john ford his great fame and the fugitive be entirely unconcerned with any form of action or dialogue while ford film making be so concentrated on establish the correct emotional atmosphere for each scene that it occasionally stray into tedium . however and it be obviously a very personal project for the ford who once call it perfect and it difficult to criticise a film into which the director pour so much passion and resolve . the story be adapt from graham greene 1940 novel and the power and the glory { a. k. a. the labyrinthine way } and concern the plight of a victimised christian priest and in an unnamed latin american country where religion have be outlaw . perhaps the film great weakness and from my reason at least and be that it be so concerned with paint each character a an icon or ideal ( few character be afford name and and be instead credit with indefinite article while a fugitive and a lieutenant of police and an indian woman ) that it hard to sympathise with them . fortunately and while consistently attempt to maintain each character a a timeless figure in the film ageless story and dudley nichols screenplay avoid the usual stereotype to which most amateur filmmaker would inevitably resort . the fugitive ( henry fonda ) be not a courageous and humble pillar of human decency and but a misguided clergy drive by an unconscious self pride while his adversary and the lieutenant of police ( pedro armendáriz ) and love his country and it people deeply and but and guide by a fierce blind patriotism and an illogical hatred of religion and he be often misled towards act of sheer barbarity . the police informer ( j. carrol naish ) be a juda like character and betray the fugitive to the authority and and become inescapably repentant at the thought of his inhumanity . despite not be particularly religious myself and i be sufficiently move by christianity noble plight for survival and though i wasn not overly fond of the film ultimate assertion that the lieutenant hatred of religion stem directly from his secretly believe in god but be unwilling to admit it . nevertheless and if youre go to watch the fugitive and it will most certainly be for the photography and which be and capture by mexican cinematographer gabriel figueroa and indescribably breathtaking . the opening sequence and in which the fugitive return to his former church and the light streak through the window a though god himself be reach into the forsaken depth of the building and be spellbind in it beauty . while armendáriz be charismatic and and even slightly sympathetic and in his role of the antagonist and henry fonda largely look awkward in the lead role ( though you could argue that this uneasiness be integral to his character ) and and most of the other player perhaps due to a language barrier be similarly stilted . a visual masterpiece this film may be and and certainly an overall interesting watch and but the fugitive remain inferior ford .