The Onion Field
The Onion Field

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- 68/100 based on 5,573 votes

Gregory Ulas Powell is a disturbed ex-con who recruits Jimmy Lee "Youngblood" Smith, a petty thief, as his partner in crime. Powell panics one night when the two of them are pulled over by a pair of cops for broken brake lights. Powell decides to kidnap the cops, and Smith, as always, reluctantly goes along with Powell's crazy scheme. The group drives out to a deserted onion field in Bakersfield, California, and one officer is shot while the other escapes. The remainder of th... (Full plot summary below)

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Actors in The Onion Field:

John Savage
James Woods
Franklyn Seales
Ted Danson
Ronny Cox
David Huffman

Full Plot Details

Gregory Ulas Powell is a disturbed ex-con who recruits Jimmy Lee "Youngblood" Smith, a petty thief, as his partner in crime. Powell panics one night when the two of them are pulled over by a pair of cops for broken brake lights. Powell decides to kidnap the cops, and Smith, as always, reluctantly goes along with Powell's crazy scheme. The group drives out to a deserted onion field in Bakersfield, California, and one officer is shot while the other escapes. The remainder of the film explores the nature of the American justice system, as well as the devastating psychological effects of this event, and the trial on the surviving officer.

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Movie Reviews

TIME Magazine - 8/10 by Richard SchickelThe Onion Field is a serious and most uncompromising movie. It lacks, however, the sort of disciplined craft that might have made it a powerful and affecting one.
Newsweek - 8/10 by Jack KrollJames Woods as the near-psychotic Powell is chillingly effective, creating a flakiness in the character that exudes the danger of a live wire near a puddle.
Empire - 6/10 by Kim NewmanThoughtful trial movie with a disturbing edge.
The New York Times - 6/10 by Janet MaslinThis is a strong, affecting story but it's also a straggly one, populated by tangential figures and parallel plotlines; the criminals' histories are every bit as convoluted and fascinating as those of the policemen they abducted. Even the courtroom drama is unusually complicated, introducing a new legal team with each new trial.
Apollo Guide - 6/10 by Scott WeinbergRanks among the best crime films of the late 1970s...and that puts the flick among some rather impressive company.
Variety - 5/10 by Variety StaffJames Woods as the near-psychotic Powell is chillingly effective, creating a flakiness in the character that exudes the danger of a live wire near a puddle.
Washington Post - 5/10 by Gary ArnoldThe Onion Field is a serious and most uncompromising movie. It lacks, however, the sort of disciplined craft that might have made it a powerful and affecting one.
User Review - 10/10 by jesse kIt's beyond me why critics are nitpicking this powerful and well-acted movie.
User Review - 10/10 by Robert DA masterpiece that any movie fan would love, James Woods does some incredible acting as a crazy, careless criminal, I was so excited and nervous to see what he does next, His performance is one of my favorites of all time. This is one of the best crime dramas ever made.
User Review - 10/10 by Gleb IA powerful film - one that plays a lot in the grey areas between good and evil. Touches of psychological horror. Excellent score and script, great acting, good cinematography.

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