The Border

"When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself."

1982 1h 48m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 151

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A corrupted border agent decides to clean up his act when an impoverished woman's baby is put up for sale on the black market.

“When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself.”

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Cast

Jack Nicholson
Charlie Smith
Harvey Keitel
Cat
Valerie Perrine
Marcy
Warren Oates
Red
Elpidia Carrillo
Maria
Shannon Wilcox
Savannah
Manuel Viescas
Juan
Jeff Morris
J.J.

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tony Richardson
Writers: Deric Washburn, Walon Green, David Freeman
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 28% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

44 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tony Richardson, shot by Ric Waite. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ry Cooder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert K. Lambert shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel and Valerie Perrine carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tony Richardson directs. Ric Waite behind the camera. Ry Cooder scores. Robert K. Lambert cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 28% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
244 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
4Directed by Tony Richardson, shot by Ric Waite. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ry Cooder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Robert K. Lambert shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel and Valerie Perrine carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself.".
9IMDB entry: tt0083678 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "mexico", "corruption", "drug smuggling", "police".
11Released under 30 different titles around the world.