Western Movies - Page 8

Demdike@Cult Labs · #71 26th August 2016, 05:40 PM

Unforgiven (1992)

Demdike@Cult Labs · #72 27th August 2016, 11:03 PM

Hombre (1967)

An excellent revisionist western about a group of stage coach passengers at the mercy of a gang of robbers, who are helped by a despised half-caste Indian.

Paul Newman leads a distinguished cast in a variation on the classic stage coach theme, as various disparate characters are thrown together for a journey through the sweltering Arizona landscapes. As well as Newman, whose piercing blue eyes have never had as much screen time, we have a grizzly Richard Boone, veteran Fredric March, Mario Bava fave Cameron Mitchell and fine character actor Martin Balsam. Glamour is added to proceedings in the form of spicy red head Diane Cilento, in a pivotal role.

The film is beautifully photographed and director Martin Ritt, utilizing a screen play full of literate dialogue based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, delivers a tense piece of western cinema which makes many vital points on racism which are still evident today.

Hombre is one of the most rewarding westerns i've seen in a long time.

Highly recommended.

Demdike@Cult Labs · #73 2nd September 2016, 10:58 PM

Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)

Tom Buchanan (Randolph Scott) is heading back to Texas with a saddle bag of money to purchase land of his own. He stops at the dead water town of Agry and is soon robbed and embroiled in a murder and together with a wealthy Mexican's son is set to be hanged.

Buchanan Rides Alone is a delightful twisty turny western from the ever reliable director Budd Boetticher. It's short at only 80 minutes but the story keeps you glued to the screen with all the double crossing the not so gentle folk of Agry get involved in.

Agry is a bit of an odd place. (I'm sure Clint Eastwood would paint an 'N' onto the towns sign at some point if he ever visited, however Randolph Scott is a milder type in this fairly light western and also usually possesses a name.) You see most of the residents in Agry also hold the surname Agry to boot, so all the double crossing and violence - well that's families for you.

For a quickie western it's an accomplished piece. Scott aside, the cast were not known to me but the ingredients worked well together with a tight script and gripping finale.

Inspector Abberline · #74 9th October 2016, 08:15 PM

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It does not take me to say that this is one of Eastwood greatest films from his 1970's period,and maybe the best western outside of his spaghetti western trilogy,no grumbling at the back we all know The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven are brilliant,but High Plains Drifter just has some rather memorable moments that are just sheer brilliance.The whole tone of the film with its rather ambiguous ending with that is he or isn't he the same guy? To me it does not matter because the story is so engrossing and Clints character is nearly as mythical as the man with no name. Its also a clever film managing to combine a not so subtle hint that Clint's character maybe a supernatural force? What makes it more than just a genre western is the music by Dee Barton,it such an eerie sound and a little disturbing that if you put this music on anything at all it would make it seem scary.If you had to level any criticism at all,it would be that its not a particularly subtle film,the whole revenge motif is pretty well worn even by the time this was made,and the look Eastwood gives every time a whip is cracked should be a good indicator that there's a troubled history,behind that look. Also Clint's character is not so much an anti hero but down right mean,no one can seem to shoot him and he manages to antagonise,annoy or just about kill pretty much everybody in town,in fact his character is nearly as vicious as the three main villains who have sworn to return to the town and reap there vengeance.Also the rape (and it is not consenting ) of Callie Travers seems to be rather out of place and makes it some what hard to understand his motives,you can understand him taking revenge on the town,but that scene does seem incongruous with the rest of the film. Made by Clint's production company Malpaso,its full to the brim of recognisable faces and his directorial style has a touch of Sergio Leone,which is no bad thing. A classic to be sure.

Marshal Jim Duncan—Rest in Peace.

Demdike@Cult Labs · #75 9th October 2016, 09:56 PM

Cracking review of one of my favourite westerns, Inspector.

I think westerns will have to be the subject of a TTT in November. It's got me thinking about my ranking already.

Demdike@Cult Labs · #76 12th November 2016, 06:21 PM

Jane Got a Gun (2016)

Natalie Portman both produces and stars in this western which albeit had a troubled production especially in the casting department with both Michael Fassbender and Bradley Cooper pulling out due to other commitments.

The film about a woman and her daughter living on a homestead when her husband (Noah Emmerich) turns up one day riddled with bullets and barely alive enough to tell her 'The Bishop boys are coming'. A gang of vicious criminals, led by John Bishop, (Ewan McGregor) that her husband used to ride with. Getting help from a former lover (Joel Edgerton), Jane buys guns in preparation for her showdown with the Bishops.

As far as westerns go Jane Got a Gun is nothing new. Tales like this have been coming out of Hollywood since the late thirties. Natalie Portman again proves she's a decent actress following her wooden persona in the Star Wars prequels. Fellow Star Wars star McGregor doesn't fair as well though, both looking and acting like a poor mans Val Kilmer in the brilliant Tombstone (1993). What slowed it down was the sheer number of flashbacks tracing back to Jane's involvement with the Bishop gang, whilst it was a story needing telling it felt like it was holding back the main event too much. Westerns can generally get away with a simple 'He murdered my husband' line or two and the back story is taken care of. The action is realistic and violent, bullets make a mess and punches hurt but other than this and a few swear words this isn't too far removed from a fifties western adventure.

The film looks terrific. The cinematography is gorgeous especially outdoors. Making full use of the New Mexico locations and bringing simple shots, such as Jane walking into town, an air of vast scale and scope making the mundane appear quite breath taking as well as a well handled final shootout which had me gripped. The soundtrack from the always memorable Lisa Gerrard really adds flavour to the action as well.

Jane Got a Gun isn't the best modern day telling of a western, Bone Tomahawk and Sweet Water were far superior for example, but it's another in a long line of releases that suggest the western movie is very much alive and kicking.

Inspector Abberline · #77 29th November 2016, 07:22 PM

A Long Ride from Hell (Vivo per la tua Morte)

More famous for playing the muscle bound Greek hero Hercules,Steve Reeves final film before he retired was A Long Ride From Hell,Apparently according to the world wide web of lies and half un-truths Reeves was originally offered the man with no name role before Clint,but scoffed at the idea that the Italians could make a western.DOHHH. Also rumour has it ,he was offered James Bond role for Dr No,but turned it down due to not being offered enough money,whether it was true or not,both franchises would of been extremely different to say the least.((do not blame me if these facts are not true ,society is to blame). A Long Ride from Hell which for its German DVD release has been given the Django moniker,no doubt done to jump on the Django Unchained band wagon a few years ago,where it seemed every spaghetti western pot boiler was re-released and given the name Django. The plot is as light weight as a paper house,some guff about Reeves cattle being stolen,so him and his younger brother Ivan Scratuglia as Roy Sturges,go looking for the thieves,then get accused of being mixed up with a train robbery,and get sentenced and sent to Yuma State Penitentiary. Yeah you guessed it Reeves escapes prison and sets out to get revenge on those who have wronged him. For me i am so use to a seeing a certain style of film making,whether it be Leone or Sergio Corbucci,that anything else pales into comparison,and while its work man like direction from Camillo Bazzoni is pretty good,he has none of the style or flare of any of the previous spaghetti westerns,in fact it is so generic looking it could of been filmed any where.Steve Reeves who obviously looks ripped when he takes his shirt off,as he does in the rock breaking scene,is no Eastwood or Franco Nero,but he can do the quiet squinting into the middle distance while looking mean and moody as good as anyone else. Its a shame Reeves retired from film making after this,as he does have some noticeable screen presence but I don't think he was suited to the western genre,maybe a spy perhaps??