Irrespective of whether or not one considers Warlock as his best work, Edward Dmytryk
is possibly best remembered for this tense psychological Western. This was, at
once, an intriguing account of a complicated friendship between two men, a tale
of wits and psychological duel between warring personalities, and an
observation on the inevitable demise of the Old West and its replacement with
law and morality. The titular town, besieged by regular instances of anarchy
because of a gang of cowboys led by Abe McQueen (Tom Drake), hires the renowned
and suavely dressed gunslinger Clay Blaisedell (Henry Fonda) as its marshal. Along
with him arrives Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn), Clay’s loyal and crippled friend
who protects his back. Meanwhile Johnny Garson (Richard Widmark), a member of
Abe’s gang decides to go straight and volunteers for the vacant job of the town’s
Sheriff. Complications arise when Tom tries to eliminate Clay’s former flame in
order to have no one between their “friendship”, only to find Clay falling for
an attractive citizen of the town (Dolores Michaels). The film wasn’t short of
its share of stand-offs and gunfights, but its most implosive moments were
created through Clay and Tom’s complex alliance that would surely have made the
audiences then uncomfortable in their seats. It was darn interesting to see
Widmark in an uncharacteristically honest and honorable role, while Fonda too
was at the top of his game. But the most memorable performance was provided by
Quinn as Fonda’s slippery, unpredictable and hero-worshipping sidekick. Few
overdone plot moments and the operatic climax notwithstanding, this managed to
be quite a taut, gripping and a so-called “thinking man’s Western”.
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Genre: Western/Psychological Western
Language: English
Country: US
Made right after Ride the High Country, Sam Peckinpah’s much maligned and misunderstood
Cavalry Western Major Dundee served
as a preamble to his bona fide masterpiece, TheWild Bunch. Wacky, violent and audacious, the film chronicled the story of a
seemingly foolish but ultimately successful quest by the US Army to destroy a
feared Apache band. The titular Major (Charlton Heston), a simultaneously
authoritarian and rebellious man, now relegated to prison command, forms a
make-shift force comprising of Union guys, Confederate prisoners-of-war, and
local thugs and criminals, in order to move deep into Mexico and crush the band
of Apaches led by its tactically brilliant chief who have recently massacred an
American colony. Among others, his army comprises of friend-turned-foe Captain
Tyreen (Richard Harris). They despise each other, and things become further
complicated when both men get attracted to a beautiful and voluptuous Mexican
lady (Senta Berger). The situation further escalates when they antagonize the
French troops in the process. Apart from the personal and political rivalries
among the American soldiers, the film provided a damning portrayal of the
amount of devastation that accompanies any act of aggression, and in turn the
morality of that act. Heston’s towering personality made the enigmatic,
glory-grabbing Dundee a darn interesting character, while the fine
cinematography and terrific operatic score made this a great audio-visual
experience. The fine ensemble cast also comprised of James Coburn as a
one-handed native with dubious loyalties. The film’s troubled production
history added darkly ironic layers to its theme and content.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Genre: Western/Cavalry Film
Language: English
Country: US
Adapted from Larry McMurthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning
novel, the acclaimed and ambitious 6-hour miniseries Lonesome Dove told a heart-warming tale of friendship, love
(particularly of the unrequited kind), honour, courage, and facing nature’s brutalities.
The amiable and gregarious Captain Augustus “Gus” McCrea (Robert Duvall), and
the gruff and taciturn Captain Woodfrow F. Call (Tommy Lee Jones), ageing former
Texas Rangers, long-time friends, and residents of the titular Texan town,
decide on one last adventure before they retire for good – an incredibly
arduous 3000 miles trip to Montana trip with a horde of stolen cattle and
horses with the intent of setting up a ranch there. The story alternated
between the debilitating challenges thrown on their path in the form of
difficult terrains, harsh weather, sickness, death, vicious outlaws, and
fearsome Indians, and the personal journeys of the two likeable protagonists.
Sub-plots too abounded in the form of a mild-mannered Sheriff (Chris Cooper)
going out to find his wife who has fled, an ethereally beautiful hooker (Diane
Lane) who falls for the much-older Gus who in turn hopes to reunite with his
former sweetheart (Angelica Huston) while a young member of the group is
hopelessly in love with the fragile young lady, Call’s difficulty in acknowledging
his son (Ricky Schroder), and so forth. Upon Gus’ death, Call makes the entire
journey back with his friend’s body which made for a fascinating final chapter.
The basic story was, understandably, highly reminiscent of Hawk’s Red River, albeit minus its dark psychological aspects. Though not
bereft of weaker moments and a fair share of avoidable sentimentality, the
sheer scope of this wonderfully enacted and gloriously photographed piece
should make it a must watch for any Western aficionado.
Director: Simon Wincer
Genre: Western/Romance/Buddy Film/TV Miniseries
Language: English
Country: US
Arthur Penn, who would go on to earn worldwide
renown with Bonnie & Clyde, made
his feature debut with The Left-Handed
Gun, based on the fabled life of Billy the Kid. Though tad inconsistent
and not without its flaws and moments of indulgence, the revisionist Western
managed to be psychologically engaging on account of its honest delving into
the psyche of the near-mythical outlaw and demythologizing him in the
process. The film begins with blue-eyed drifter William Bonney (Paul Newman) being
recruited by cattle baron Tunstall (Colin Keith-Johnston), who goes on to
become a father figure to the troubled, illiterate and psychologically unstable
young man. When the kindly old man is brutally slain, Billy vows revenge
against those responsible, and gets two slow-witted and equally unstable guys
in his team. Eventually his nemesis turns out to be another father-figure in
his life, viz. Pat Garrett (John Dehner). The Kid’s relationships with these
two men, his friendship with his two sociopathic pals, and his adulterous
affair with a beautiful and older Mexican lady (Lita Milan) whose husband too
deeply cares for him, added layers to the smiling, rebellious and unpredictable
youth who, unwittingly, became a pop-culture icon and a symbol for counter-culture.
Newman made the tragic character highly endearing with his boyish grin, charm
and tomfoolery, while also marvelously capturing his angst, intensity, pig-headedness
and darker impulses; he easily towered over all his fellow actors and is reason enough to watch the film. No wonder, the role had been initially planned with James Dean in mind. The score, and particularly the mellifluously sung title song, deserve
special mention.
Director: Arthur Penn
Genre: Western/Revisionist Western/Biopic
Language: English
Country: US
Sam Peckinpah’s The
Ballad of Cable Hogue was made between two of his most violent and
nihilistic films – the revisionist Western masterpiece The Wild Bunch and the highly disturbing Straw Dogs. Yet, interestingly, this light-hearted, gently moving,
humorous and satirical dramedy couldn’t be more antithetical to the two
sandwiching it. The picaresque storyline follows the fascinating life of its
cranky, roguish and enterprising protagonist Cable Hogue (Jason Robards Jr.).
Robbed and left to die in the middle of the Arizona desert, Cable, after
walking for days without food and water stumbles upon a water source in the
middle of nowhere. Realizing the value of this serendipitous discovery once he
has quenched his thirst, he goes about building a place for stagecoaches and
travelers to stop. While in this entrepreneurial endeavour, he makes the
acquaintance of the delectably vulgar and libidinous Rev. Joshua Sloane (David Warner), and falls for
Hildy (Stella Stevens), the pretty hooker he “befriends” with the first money
he has earned. The love story between these two outsiders provided an affecting
emotional core to this darkly comic film. Revenge formed a running theme as,
despite his growing prosperity and the passing years, his desire for getting
even with the two men who had robbed him many years back is never diminished.
Meanwhile, the advancement of civilization, depicted by replacement of horses
with automobiles, added another key subtext, and provided for a memorably
ironic finale. Both Robards and Warner were excellent in their deadpan
portrayals, while the lilting folk-ballads and leisurely pacing provided the
right quantum of mellowness to the amusing plot developments and natural
crudeness of the characters.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Genre: Western/Revisionist Western/Social Satire/Romance
Language: English
Country: US
