GrimPrecise I'll tell you why so serious

GazerRise Fantastic!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

LeonLouisRicci A very Low-Budget, Alternative Western Penned by and Starring Jack Nicholson and Directed by the Minimalist and Philosophical Monte Hellman, this is Proof Positive that Quality, Engaging Movies can be Made by Thoughtful, Talented Movie Makers with just a Dab of Dollars.Along with its Sister Shoot "The Shooting" (1966), Neither Receiving an Initial American Release (Who was in charge of these things?), both Films are Now Considered Excellent B-Movies and have gained Cult Status.This one is more Bare-Bones in its Conceit than its Existential Other, it Works just as Well as "The Shooting", Just On a Different Plane of Existence. Jack Nicholson seems to Appreciate and Understand "Western Speak" and His Script, is Filled with Scant but Succinct, Spot On Dialog. When the Characters Talk it is from Experience and a Sort of Intellectual Insight. Their Words are Few but Meaningful Learned from the School of Hard Living.Cameron Mitchell is totally Believable as Nicholson's Riding Companion, and the other well Known Character Actor Harry Dean Stanton makes His Mark in a Small Role. But the whole Cast seems to be on the Film's Wavelength and All Contribute to the Experience and None Detract.Highly Recommended for Nicholson's Fine Script, Hellman's Sure Hand Direction, and a Cast of Truly Believable Actors Playing Truly Believable Characters. Everything Clicks and the Team of Independent Filmmakers Made a Western that has Stood the Test of Time and it would Not be Hyperbole to Call this a Minor Gem.

AaronCapenBanner Monte Hellman directed this more straight-forward western(compared with "The Shooting", filmed at the same time) about three cowhands named Wes, Vern, & Otis(played by Jack Nicholson, Cameron Mitchell, and Tom Filer) on their way to a cattle drive who accidentally become mixed up with real outlaws who robbed a stagecoach, killing the driver and are hunted by a group of vigilantes who aren't asking questions about innocence. When one is killed, the other two hole up with a family, forcing them to provide shelter, but that doesn't last long as fate soon catches up with them... Millie Perkins plays the daughter named Abigail. Good (if a bit talky) western is morally ambiguous but has a beautifully filmed finale.

dougdoepke Outstanding western. In my book, it's the best of Hellman's films, maybe because the 80- minutes has a distinctive story and little of Hellman's later intellectual posturing. Three itinerant cowpokes, on their way to a drive, are mistaken for outlaws by vengeful vigilantes, and have to ride for their lives after stopping by a homesteader family. All in all, there are faint echoes here of Wellman's vigilante classic The Oxbow Incident (1943).The story's upshot amounts to a series of genuine tragedies brought about by both coincidence and an uncaring posse. I really like the fact that contrary to Hollywood expectations, neither Wes (Nicholson) nor Vern (Mitchell) makes a move on the pretty homesteader girl (Perkins). They are, after all, concerned with surviving, not with a romantic subplot. Besides, her dad (George Mitchell) looks and acts like a really tough old guy. In my book, he delivers the movie's best performance. And catch that homestead where Dad, Mom (Squire), and Abigail live. It's the most convincing primitive shack and corral I've seen in many years of movie watching. Nothing cosmetic here. Instead, a really hard life on the frontier is driven home, though costuming could have made Abigail a little less spiffy looking. Nonetheless, that segment is the real heart of the movie, and produces a genuine tragedy when you think about it.And get a load of the countryside the men have to negotiate in their flight. It's as bleak and inhospitable as a devil's playground. There's no hope of living off the land for the fleeing men. It's like they've suddenly been condemned to the Third Level of Hell in order to get away. Here, Hellman comes across as an anti-John Ford since he does nothing to prettify the West either here or in The Shooting (1965). Neither is there any Fordian style humor. The acting throughout is grim and low-key as it should be. This, of course, is before Nicholson discovered that going over the top was a lot more fun than nuance. All in all, Hellman's minimalist style works well. Wisely, he does nothing to hype the story's tragic core. Instead, the viewer is left to think about the progression of events. In short, neither director Hellman nor writer Nicholson does anything to connect the dots, but they are there. The ending, of course, is unconventional in the extreme and might be taken as posturing on Hellman's part. But I found it-- if not satisfying-- at least appropriate for what had gone before. Too bad Hellman didn't continue to combine his minimalist style with story content, instead of allowing style to replace substance as he unfortunately does in his later work. Had he done so, we might have gotten one of Hollywood's truly outstanding and innovative careers.

matchettja If you are looking for a romantic Western with traditional good guys battling against the forces of evil, then you have come to the wrong place. There are no heroes and no villains, just ordinary men and women struggling against the elements for survival. No one has an easy life, neither homesteader nor outlaw. The drudgery of the former is shown by the farmer hacking away endlessly at the stubborn stump that refuses to give up its hold. The folly of the latter comes into focus when the vigilante posse catches up with its quarry. Knowing that a life of punching cows will get them nowhere, three cowboys, played excellently by Jack Nicholson, Cameron Mitchell and Tom Filer, briefly consider joining up with the outlaw gang they've been forced to spend the night with. Not having the outlaw nature, the cowboys reject that option and determine that they best separate themselves at first light. However, by then it is too late. The vigilantes have both the outlaws and them surrounded and open fire. If they surrender, they will be hanged, no questions asked. If they try to ride out, they will be shot down. They can only climb out of the valley up the mountains, leaving their horses behind. However, as stated by one of the cowboys, it is no country to be set afoot. Thus, their enemy becomes not only the men tracking them down but also the harsh environment into which they are thrust and must overcome. That struggle is the essence of what this marvelous film is all about.