McLintock!

Now I know where Mel Brooks got the idea for Blazing Saddles. This movie isn’t quite the laugh riot that Brooks' ultimate Western comedy is, but it does have moments when it rises above a level of general silliness and achieves some real comedy. The foundation of the humor comes largely from the characters, who are slightly warped versions of the standard Western tropes. John Wayne as the title character is largely the Wayne you always get in any oater; he is in many ways the straight man here. Maureen O’Hara is the major foil as McClintock's estranged harridan of a wife Katie; she’s a real pill throughout the proceedings. Perhaps she is frustrated by being outshone by Yvonne de Carlo in a supporting role. The story also features a surprisingly sympathetic take on the plight of the Comanches. I find this sort of take on the Indian question more frequently than expected when watching old horse operas—perhaps, contra the current fad, it all wasn’t entirely virulent racism back in the day. Mostly, though, this film is all about fights and arguments and wiseacre takes on various setups—a lot of which hit the mark, though not every shot nails the target. The major issue is that the movie runs a bit too long. Otherwise, it’s a fair diversion, nothing important but not a misstep either. Give this one a look when you can rustle up a couple of idle hours. 

True Grit (1969)

How the West was wiseass. A lot of the pleasure in watching this movie comes from the wry character of the dialogue—to be expected from a Charles Portis-penned script—particularly the sharp-tongued observations of John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn and Kim Darby’s Maddie Ross. Their performances, along with solid support from Glen Campbell, raise these proceedings above the level of your average Western. Also enjoyable is seeing all those vistas of the then-still-unspoiled landscape—Colorado in this case—splashed across the screen. It’s not exactly a deep story, but overall the tale provides enough to interest the viewer. I don’t know about grit, per se, but this one certainly has solid, traditional movie-making on its side—and usually that’s enough. 

The Wild Bunch

I have to admit, I'm not quite sure what to make of this flick. It is revered as a deconstruction of Western movies, but I found little in its content that really cuts to the core of what the old oaters were about and how they needed to be taken down a peg. Unforgiven does a much better job of that. This outing seems more interested in changing times--it did get made in times that were a-changin', after all--as embodied by the oldsters who embody the altered societal landscape, all of which has some interesting notes but is hardly the foundation of an all-time classic. There's also weirdness in the occasional scenes of the gang members going off on extended laughing jags, which I guess are supposed to exemplify how 'wild' they are, but mostly just comes across as disjointed oddness. (Given the film's '60s provenance, those scenes also come across as everyone being high, which may have been purposeful, too.) In a lot of ways, the story arc of Robert Ryan's character, a former fellow traveler of the bunch, is more interesting than the story of anyone in particular who is still in the gang. Nevertheless, judged simply as a Western story, the movie mostly works, with good action in several memorable scenes, and most of the principal actors acquit themselves well. I just think, looked at soberly through the lens of time, this film is not really the sensation it was viewed to be when it first arrived.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

A civics lesson masquerading as a western showdown movie. This one is not just well-acted and well-written, but interesting in director John Ford's storytelling technique, employing flashbacks and nonlinear plot the way many more recent movies have. Lead actors John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin portray complimentary and contrasting archetypes, while a number of excellent supporting players flesh out the cast very well. This flick adds to the growing body of evidence to be found in filmdom -- particularly westerns -- about just how important guns were, and therefore are, to this society; it's become clear to this viewer, at least, that understanding this country's explains continuing mania for firearms is impossible if you don't watch old movies. Nevertheless, the film also makes a strong case that law and a civil society must rest upon something greater than a hail of bullets. Finally, the story's climax satisfies, and then its ultimate end delivers a provocative final scent. Really excellent work, and better than many more revered westerns--it should be on everyone's watch list.

Cool Hand Luke

More a collection of memorable scenes than a good movie. The difficulty comes in trying to stitch those scenes together into something coherent and compelling. Luke's nihilism bleeds out any real end to the hero's means; it's tough to know why you're on his side beyond Newman's personal charm and presence. It could have been more, but ultimately this film is a "not quite."