This is a contender for the title of Clint Eastwood's best western, possibly even his best film. I'd seen it on television in "pan and scan" format and enjoyed it but it really needs to see watching in wide-screen to fully appreciate the film.
Clint Eastwood plays a Missouri farmer, during the American civil war, who joins Confederate fighters after his wife and son are murdered Kansas red-legs who are fighting with the Union. When the war is over his commander says that he is going to surrender to the Union and all the other men join him with the exception of Josey. When they are in the process of surrendering it turns out that it was a trap and the Union troops plan to murder them, as they are being gunned down Josey rides in and rescues Jamie, one of his friends who is badly wounded, and kills many union troops in the process. The leader of the Red-legs and Fletcher, Josey's former commander, are tasked with hunting him down.
Josey and Jamie head towards Texas encountering a few problems including a ferryman who will back either side depending who is paying and a couple of hill-billies hoping for the reward. Unfortunately Jamie dies before they enter the Indian Nation. Josey isn't alone for long as he soon joins with a Cherokee who fought with the Confederacy, a young Navajo woman who he rescues from a trader and a mother and daughter from Kansas who he saved from a group of Comancheros. All of them continue to Texas where they head to the ranch that belonged the the elder Kansan woman's son. Here they prepare for conflict with the local Comanches but end up having to fight against the Red-legs who have finally caught up with Josey.
The acting throughout the film is very good, especially Clint Eastwood and Chief Dan George who played the Cherokee Lone Watie. As well as top rate acting Clint Eastwood proves himself to be a top rate director. The film is full of quotable dialogue but it never feels as if it has been spoken just to sound cool. I would certainly recommend this to all film lovers, especially fans of Clint or Westerns... although I can't imagine many such people wouldn't have seen this yet.
Clint Eastwood plays a Missouri farmer, during the American civil war, who joins Confederate fighters after his wife and son are murdered Kansas red-legs who are fighting with the Union. When the war is over his commander says that he is going to surrender to the Union and all the other men join him with the exception of Josey. When they are in the process of surrendering it turns out that it was a trap and the Union troops plan to murder them, as they are being gunned down Josey rides in and rescues Jamie, one of his friends who is badly wounded, and kills many union troops in the process. The leader of the Red-legs and Fletcher, Josey's former commander, are tasked with hunting him down.
Josey and Jamie head towards Texas encountering a few problems including a ferryman who will back either side depending who is paying and a couple of hill-billies hoping for the reward. Unfortunately Jamie dies before they enter the Indian Nation. Josey isn't alone for long as he soon joins with a Cherokee who fought with the Confederacy, a young Navajo woman who he rescues from a trader and a mother and daughter from Kansas who he saved from a group of Comancheros. All of them continue to Texas where they head to the ranch that belonged the the elder Kansan woman's son. Here they prepare for conflict with the local Comanches but end up having to fight against the Red-legs who have finally caught up with Josey.
The acting throughout the film is very good, especially Clint Eastwood and Chief Dan George who played the Cherokee Lone Watie. As well as top rate acting Clint Eastwood proves himself to be a top rate director. The film is full of quotable dialogue but it never feels as if it has been spoken just to sound cool. I would certainly recommend this to all film lovers, especially fans of Clint or Westerns... although I can't imagine many such people wouldn't have seen this yet.