This modern western is co-written by the great Dalton Trumbo. And Kirk Douglas considered it his favorite. But I don't consider it a great film, though I enjoyed it. You might compare it to "The Misfits", in which modern cowboys were forced to cope with aging and the end of a way of life.
Douglas is Jack Burns, a cowboy who rides to his buddy Paul's (Michael Kane) home only to find he is serving two years in prison. Douglas decides to join his friend in jail, then bust him out. That's a big move for someone who dislikes restrictions on his freedom (he laments fences and signs that limit). Paul's wife, Jerry (Gena Rowlands in her first credited film role) thinks he, like all men, is crazy. But she can't talk him out of it.
Jack, the loner, ends up on a solitary mission, pursued by the law. The last half is a lengthy, existential sequence full of symbolism. Jack is accompanied by a cantankerous horse that represents his old way of life---he can't give it up, even if it means finality.
Watch for Walter Matthau as a sheriff who is equally committed to the chase. And George Kennedy as a nasty guard. And Carol O'Connor in a small role that might represent the hand of fate. And Gena Rowlands, of course--- a fresh face in Hollywood.
Douglas is Jack Burns, a cowboy who rides to his buddy Paul's (Michael Kane) home only to find he is serving two years in prison. Douglas decides to join his friend in jail, then bust him out. That's a big move for someone who dislikes restrictions on his freedom (he laments fences and signs that limit). Paul's wife, Jerry (Gena Rowlands in her first credited film role) thinks he, like all men, is crazy. But she can't talk him out of it.
Jack, the loner, ends up on a solitary mission, pursued by the law. The last half is a lengthy, existential sequence full of symbolism. Jack is accompanied by a cantankerous horse that represents his old way of life---he can't give it up, even if it means finality.
Watch for Walter Matthau as a sheriff who is equally committed to the chase. And George Kennedy as a nasty guard. And Carol O'Connor in a small role that might represent the hand of fate. And Gena Rowlands, of course--- a fresh face in Hollywood.