"Ride Lonesome" (1959), under Boetticher's unassuming direction, immerses viewers in the vast and imposing spaces characteristic of great westerns. The CinemaScope, with its expansive screens, enhances this immersion, magnifying the grandeur of the landscapes that serve as a backdrop for the human conflicts portrayed therein.
However, despite the evident technical mastery, one cannot overlook the excessive use of stuntmen forcing horse falls in reaction to gunshots. While it may add a touch of dramatic flair in some scenes, this device proves tedious and repetitive throughout the narrative, exposing an idea worn thin by its recurrence in numerous westerns. Additionally, there are ethical concerns regarding the welfare of the animals, considering the real risk of injuries such as horse leg fractures.
In terms of narrative, the screenplay by Burt Kennedy appears to succumb to challenges of inspiration, resulting in a fragile plot and an extremely unsatisfactory resolution, falling short of achieving excellence. Fortunately, the brevity of the runtime, at 73 minutes, mitigates this fragility, preventing the audience from feeling overly disappointed.
On the other hand, the musical score composed by Heinz Roemheld emerges as one of the film's most striking aspects. With its captivating melody and themes that evoke the vastness of the landscapes and the intensity of the conflicts, the music significantly contributes to the construction of atmosphere and setting, elevating the cinematic experience to another level.
In summary, "Ride Lonesome" is an exemplar of the western genre that, despite its flaws, still manages to captivate the viewer through its imposing aesthetic and elements like the memorable soundtrack. A work that, while not reaching a high level, has managed to carve out a special place in the memories of western genre enthusiasts.
However, despite the evident technical mastery, one cannot overlook the excessive use of stuntmen forcing horse falls in reaction to gunshots. While it may add a touch of dramatic flair in some scenes, this device proves tedious and repetitive throughout the narrative, exposing an idea worn thin by its recurrence in numerous westerns. Additionally, there are ethical concerns regarding the welfare of the animals, considering the real risk of injuries such as horse leg fractures.
In terms of narrative, the screenplay by Burt Kennedy appears to succumb to challenges of inspiration, resulting in a fragile plot and an extremely unsatisfactory resolution, falling short of achieving excellence. Fortunately, the brevity of the runtime, at 73 minutes, mitigates this fragility, preventing the audience from feeling overly disappointed.
On the other hand, the musical score composed by Heinz Roemheld emerges as one of the film's most striking aspects. With its captivating melody and themes that evoke the vastness of the landscapes and the intensity of the conflicts, the music significantly contributes to the construction of atmosphere and setting, elevating the cinematic experience to another level.
In summary, "Ride Lonesome" is an exemplar of the western genre that, despite its flaws, still manages to captivate the viewer through its imposing aesthetic and elements like the memorable soundtrack. A work that, while not reaching a high level, has managed to carve out a special place in the memories of western genre enthusiasts.