Review of Ride Lonesome (1959) by Josh M — 27 Jun 2009

My first exposure to the works of Budd Boetticher, and I came away quite impressed. There's no doubt that Boetticher worked within a narrow formula (a fact that became even more clear after the second half of the double feature), but Ride Lonesome makes the best pf that formula, letting its characters breathe to some degree and bringing enough interesting morality to play to keep things novel.

There are some weaknesses, to be sure; the female character is one-dimensional at best, and the friendly animosity between Scott and Roberts doesn't always feel convincing. Still, the visuals are magnificent, emphasizing the insignificance of the men against the massive West, and it all builds to a really great finale (and a great final image).

It's a testament to Boetticher's talent that something so formulaic can have so much life and interest to it.