Review of The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) by Keenan S — 04 May 2018

Sam Peckinpah was and still is synonymous with violence as many of his films remain highly controversial. Those films are also his most well known, which unlike many would believe, actually troubled the director as he wanted to make a statement against violence.

It would probably also come as a shock to those people that not only did he direct a mostly nonviolent film, but of his works it was his favorite. That film is The Ballad of Cable Hogue - a strange hybrid of drama, western, comedy, and romance that was a box office flop at the time of its release and still remains only a niche film for all but the most die hard of Peckinpah fans.

While I haven't seen all of his films, I will say this: I do agree with him that it was his best work. It's an unexpectedly tender, warm-hearted, and beautiful film in contrast to the blood-soaked grit of his other films.

The story follows a prospector named Cable Hogue whose associates rob him and leave him to die in the middle of the desert. After four days without water and on the brink of death, he finds a spring where no one thought there was a spring.

It also happens to be the only spring for 40 miles between Dead Dog and Gila. So, Cable founds a way station and becomes a wealthy businessman. He also befriends a sleazy, womanizing preacher named Joshua Sloane, falls in love with a prostitute named Hildy, and plots his revenge against the men who left him to die on the off-chance they stop by his station.

While most films would struggle with so many genre and idea blends, The Ballad of Cable Hogue is a masterful blend of all these elements offering moments of beautiful drama or moments of gut-busting hilarity that will leave you red in the face and tears in your eyes.

Not to mention, Jason Robards as Cable Hogue has got to be one of my favorite performances in a film, and the other cast members are brilliant as well. It also features a phenomenal soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith.

This a very out-of-the-box Sam Peckinpah film, but it's a film that showcases how much depth he truly had as a director. He certainly had a flair for violence, but he also had a tremendous gift for drama that is sadly overlooked.

The Ballad of Cable Hogue is destined to go down as one of the greatest films I've ever watched. It warmed my heart, it put a lump in my throat, I laughed hysterically, and I loved every damn minute of it.

It is a glorious film.