Review of The Cowboys (1972) by Chris A — 23 Jan 2012
How in the hell is this one of Duke's most beloved films? It has some good bits, and is passable for the most part. The climax between Duke and Bruce Dern is great. However, the final half-hour or so of the film is just ludicrous.
Everything about it. Why don't we just take the characters that you're meant to care about, and let them stoop to an even lower ethical level than the villains? It's preposterous, and overshadows anything good from earlier in the film.
This is an average coming-of-age film, that is topped off with a half-hour of pointless violence just because. Rydell's direction is pretty dull, and John Williams' score is a little too cute for what the film eventually becomes.
Worth seeing once for Duke's performance and the climax.
This review of The Cowboys (1972) was written by Chris A on 23 Jan 2012.
The Cowboys has generally received positive reviews.
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