Review of The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) by Tim H — 10 Jul 2008

Clint needs to stop spitting on animals. That poor dog...

The Outlaw Frank Castle is more like it. This movie was The Punisher. Sure, I'm aware that lots of gruff, hard-edged stories come out of men seeing their families killed and swearing vengeance, wondering if they can ever find their souls again, but this movie defintiely was The Punisher. It even goes as far as to have the Punisher "family-dying" flashback. I don't mind that so much because this was a pretty solid movie. I won't say that it was perfect, but it was more entertaining than I expected.

Clint's directing has defintely gotten better over the years. I think he's become significantly more solid in his older age because he puts a little bit more art into his more contemporary films. He has always been a competant director, but there's a certain spark that you see with his recent endeavors that you don't really catch in films like Josey Wales. But the movie is pretty straightforward and very clearly directed. Heck, it's even a good time so I don't know what you can really ask for in a Western. (Okay, you could ask for Unforgiven.) The only visual cue that Clint took that I didn't really care for in this one was the fogged out effect. I keep seeing that in a lot of 70's films and it is really stressed in 70's Westerns, but I can move past that because it is used somewhat sparingly.

I don't know what it is about Westerns that always has the Union Soldiers be assholes. Sure, I hear all of the travesties done by both sides of the war, but when I watch these Westerns, there's always a comment made by the heroic, dashing protagonist that "he was in the war" and something deragatory about the North. Perhaps it's just ignorant Michigan talking, but I thought that they were both equally evil. It was war and I know that people take things too far in the name of Patriotism. In this case, the war served as an excuse for brutality and selfishness. I know that this was based somewhat on a true story (very kind of) and I know that this wasn't the only example. But I'd like to see the Western where the Yank is a hero instead of a coward.

I wouldn't say that this movie is particularly strong when it comes to story. Really, it is a more of a concept movie where we see a character dealing with a situation. There's a bit of a change going on and I think that it was wise to really include that aspect to the story. I don't really see it as an inevitable choice, but it does make the movie what it is. What is always a little is odd to see how there's always a crazy hot chick in the West. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that girl would have really existed in this period of time. Those kinds of perfect teeth and even more so, the 70's feathered hair. Honestly, that's something out of the 70's. Every one of those Westerns (okay, this and True Grit) just stick out and reflect the decade in which they're filmed. But I'd rather see a super-hot chick in this movie than a realistic gross chick with teeth falling out.

The gunplay in this movie is more of the draw than the story. While McCabe and Mrs. Miller is more of a love story, The Outlaw Josey Wales is just about how much killing you can get in a creative setting. The body count in this movie is pretty obscene. Wales shoots the hell out of anything. At one point, I thought that he was shooting too many bullets. I mean, he's using a revolver throughout the film. But then I realized that he's shooting from four guns and disposing of them as he goes throughout his battles. But then we know that he can only kill so many people without running out of bullets. The end with the gun clicking was a cool moment. You see that he's almost insane with vengeance for his family. Not only that, but that scene goes on only a little too long creating this almost awkwardness. It's such a great ending.

I won't say that it's a perfect movie, but it certainly is fun. This is more of an action film than it is character depth, but it's a good time. Have fun with this one.