Review of The Shootist (1976) by Patrick G — 29 Sep 2008
A very good film, and terrific swan song for John Wayne, who gives a subtley nuanced performances, which is nicely matched by Ron Howard, who really was a great actor before he became a great director.
The film's budget and production values are small in comparision to the film's of The Duke's glory days, but director Don Siegel succeeds best when he is concentrating on the human drama of the story.
(The inclusion of flashbacks at the beginning, made up of a monatge of black and white gunfights from other John Wayne westerns, seemed a bit hokey, but plays well in the context of this being the final film in his career.
). The presence of James Stewart, who co-starred with Wayne in John ford's classic "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," added immeasurably, and Harry Morgan nearly stol the film in a delightfully nasty role.
On the whole, a very satisfying and involving picture.
This review of The Shootist (1976) was written by Patrick G on 29 Sep 2008.
The Shootist has generally received very positive reviews.
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