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Plot: Robert Benton's directorial debut stars Jeff Bridges as young con man Jake Rumsey in this highly original Western. After Drew Dixon (Barry Brown), an upright young man, is sent west by his religious f...( read more read more... )amily to avoid being drafted into the Civil War, he drifts across the land with a loose confederation of young vagrants. He connects with the entertaining Jake, and they add a couple of others, including Loney (John Savage) and Arthur (Jerry Houser), to a "gang" that is barely surviving in the harsh climate of the West. They have to avoid confrontations not only with professional criminals--such as Big Joe (David Huddleston)--but also from hardened civilians who would kill a young boy for trying to steal a pie. Always outdoors, without as much as one horse among them, they're even at the mercy of the elements. As the boys' tribulations mount, their naive visions of cowboy glory fade, and Drew begins to realize that a life of crime may be his only means of survival.

Though boasting a stellar cast, a strong script, and inspired direction, the film proved a disappointment at the box office, perhaps because of its bleak vision and loose, episodic narrative. The unjustly ignored masterpiece also features an arresting tonal combination of Brechtian irony and absurdist whimsy, as well as brilliant photography by the legendary Prince of Darkness, Gordon Willis (THE GODFATHER, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN), who skillfully utilizes a unique, expressive palette of washed-out grays and browns.

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Recent Reviews


  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    March 8, 2008
    I first saw this one in 1972 and enjoyed it very much. Now, some 36 years later, I can honestly say that it's stood the test of time. It's a film that's shot mostly, if not entirely, on location so it never has that "studio" feel about it. It's gritty, it's unpolished, and it's wonderfully understated. You don't have to like westerns in order to enjoy and appreciate this one.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    January 16, 2008
    Having already lost one son to the War of Northern Aggression, a pious Ohio family sends their remaining son, Drew, west in an effort to avoid his conscription. While waiting to join a wagon train, Drew inadvertently becomes a member in a gang of ne'er-do-wells lead by loudmouth braggart, Jake Rumsey, as they strike out on their own, "living off the land" as they cross the plains. Barry Brown and a young Jeff Bridges do well in their leading roles with fine support from familiar faces: John Savage, Geoffrey Lewis, Ed Lauter, Charles Tyner, Jerry Houser and David Huddleston.
  • 2.0 Stars
    MCT:
    December 4, 2007
    Interesting, but still rather absurd and a little weird. And though it features a Bridges as great as usually I recommend you'd better not waste your time on this one.

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Details


  • Rated: (PG)
  • Directed by: Robert Benton
  • Genres: Western, Action & Adventure
  • Released: October 8, 1972
  • DVD Released: June 4, 2002

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