The Last Outlaw (1994)

[Neville]

History often has its ironies, and Cinema History should be no exception. In the early to middle 90's, while people like Clint Eastwood, Sam Raimi or Kevin Costner were trying to resucitate western in mainstream movies (ultimately, and with the perspective that time has given us, we may say they were actually writing its epilogue), the unliquely alliance of HBO and director Geoff Murphy brought us what we may call the last spaghetti western.

Murphy is a New Zealand director of questionable talent that has been mentioned several times in this board, the last time when we talked about the terrible job he did on the sci-film "Freejack" (1992), and he would later return to B-Movie territory with "Under Siege 2" (1995) and "Fortess 2" (1999). But it also should be said that his work on "Young Guns 2" (1990) was reasonable.

Anyway, he's not the only known name associated to the movie; after all, we're talking of a film that stars Mickey Rourke in which, sadly, is one of his worse performances ever. He would check in a psychiatric clinic months later and painstakingly rebuilt his career in the following decade, Dermot Mulroney, and, in supporting roles, the often reliable Steve Buscemi and Keith David. Even better, the writer is nobody else than Eric Red, of "The Hitcher" fame.

The film opens paying homage to the more or less traditional westerns, as we are introduced to a bunch of former confederate soldiers that survive, ten years after the end of the war (!) by robbing banks. Just after we are introduced to the main characters, Graff (Rourke) the vaguely psychotic leader of the band, and Eustis (Mulroney), his somehow more idealistic liutenant.

After robbing a bank and riping off Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" they are followed by a posse. Although the robbers have some advantage, Graff decides to leave behind a member of the gang too injured to ride, and after a tense argument Eustis shoots Graff and ledas the gang towards Mexico. Problem is, not only the posse is after them, but also Graff is now part of it, and easily manipulates the lynching mob in order to take revenge on Eustis.

As you see, plot is minimal, and so is character development, but unexpectedly Murphy and Red make an optimum use of it. Characters are walking clichés, alright, but at least the few strokes used to descrive them are effective (notice for instance how Eustis still wears a full confederate uniform, while other gang members don't), and so are the actors playing them. Violence is aboundant, and so is blood, but nothing is cheap or arbitrary. Every death has a certain particularity or role to play in the chain of events. Hell, even Red and Murphy manage to turn the main weak point of the plot (how unbelievable everything is) in their favour, as the film slowly changes from a more or less traditional western into a nightmarish trip, not so differently than as it happened on "The Hitcher".

And Murphy, don't ask me why or how, does a very good job. Either the man loves westerns, he realised he had some good material between hands or he counted on better assistants than usual (music and editing are flawless). Not that the man suddenly turned himself into a John Ford, but at least he reaches the level of a Sergio Sollima or an Enzo Castellari, which is not bad at all. Of course the film has its flaws. As I said, Rourke is quite bad, and no matter how you try to disguised the plot is both unbelievable and schematic, but still it is a extremely enjoyable ride.

[LH-C]

Why did you call it 'the last spaghetti western'? Who were the Italians or Europeans involved in it? Or is it just in the spaghetti western style?

[Neville]

It's an spaghetti western style, in the sense that is sort of low key and that both the plot and the way it is filmed is a bastardization of previous American models, like "The Wild Bunch".

[The Conqueroo]

Sorry,But The Best Two Movies About Former Confederates Heading West Will Always Be "The Searchers"(John Wayne's Greatest Role In My Book!!)and Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales".Thye Two Greatest Spaghetti Westerns Were "The Good;The Bad and The Ugly"and"Once Upon A Time In The West".By The Way,Isn't It About Time That Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson Do Another "Shanghai Noon/Knights"Movie?I Really Enjoyed Them!!"What's Your Name?""Chon Wang.""ChonWang(Say It 'ChonWain'.Sounds Like John Wayne.)?That's A Silly Name For A Western Hero.".

[Neville]

Hey, I didn't say it was the best Spaghetti Western, just the last one. "The Searchers" is good, but not my cup of tea. However, "The Outlaw Jossie Wales" is one of my all-time favourite westerns. If you can dig up old topics, I posted about it not long ago.

[plan9superfan]

My dad LOVES western. Seiously, he's a die-hard western fanatic. He's seen all the John WAyne and Clint Eastwood movies, took me to watch "Open Range" on opening night, and often tells me western trivia.

So, most likely, my dad has seen this movie. If he hasn't, he probably will once he finds out about it.

[Neville]

I'm also a big fan of westerns, but because of my age (28) I'm more in the spaghetti / revisionist western s than in the classic ones. I remember enjoying "Eldorado" and "The searchers", and "The shootist" as well, but if I had to choose between Eastwood's and Wayne's films I'll definitely choose Eastwood's.

[plan9superfan]

Not my dad. He likes the classic westerns, and has always prefered Wayne over Eastwood

But he probably has seen "Eldorado", "The Searchers" and "The Shhotist".

However, his favorite movie is "Rio Bravo". He just can't stop watching it.

[The Conqueroo]

Hey!!Theyr'e All Great Westerns!!

[The Conqueroo]

They Both Made Some Mighty Good Westerns.Both Of Them are American Icons.Both Of Them Didn't Get Oscars Until They Were Older.Both Of Them Had Some Great Lines:"Any Son of a b***h Who Takes A Shot At Me,Not Only Will I Kill Him;I'll Kill His Wife;His Kids;His Dog;All His Friends And Burn His f**king House Down!!"-'Unforgiven'."What Do You want Me To Do??!!Draw You A Pitcure??!!Spell It Out??!!Now Don't You Ever Ask Me Again!!The Longest Day You Live,Don't Ever ask Me No More!!"-"The Searchers". Here's A Little Trivia For You:In What 1993 Mini Series Will You Find The Future "Gil Grissom"and"Elle Woods"as Well As Angelina Jolie's Father?

[LH-C]

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Yeah, I just turned 30 in January, and I'm in the same category as you. The first 2 westerns that I ever watched all the way through were 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly' and 'Lonesome Dove' in 1989 when I was 13. Before that I had read some about the 'spaghetti westerns' and movies by Sam Peckinpah like 'The Wild Bunch' and 'Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid'. I can't wait to get that Peckinpah westerns box set.

I intensely dislike John Wayne though. I switch channels whenever he comes on.

[Neville]

You could try watching "The shootist", which was Wayne's final film, and the closer he ever got to a revisionist western. And considering his iconic status and his situation at the time, it is a very daring movie.

I sort of disliked the man myself, his iconic image and his political views would get in the middle when I watched his work. I saw him and couldn't see the man acting, I saw what it represented, but luckily I don't have that problem anymore, and "The shootist" is one of the reasons why.

[LH-C]

<>

I've seen in all the way through twice years ago, and thought it was OK.

<>

It's his acting I can't stand for the most part! (I don't care/know about how he was as a person.) When I was a kid, I did like 'The Quiet Man' just because it wasn't a western.

[The Conqueroo]

Oh You Kids Today!!Here's my list of the greatest Westerns ever made listed by Actor and/or Director :Actor:Jimmy Stewart-"Winchester 73"(Almost a Film Nior Western!!);"The Man From Laramie";"Two Rode Together";"The Rare Breed";"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".Henry Fonda-"My Darling Clementine";"Fort Apache".John Wayne:"Stagecoach";"Red River";The Cavalry Trilogy;"The Searchers";"Rio Bravo";"The Sons of Katie Elder".Clint Eastwood-The Man With No Name Trilogy;"Two Mules For Sister Sara";"The Outlaw Josey Wales";"Pale Rider";Unforgiven".Robert Duvall-"True Grit";"Lonesome Dove";"Open Range".John Ford-Practically His Whole Body of Work!!Howard Hawks-Pretty Much The Same.John Sturges-"Gunfight At the OK Corral";"Last Train From Gun Hill";"The Magnificient Seven".Sam Peckinpah-"The Wild Bunch";"Ride The High Country";"Major Dundee".Simon Wencer-"Quigley Down Under";"Lonesome Dove".Kirk Douglas-"Gunfight At The OK Corrall";"Last Train From Gun Hill";"The War Wagon".Robert Redford-"Jeeremiah Johnson";"Butch Casssidy and The Sundance Kid".Paul Newman-"Hombre";"Butch Cassidy and The sundance Kid";"Hud".Alan Ladd-"Shane". Best Modern Westerns-"Hud";"The Wild Bunch";"Lone Wolf McQuade";"City Slickers".A Pair Of Honorable Mentions-"The Quick and The Dead".Gender Bending Alomost A Spaghetti Western With Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman."Bad Girls"-Four Gunslinging Floozies Loose In The West Texas Frontier in The 1880's.Greatest Mini Series:The Lonesome Dove Trilogy-"Lonesome Dove";"Streets of Laredo";"Dead Man's Walk".*(*"Return to LOnesome Dove"Was Okay,But I'm Kind of A McMurtry Purist,So "Streets of Laredo"Is The Official Sequel In My Book!!".