The outlaw Josie Whales (1976).

[Neville]

This must be one of my favourite westerns of all time, and I just watched it again on my brand new DVD/DivX player.

I also find it is one of the most strange westerns ever, something I'm not sure it is deliverate or it comes from the different personalities involved, since it is based on a novel and Eastwood also fired the man who was going to direct it (Philip Kaufman, also the screenwriter) when the project was already in an advanced stage.

Clint Eastwood stars as Josie Whales, a pacific farmer who sees his family killed during the American Civil war, and who, not having any good reason to live but to achieve revenge, joins the suddist irregulars. And here the strange things start to ocurr, because after the beginning credits the war is over and Whales is in more or less the same state where we left him. A series of events turn him into a fugitive, with literally every bounty hunter in the territory after him, and his dry, sullen persona starts to evolve as his journey towards Kansas progresses and he joins some of the most peculiar travel partners ever to grace a western: a youngkid (Sam Bottons), a disenchanted indian chief (Chief Dan George), an indian woman who speaks in an uninteligible tongue, a dog, a puritan woman and her aloof young daughter (Sondra Locke).

It is a wonderful film, really, but as I said it is VERY strange. It starts as your usual Eastwood vehicle, although Eastwood's tone as a director is even more laconic and drily humorous than usual, but as the journey progresses new characters are introduced and Whales himself starts to change, developing, just like the film itself, and underlying schizophrenia. Whales is teared apart, as the film goes, between his desire for revenge and thus ending with his inner torment, and the newly found desire to reintegrate to sociey (he's been a loner for years as the film starts after the prologue), as he founds himself as the leader of some sort of disfunctional, even interracial, family.

This inner conflict is also transferred to the film itself, which seems to eternally debate between historical (and genre) accuracy (this must be the most "historical" of all Eastwood films, as it is based on historical events and several real figures like Quantril are mentioned) and Eastwood's desire to short-circuit it with dry humour and anti-archeotypical character allegiances.

This alone should make it a must see for all westerns aficionados, but it should also be noted that this is one of Eastwood's finest directing efforts. Attention to detail is overwhelming (notice for instance the period songs), cinematography is absolutely riveting, coating the interiors with persistent shadows, and washing out the familiar landscapes with invernal light and kudos  for the supporting cast, specially Chief Dan George, are also obligatory.  

Quotes:

Josey Wales: Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie? (to three union soldiers who recognise him in a village and are to scared to pull their guns)

Lone Watie: I didn't surrender, but they took my horse and made him surrender. They have him pulling a wagon up in Kansas I bet. (Chief Dan George explains his encounter with some union troops)

[dean]

Wow, you know, I haven't seen that film, nor even heard about it, but I really enjoyed that review Neville.  Very informative and interesting!

Sounds very good; I really do prefer my characters to have some sort of development in them rather than just shoot a few people and really not change at all in the long run.

I'll have to keep an eye out for it!

[odinn7]

This was a fantastic movie. I really enjoy most all of the Eastwood westerns but if I had to pick my favorite, this would be it. The movie is so well done and so graphic where it needs to be. Josey is cold blooded yet a caring individual at the same time, much like many other characters that Eastwood has done. I think this is one reason that I like this film so much; Dirty Harry in a western essentially.

[trekgeezer]

I loved Chief Dan George in this. "We're civilized because white men can sneak up on us."

I see Dean has a way to go in his movie education. This is an Eastwood classic from the 70's. Clint has never been afraid to take chances in his career and it has usually payed off.

This is one of my favorites of his along with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and Dirty Harry.

[dean]

Yup, I do have a ways to go, and really need to start moving away from my usual viewing fare [I've noticed that instead of watching the dvds I haven't seen yet in my own collection, I am actually re-watching films I own that I've seen before!  Whilst it means they're good films, it also means my range is somewhat limited...]

Me and Clint have some catching up to do...

[Neville]

dean Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Wow, you know, I haven't seen that film, nor
> even heard about it, but I really enjoyed that
> review Neville.  Very informative and
> interesting!
>
> Sounds very good; I really do prefer my characters
> to have some sort of development in them rather
> than just shoot a few people and really not change
> at all in the long run.
>
> I'll have to keep an eye out for it!
>


Thanks, Dean. You really should give it a try, as I say it is a must see. You may, however, prefer to watch other westerns before if you haven't, because in this way you'll be more able to notice the licenses Eastwood takes with the genre.

[Shadowphile]

My favourite scene is where Josie is facing the union captain, who is armed with his cavalry sabre and Josie is armed with what seemed like an endless supply of empty pistols.  Very intense.  The hatred Eastwood showed in that scene was frightening in it's intensity.

[Neville]

True, and very telling regarding how Whales feels about the whole thing, since he rarely speaks about what he lost.