Hombre

Superbly written and acted, Hombre is one of the two or three best end-of-the-West Westerns ever made.

Based on the Elmore Leonard novel and starring Paul Newman, Hombre is the story of John Russell, a white man raised by Apaches forced by circumstances to be responsible for the lives of a group of people who despise him.

Dr. Faver: You've learned something about white people. They stick together. John Russell: They better.

Newman is sterling as Russell, whose sense of honor puts him into a no-win situation, and whose tenacity will not allow him to back off. Richard Boone was rarely better than as Cicero Grimes, who matches Russell, steely-eyed glare for steely-eyed glare. His performance here is on par with his portrayal of gang-leader John Fain in Big Jake, just a few years later.

Grimes: Well, now. Now what do you suppose hell is gonna look like? Russell: We all die. It's just a question of when.

Also outstanding are Diane Cilento, Barbara Rush, and Martin Balsam. A strong performance by character actor Frank Silvera as an unnamed Mexican bandit is one of the film's many gems.

Russell: (after wounding the Bandit)I would have done better, but I think you moved. Bandit: You can be sure I moved!

The magnificently desolate northern Arizona desert becomes an additional character in the film.

If you are looking for the ultimate tough-guy film, you need look no further than Hombre.