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Reviews
Mr. Majestyk (1974)
"You make sounds like your a mean little a** kicker..."
This is great stuff, if not perfect. Charles Bronson gives a great performance here as the wronged man out for justice, which is a standard Elmore Leonard set-piece. (See "Valdez is Coming" and "Hombre".) But I never get tired of these situations as he writes them, because the stories are all unique, thrilling, well told, and (if you stretch a little) believable. Majestyk is a simple guy who just wants to get his melon crop in, but he steps on some toes, winds up in the drunk tank, and then accidentally foils a ham handed attempt to break a big time criminal out of the same jail. Well, he's too much for any of them when the crap hits the fan, and of course he can't be bought off. He just wants to get his melons in, remember? One thing leads to another, the criminals come to get him, and you can fill in the blanks from there. But it isn't all cut and paste; there is some really good story telling here and bravura performances by the man who plays the main criminal. (His hame escapes me, but he was also the bad guy in "The Getaway".) When things get hot and heavy, he looks at Majestyk with grudging admiration and says "You know something? You move, melon picker. You don't say much...but you move!" True fact, and so does this movie, which is also the home of one of the two or three best car chases on film, along with "Bullitt", although this time it isn't a Mustang, but a good old Ford F-150. What could be more perfect? Also a nice job by the man who plays the worthless little weasel wannabe crook...you just want to slap him. Neither side likes him worth a flip. Great fun.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Thrilling if slightly inaccurate
This is a rollercoaster of a movie, one with everything you want in a good film. It is probably as close as you'll get to an accurate portrayal of the longhunter culture that existed in the eastern frontier from the 1740s to perhaps 1810, where frontiersmen like Nathaniel Bumppo got "off the boat" from Europe and, in a very brief time, learned to out-Indian the Indians. The film is gorgeous to look at, with incredible scenery and everything bathed in a rich, liquid light. The script is sophisticated and tight, and the movie pulls you along at a good clip. Boredom is not a problem. Sure there are inaccuracies here and there, and the truth of the 18th century frontier is a much better tale than any fiction you'll ever read about it, but all in all this is a grand effort, and one that will probably become a screen classic. The real star of the show, however, is Magwa, played by Cherokee actor Wes Studi. He gives an absolutely chilling performance as a man deeply harmed by the gruelling life of the frontier, who seeks to exact vengeance. Imagine yourself and your family in a tiny cabin in the middle of an old growth wilderness, in 1750, with Magwa and several other men like him trying to beat your door down to do God knows what (kill you quickly? torture you slowly? steal some sugar and tobacco and go away? take you captive and treat you like a brother? kidnap your children and leave you to wail with grief?) and you get some idea of what life must have been like for our forefathers. Last of the Mohicans makes the past come alive for 2 hours, which is all you can ask.
The Grateful Dead (1977)
"Bottom line...
...there is nothing like a Grateful Dead show." Truer words were never spoken. This film portrays as nearly as possible the concert experience of the Grateful Dead. Although it was shot in 74, it could as well have been 84 or 94, because things never changed that much. The music is as timeless as "Greensleeves" or "Amazing Grace", and therefore will never go out of style. (How hip do you think Eminem will seem in 25 years?) Like Levis, the Dead are forever, and this film catches them on a really good night, one of thousands, when heaven came down very close to earth, and if you reached up high over your head, you could brush it with your fingertips. If you never saw the Dead, that's too bad, but this movie is pretty damn close. 1974 - wow. Jerry looked so young then. But didn't we all?
Tomorrow (1972)
A work of rare brilliance...
This is an incredible film. Not only is it a near perfect visualization of something quite complex, the Faulkner literary style, but it shows Robert Duvall to be the genius that he is. His style is so understated that you might not realize that he is one of the two or three greatest actors alive, but this film will nail that reality home for you. "Tomorrow" is a heartbreaking story set in the deep south a generation after the Civil War, and the tiny sad tale of a man and a woman and their child. It is a tale of profound love felt by people who cannot eloquently express themselves in words due to their social circumstances, but speak volumes with their actions. And so does the film. Shot in a very modernist style, there are long pauses, long glances, uncomfortable silences, all just like real life. And the effect, in this case, is brilliant. I am proud to say that I have, in my life, known a few people like the people in this film, and I can tell you that the portrayals are precisely right. The costumes are flawless in their detail. (Duvall's shirt is held shut with a safety pin, a tiny detail that my grandmother noticed immediately as the way men used to do it when the button fell off - she saw it hundreds of times as a girl in the 20's.) I could go on and on, but if you have any interest in Faulkner, or the South, or post Civil War culture, or the human condition in its most effecting moments, you really owe it to yourself to see this little gem of a movie. You absolutely will not be sorry.
Valdez Is Coming (1971)
"Before I knew better..."
...was Bob Valdez's reply when he was asked when he used to hunt and shoot down Indians to eradicate them from rangeland. This is a great movie, one that deserves watching by anyone interested in the Western, and any Elmore Leonard fan. Burt Lancaster gives a great, artistic and very reserved performance as a very tired, lonely man who looks unassuming but should just not be messed with. His history makes him a very dangerous man, although he now only wants to live in peace. Of course, when he tries to do the honorable thing, he is treacherously dealt with, which leads to one of the most entertaining and compelling westerns ever filmed. Also of special note is Barton Heyman, who plays the world-wise Segundo, who quickly realizes that they are not after any ordinary man, and provides a great surprise ending. This is just a crackerjack movie, compelling from start to finish without losing a carefully crafted artistry that any movie lover would appreciate. Highly recommended.
Monte Walsh (1970)
"Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever."
So says Monte's friend as they sit on a front porch, wondering what they'll do now that their way of life is coming to a close. One of the most touching and poignant westerns ever made, "Monte Walsh" is a love poem written to a way of life that only lasted about 20 years, but defined much of American culture. The cowboy period only lasted from about 1865 to 1885, and this film shows several friends who have been cowboys for most of that time, deeply in love with their work, who see it all ending, and are powerless to stop it. Barbed wire fence and one really hard winter (which really did happen, and single handedly changed the western cattle industry, and eradicated the cowhand) do away with their blissful existence, forcing them to confront themselves. What do they do now? It isn't always pretty, and the decisions they make when the chips are down tell you most everything you need to know about human nature. The wonderful theme song by Mama Cass Elliot "The Good Times Are Coming" is just marvelous, and perfect for the film. All in all, one of the 5 best westerns ever made, and the absolute best one dealing with the working cowhand culture. Don't watch this movie if you are embarrassed about crying, because it will break your heart. Truly a work of art. The words "I rode down the gray" will haunt you for the rest of your life.
The Wild Bunch (1969)
"It ain't like it used to be, but it'll do..."
You probably know that this is a great film. You probably know it is a very (by 1969 standards) violent film. I can't add a great deal to what has already been said, but I will say this: "The Wild Bunch" is the seminal testament to the dying West, and stands alongside "Monte Walsh" as the two or three best efforts to capture the deep sense of loss we still feel when contemplating the closing of the frontier and the death of the free, wild country west of the Mississippi. Yes, it's about villains shooting one another. But look past that, and see what is really being said. Hard, brave men are hunted down by morons and incompetents and, just like when the scorpion dies when it's consumed by ants at the beginning of the film, the end is tragic and inevitable. As the great western artist Charles Russell said on the closing of the American frontier and the end of the open, free west: "The West is gone! Bid her farewell! You may lose a sweetheart, but you won't forget her!"
Hombre (1967)
"You ever been hungry, lady?"
Paul Newman plays a half breed Apache caught in a tight spot, and one who shows his mettle when the chips are down. Trapped on a stage that is robbed by a gang of thieves, he is forced into a situation where he must defend people he doesn't respect, and fight people he has no quarrel with. In typical Elmore Leonard fashion, the lone quiet man is far more than he seems to be, and honor and simple dedication to truth are the shining jewels of human existence. (See also "Valdez is Coming".) Elmore Leonard's westerns are the very best of the genre, as long as you include "The Searchers" and "The Wild Bunch" and "Monte Walsh". Paul Newman's performance is all fierce inner fire and incredible fury at injustice, never losing control even when he is lashing out with devastating effect. The special highlight here is Richard Boone, always a great performer, but in this movie he is just fabulous. The scene where he verbally bullies the last spot on the stage away from an Army officer just drips with a finely tuned malevolence that you can feel in the air. Brilliant movie, one you shouldn't miss.