This may be my favorite Clint Eastwood movie. Clint is excellent in the title role, and I like Josey Wales as a character perhaps more than any other Eastwood incarnation because he's human, has a heart, and never pulls his gun on anybody who hasn't drawn a gun on him first.
The movie has aged beautifully. The DVD is the only version worth watching, thanks to the letterboxed compositions. God, does Eastwood know how to frame and shoot a movie. Visually and technically, "Josey Wales" is as good as these things get -- and it's almost 30 years old!
I was also pleased to discover that this isn't the typical revenge flick, a'la "Dirty Harry" and Eastwood's Man With No Name pictures. Wales does have a score to settle, but he has morals and regroups with a renegade community of social outcasts who end up saving his life (as well as his soul).
The whole movie, basically, is about how Wales goes about accidentally accumulating the companions he needs to overcome the bad guys (who are almost stereotypically bad). What's more interesting is that Wales' newfound saviors include an old woman, two Native Americans, and ... gulp! cringe!... Sondra Locke. Oh, well. Every movie must have its flaw, and she's definitely it.
There's also a lot of unexpected humor. I love the scene where Josey sends his Union tormentors on the "Missouri river ride," which is immediately preceded by the great moment where he asks the snake oil salesman how the elixir works on stains. My favorite moment in the film is the scene in which he rides out to meet with Will Sampson as Ten Bears, the mean Comanche who aims to slaughter Wales' crew. This powerful moment elevates Wales to the status of a true hero.
Oh, there are some annoying bits. Eastwood spits tobacco entirely too often, and the picture softens up and drags just a bit in the middle. But it's all worthwhile, building up to an exciting climax and a final scene that allows Josey to maintain his mystery while still riding off into the sunset. This is a great movie. Watch it and "The Patriot" as a double feature and see if you can find any similarities.
The movie has aged beautifully. The DVD is the only version worth watching, thanks to the letterboxed compositions. God, does Eastwood know how to frame and shoot a movie. Visually and technically, "Josey Wales" is as good as these things get -- and it's almost 30 years old!
I was also pleased to discover that this isn't the typical revenge flick, a'la "Dirty Harry" and Eastwood's Man With No Name pictures. Wales does have a score to settle, but he has morals and regroups with a renegade community of social outcasts who end up saving his life (as well as his soul).
The whole movie, basically, is about how Wales goes about accidentally accumulating the companions he needs to overcome the bad guys (who are almost stereotypically bad). What's more interesting is that Wales' newfound saviors include an old woman, two Native Americans, and ... gulp! cringe!... Sondra Locke. Oh, well. Every movie must have its flaw, and she's definitely it.
There's also a lot of unexpected humor. I love the scene where Josey sends his Union tormentors on the "Missouri river ride," which is immediately preceded by the great moment where he asks the snake oil salesman how the elixir works on stains. My favorite moment in the film is the scene in which he rides out to meet with Will Sampson as Ten Bears, the mean Comanche who aims to slaughter Wales' crew. This powerful moment elevates Wales to the status of a true hero.
Oh, there are some annoying bits. Eastwood spits tobacco entirely too often, and the picture softens up and drags just a bit in the middle. But it's all worthwhile, building up to an exciting climax and a final scene that allows Josey to maintain his mystery while still riding off into the sunset. This is a great movie. Watch it and "The Patriot" as a double feature and see if you can find any similarities.