Western DVD Round-up - By Ray

The Bravados (1958)

Directed by Henry King

Starring Gregory Peck


PLOT SUMMARY FROM IMDb:
"Jim Douglas has been relentlessly pursuing the four outlaws who murdered his wife, but finds them in jail about to be hanged. While he waits to witness their execution, they escape; and the townspeople enlist Douglas' aid to recapture them."

RAY'S OPINION:
Having enjoyed Peck and King's previous collaboration The Gunfighter I had fairly high hopes for The Bravados. Its premise sounded promisingly dark and overall it delivered. Peck's character Jim Douglass doesn't say much, but he doesn't have to, his eyes do all the talking. I appreciated his intensity but must say he was a little too stoic for me. Peck doesn't engage me as much as say Clint, but Peck certainly looks the part and has a formidable build. On face value the plot seems simple but in fact it is quite unusual and you will probably be surprised by the ending - which helps to make it stand out from the crowd.

Good Points:

Some beautiful scenery.

Dark, brooding tone.

Moral ambiguity.

Twist ending.

Bad Points:

Religious aspect may annoy some viewers.

Some silly costumes (particularly for the lead lady Joan Collins).

Average action scenes.

7/10

Hign Noon (1952)

Directed by Fred Zinneman

Starring Gary Cooper

PLOT SUMMARY FROM IMDb:
"A retiring lawman about to leave town with his new bride seeks allies among the fearful townspeople when an outlaw he put in prison returns with his gang to take revenge in this classic western."

RAY'S OPINION:
I have been meaning to see this classic for a long, long time and I'm glad I did. While not blowing me away as I'd hoped, I was still fairly involved, all thanks to Gary Cooper. This is the first time I have seen a Gary Cooper film and he made me a fan quickly. He is an incredibly emotive actor who totally engaged me from his first moment on screen. After being dumped by the woman he married minutes earlier, our hero spends almost the entire film strolling around his little town trying to enlist help to deal with an outlaw from his past and basically gets laughed at and ignored by the very people he has protected for many years. It's all about "doing the right thing" and he seems to be the only guy around with any honour. You could easily swap the guns for swords and you'd have a classic Samurai film. Also of note is that the film plays out in real-time, constantly cutting to clocks as noon approaches increasing the tension as things just get worse and worse for our unsupported hero.

Good points:

Gary Cooper plays a great "sensitive hero".

Real-time pacing.

The film has a memorable look, very sparse.

Good shoot-out at the end.

Grace Kelly and Katy Jurado are babes!

Bad Points:

It's not widescreen (it was never shot in widescreen, so it's not the DVD's fault).

The pompous score detracts from the atmosphere.

I can't take Lloyd Bridges seriously after Hot Shots.

It could be considered a little lacking in action by some (nothing really happens until the very end).

8/10

The Desperate Trail (1995)

Directed by P.J. Pesce

Starring Sam Elliot

PLOT SUMMARY FROM IMDb:
"After years of suffering under her abusive husband, Sarah decides to no longer take any humiliation or battery - and kills him. For that, Marshal Speakes - her father in law - sentences her to the Gallows. During a failed hold-up on the coach she escapes - but Jack Cooper manages to snatch away the transported $2500 from her, which she would have needed to start a new life. So she follows him to get it back. Soon they have to team up against the Marshal, who wants her dead so badly, he doesn't mind breaking the law himself..."

RAY'S OPINION:
I really like Sam Elliot and he was the only reason I checked this TV Western out (don't worry it's in widescreen). Unlike his other westerns he plays the bad guy in this one and he's quite intimidating. I enjoyed The Desperate Trail overall and thought some of the action was well above average for a TV film, the only real weakness is the lead male actor Craig Sheffer - I have no idea who he is (a glance at his profile on IMDb shows he has been in a lot of crappy films), he looks like a strange mix of Christian Slater and Bill Paxton, but minus the talent and brandishing one of the ugliest moustaches in screen history! It was good to see a Western where a woman isn't just there to be saved by a man and actually gets to do some shooting (though she does have to be saved a few times too).

Good Points:

Sam Elliot rules as a baddie!

Well shot action scenes.

Looks very cinematic for a TV film.

Bad Points:

Average acting other than Sam Elliot.

Not enough Sam Elliot!

Forgettable plot.

6/10 - But it's still worth seeing if you're a big Western fan.




STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER WESTERN ROUND-UP WHERE I WILL LOOK AT:

Last Stand at Sabre River (starring Tom Selleck).

Conagher (starring Sam Elliot).

Tom Horn (starring Steve McQueen).