The Outlaw Josey Wales
Josie Wales (Clint Eastwood) is a Missouri rebel who is both the pursuer and the pursued. Set at the end of the American Civil War, he seeks vengeance for the killing of his family by Union "Red-legs". He refuses surrender as his guerrilla war provides a theater for retaliation. While he is hunting those that murdered his family, they are hunting him. As are many bounty hunters.
Josie Wales has much in common with the legend of another Missouri outlaw, Jesse James. Both were farmers before being wronged, Josie by the Union, and Jesse by the railroad. Revenge consumes them. In The Outlaw Josie Wales, Josie struggles to reclaim his life and humanity. Can he return to farming and stop the killing? His quest to answer this question takes him to Texas and binds him together with a band of misfits. There is the wise old Indian, Lone Watie (Chief Dan George) who speaks to Josie about life and living. While wise, Lone is not entirely trustworthy. Fortunately for Josie, Lone is now a toothless warrior. There is the provincial famaily from Kansas. And there is the loyal and self-reliant Indian woman, Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams). She is scorned by her tribe and on her own in the West. Together, the troupe travels to Texas to start a new life.
The film is filled with nearly as much spittle as killing. In a running gag, Josie spits on everything. And his gobbing is as accurate as his shooting. Rough frontier behavior is met with rough justice. And the result is a bloody and violent movie. Fans of Clint will correctly hail The Outlaw Josie Wales as one of his finest films. It would be a Classic at CouchCowboy but for the greatness of Unforgiven. A film that stands alone among Clint's Westerns as a classic. The Outlaw Josie Wales is an excellent Western. We give it a very strong Must See.
Director: Clint Eastwood / Philip Kaufman
Screenwriter: Sonia Chernus from the Forrest Carter novel, Gone To Texas
Cast: Clint Eastwood.... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George .... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke.... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney.... Terrill
John Vernon.... Fletcher
Paula Trueman.... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms.... Jamie
Geraldine Keams.... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey .... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson .... Rose
Sheb Wooley .... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano .... Ten Spot
Matt Clark .... Kelly
John Verros ....Chato
Will Sampson.... Ten Bears
Date: 1976 135mins
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