Chisum, a review by Antares
Chisum (1970)
60/100 - Andrew McLaglen spent far too many summers on John Ford western film shoots in his youth, because he can't help trying to emulate him. He mimics the cinematography and has the same penchant for corny scenes that make me just cringe. There really isn't much going on in this film that's new, with the main plot centering on a land war between a righteous, pioneering cattle man and an evil land baron buying up as much property as he can. The twist is the insertion of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett into the mix. Maybe McLagen thought it would add a bit of history to the mix and help fuel the action. But in McLaglen's hackneyed handling of the film, it just dawdles until the final climactic showdown. John Wayne does a serviceable job as the cattleman every has so much respect for, but he really isn't given much to do again in another of these late career films. The spotlight is really on Geoffrey Duel, a young actor who parleyed his effort in this film, into meteoric TV glory in the short lived, but successful
Alias, Smith and Jones on ABC. Too much success, too soon in his young career would take a personal toll on him, and sadly, he would commit suicide just a few years after this film was made. I've always wondered what would have become of him, had he not made that fateful choice, because he was a gifted actor, with what seemed, a lot of untapped talent. On the other sided of the coin, you have a badly miscast Richard Jaeckel as a tough guy cattle rustler who hires his gun out to the land baron. I have never understood why Hollywood studios and directors would cast him as villains in a lot of the films he appeared in. Standing next to Forrest Tucker, he looks like a tater tot in chaps. And finally, there is one moment in this film that was not suppose to be funny, but I found myself laughing at it. During the final shootout, Jaeckel's character is told to build a barricade at the end of town to stop Chisum from coming to Billy's rescue. When Chisum stampedes a large herd of cattle through the barricade, Edward Faulkner, who must have played in every John Wayne western after 1960, utters one of the most ridiculous lines in a John Wayne western. As he witnesses the stampede coming at him, he stands up and yells
It's Chisum!!!. Well no shit Sherlock, who the fucking hell did you think you were building the barricade for? Damn, that gave me a good chuckle.
Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is(From Antares' Short Summations on March 6th, 2015)
Users: 0
May 20, 2024, 10:34:33 PM
