A reluctant bounty hunter (Warren Oates) and his naive hireling (Will Hutchins) are hired by a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) to help her track down an unknown man. Along the way they're joined by the sadistic gunman (Jack Nicholson) she's hired to finish the job. Rancor and jealousy undermine the group as they pursue a quarry that may well mean death for them all.
It's an interesting attempt at a psychological western that I think doesn't completely work. What really undermines the movie isn't so much Hellman's slow pace, which I had no problem with, but rather some poor casting of the leads. Perkins can barely speak her dialog without looking like she's reading off a queue card, and Hutchins is just one of the actors on this film who seems to be hopped up on amphetamines or something. On the other hand, there's absolutely no problem with Oates or Nicholson, two excellent actors having a good time playing off each other. In Oates' and Hellman's masterpiece, "Two-Lane Blacktop", the contrast between the good and the amateur actors in the film actually enhanced the cinema experience because it was a good parallel to the characters. But in this one it just feels like Hellman's odd fascination with Perkins (who starred in quite a few of his more serious films) is undermining things.
Right up to the rather rushed existential ending, which anybody with half a brain can see coming a mile away, and the whole scene with Perkins rushing up the hill after this man (reminiscent of Jennifer Jones in "Duel in the Sun"), the film kept me glued to the set. It's an interesting film because it's so much more low-key than most American westerns of the time period. It's a departure from the big epics of the time and it's not as gimmicky and busy as the Italian westerns (although the music is reminiscent of the spaghetti style). For those seeking a more character-oriented western, this is a very god bet. I only wish they had enough money to hire a couple better actors to compliment Nicholson and Oates.
It's an interesting attempt at a psychological western that I think doesn't completely work. What really undermines the movie isn't so much Hellman's slow pace, which I had no problem with, but rather some poor casting of the leads. Perkins can barely speak her dialog without looking like she's reading off a queue card, and Hutchins is just one of the actors on this film who seems to be hopped up on amphetamines or something. On the other hand, there's absolutely no problem with Oates or Nicholson, two excellent actors having a good time playing off each other. In Oates' and Hellman's masterpiece, "Two-Lane Blacktop", the contrast between the good and the amateur actors in the film actually enhanced the cinema experience because it was a good parallel to the characters. But in this one it just feels like Hellman's odd fascination with Perkins (who starred in quite a few of his more serious films) is undermining things.
Right up to the rather rushed existential ending, which anybody with half a brain can see coming a mile away, and the whole scene with Perkins rushing up the hill after this man (reminiscent of Jennifer Jones in "Duel in the Sun"), the film kept me glued to the set. It's an interesting film because it's so much more low-key than most American westerns of the time period. It's a departure from the big epics of the time and it's not as gimmicky and busy as the Italian westerns (although the music is reminiscent of the spaghetti style). For those seeking a more character-oriented western, this is a very god bet. I only wish they had enough money to hire a couple better actors to compliment Nicholson and Oates.