A fine, fine film from Sam Peckinpah. One of my favourites from the first time I saw it, the ending is very effective and one of the greatest scenes in Westerns in its simplicity yet emotional punch.
I really honestly cannot think of a bad performance in this film. The evil Hammond brothers are all truly excellent, though the Virginian takes some getting used to as baddie, R G Armstrong is suitably weird as the religious/anti-sex obsessed father. Hartley is beautiful and excellent in the role. Starr is gauche, but that is required of the character so it works OK. The madam is suitably horrid and Buchanan as the drunk judge is even better than his usual scene stealing performances.
But Scott and McRea are a revelation - a kind of B picture version of the Duke in the Shootist, but this is B picture only in budget, in quality terms it is A+++ through and through. Both of their performances are spot on all the way, you truly believe the standards of the mythical west lived in guys like this, putting honour above all else.
So the proof that you don't need a mega budget to make a great, great film, and that age and experience count for an awful lot when these 2 great cowboy stars get together and show us what they are capable of after a lifetime of film making.
"Go now Gil... I don't want the young un's to see this"
"Ok Partner... I'll see you later"
Superb and memorable...
I really honestly cannot think of a bad performance in this film. The evil Hammond brothers are all truly excellent, though the Virginian takes some getting used to as baddie, R G Armstrong is suitably weird as the religious/anti-sex obsessed father. Hartley is beautiful and excellent in the role. Starr is gauche, but that is required of the character so it works OK. The madam is suitably horrid and Buchanan as the drunk judge is even better than his usual scene stealing performances.
But Scott and McRea are a revelation - a kind of B picture version of the Duke in the Shootist, but this is B picture only in budget, in quality terms it is A+++ through and through. Both of their performances are spot on all the way, you truly believe the standards of the mythical west lived in guys like this, putting honour above all else.
So the proof that you don't need a mega budget to make a great, great film, and that age and experience count for an awful lot when these 2 great cowboy stars get together and show us what they are capable of after a lifetime of film making.
"Go now Gil... I don't want the young un's to see this"
"Ok Partner... I'll see you later"
Superb and memorable...