The Outlaw Josey Wales

Rating:
Summary: The Outlaw Josey Wales - One of the genres finest!
Review: As stated above, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of the genres finest films to ever grace the silver screen and the home theater! This Western masterpiece deserved a great DVD with as much on it as was possible to have and that goal was achieved! I wanted the DVD but also more or less had to replace the VHS copy I had due to the fact that this fine film is quite well worth repeated viewings and the good old VHS tape just didn't hold up! Off additional note with this DVD is the widescreen format. Obviously I've watched this classic many times, but with this DVD I was highly impressed seeing it for the first time in this format. It "almost" gives one the impression of seeing it for the first time.

Not only is this film blessed with Clint Eastwood in the lead role, due to differences in opinion with the original director, it is directed by him as well. Clint Eastwood, who is inarguably one of the best in the genre, fills both roles flawlessly! Along for the ride and to counterbalance Clint Eastwood's role as the gruff gunslinger is Chief Dan George. His character brought comedic relief and a more realistic portrayal of a Native American, which wasn't done often in films produced at the time this one was. One thing is for certain when viewing a Clint Eastwood western, you the viewer are always in for a great ride!

The premise:

Clint Eastwood plays Josey Wales, a poor Missouri farmer who is trying to make a living and take care of his family while the Civil War rages on. Unfortunately for his character the war comes to his front door when Kansas irregulars known as the "Red Legs" brutally attack and kill his wife and child as he bears witness. Not long after burying his wife and child he meets up with other southerners who form a guerilla group. They immediately head off to start guerilla type attacks against northern troops. Of course the south loses the war and these groups are ordered to turn themselves in. Josey Wales chooses not to turn himself in and his fear of doing so bears out. What follows from this point is, as stated above, one of the finest westerns to ever grace the silver screen.

Special Features:

Of all of the special features available on this DVD there are a couple that are quite worthy of extra mention. The 1976 Documentary "Eastwood in Action" and the 1999 Documentary "Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales". Both are quite well done and highly informative.

I highly recommend this film to all who are into this genre or those who are looking for something different and quite genuine! Most westerns aren't a western without Clint Eastwood! {ssintrepid}

Rating:
Summary: A Civil-war era western masterpiece
Review: Josey Wales wanted nothing more than to live peacefully with his family on his homestead. That was, until he got caught up in the "Bleeding Kansas" affair when his wife and son were murdered. Suddenly, Josey finds himself riding with Bloody Bill Anderson, fighting as a guerilla. After the war, Josey finds himself a man without a home, as his band surrenders and he is left alone to fend for himself and defy the Union army. As he travels, his past continues to haunt him, and he finds redemption only in aiding various people in distress.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is a masterpiece in the Western and Civil War genres. There is plenty of violence to satisfy Eastwood fans, and plenty of shots of Eastwood scowling. But the movie is more than just a repetition of 'spit on something, kill someone, repeat.' Josey is haunted, and that becomes more and more apparent as the movie progresses. The power of this film lies in its portrait of Josey as a man left without a cause. This isn't the finest Western out there, but it certainly does deserve a place among the best. Superbly directed (by Eastwood) and with a fine cast, this movie is a classic.

Rating:
Summary: Clint Eastwood's best movie: an American Classic
Review: Although Clint Eastwood gained his greatest critical acclaim as a director for 1992's "Unforgiven" and 2003's "Mystic River" -- both of which are incredible pieces of American cinema -- his best film remains this perennially popular Western from 1976. Here's Eastwood's own take on it: "I do believe that if I'd made that picture in 1992, in place of 'Unforgiven,' it might have received the same amount of attention, because I think it's equally as good a film. I think the subject matter of 'Josey Wales' is timeless." Orson Welles himself named it one of his favorite movies!

Yet critics at the time completely dismissed it as just another Clint Eastwood Western-Revenge flick. On the surface, the plot might give you that illusion: Missouri farmer Josey Wales loses his family to marauding Union cutthroats during the civil war. In retaliation, he joins Qunatrill's raiders in the guerrilla warfare that flames across Missouri. When the war ends, Wales refuses to surrender. He flies west across the country, chased by his former leader Fletcher (John Vernon in a great, sympathetic performance) and Terrill, the Union captain who murdered his family (Eastwood regular Bill McKinney). It seems Wales has no future except to stay alive long enough to get his revenge.

But...that's not at all what movie ends up being about. Gradually, Wales finds himself at the center of a growing community of outcasts from many different backgrounds: an old Cherokee named Lone Watie (Chief Dan George, in the film's most unforgettable performance), a band of Northern settlers (including Sondra Locke in her first role with Clint), a girl from another Native American tribe, the residents of a dying Texas town, and a red bone hound. Gradually, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turns into a story about forgetting revenge and a fixation on death, and instead about embracing life and rebuilding a community. "Dying is easy for men like you and me," Wales says to a Comanche chief (Will Sampson) in one scene. "It's living that's hard." It's one of the most unexpectedly uplifting and moving films ever made. And, let's make no mistake about it, it's also an action-packed, tough, and exciting film.

Strangely, the film came out of extremely difficult circumstances and rough beginnings. Eastwood purchased the rights to Forrest Carter's novel "Gone to Texas," only to discover that the author was actually Asa (Ace) Carter, who had worked as a speech writer for George Wallace supporting racial segregation and had once created a subgroup of the Ku Klux Klan. Upon meeting Carter, Eastwood and his producer Robert Daley found the man to be a borderline sociopath (he drew a knife on one of Daley's secretaries at a restaurant). Regardless, Eastwood loved the beautiful story too much and pushed on with making the film. He hired Philip Kaufman to both write and direct the movie, now re-named "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Kaufman (along with Sonia Chernus) wrote a stunning script, but after only a few days on the set, it became obvious he wasn't working out as a director; his style clashed with Eastwood's. Eastwood quietly removed him as director and took over the job himself. As Eastwood's biographer notes, "Kaufman was to a degree the victim of Clint's growing confidence in his own abilities."

Despite this confused beginning, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turned into a magical piece of Western cinema and a huge hit with audiences. It gets better and better with each viewing: a thrilling adventure when you first see it, its many layers of beautiful subtlety emerge each time you go back to it. Bruce Surtees's photography is astonishing, Jerry Fielding's music exciting and unusual for a Western, and every performance top-notch. Few films are as all-around well done as this American classic.

The DVD offers the film in a glorious widescreen transfer with a new 5.1 sound mix, but there are no extras. Considering the history behind the making of the film, this disc really ought to sport some fascinating commentaries and documentaries, but alas, nothing. Still, I can recommend few films higher than "The Outlaw Josey Wales."

Rating:
Summary: One of the best westerns ever made.....
Review: I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Rating:
Summary: Distinguished epic western that revitalized the genre
Review: At a time when doing a Western was a definite financial misstep for a movie studio, Eastwood took on this unique project believing in it's potential for success. Westerns had become increasingly cardboard and cliché ridden by the mid-seventies and Eastwood single-handedly pumped new life into that tired genre with this inspired treatment of a rare and then unknown novel. As a result the character of Josey Wales is now etched into the folklore of Western films along with many other luminary figures of the silver screen. Not only did the film do well at the box office it also gathered a great amount of critical praise and has since received the distinction of being selected to the National Film Registry. Though it only received a lone Academy Award nomination for its music score 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' has won infinite admiration of generations of film fans since its release in 1976.

During the early months of the Civil War simple and carefree Missouri farmer Wales' wife and son are slaughtered and himself left for dead by a renegade gang known as the Red Legs. Josey happens to meet a band of Southerners seeking vengeance against that group and quite naturally joins them. Over four years pass and the Southerners' leader announces that he has worked out a truce with the Union for their peaceful surrender. Rather than continue fighting the men agree to the truce and are double-crossed by the Union; Wales had decided against surrender, preferring to pursue the vengeance he still felt he was owed. Seeing the double-cross the men are caught in he takes action, resulting in the deaths of many Union soldiers - which leads to an unjust bounty being placed on his head. Wales begins his run from the still bloodthirsty Union marauders and along the way has to do battle with a variety of Westerners who want to collect the reward for bringing him in. He also rediscovers the man he was meant to be, meeting homeless Indians and hopeful Texas settlers, acquiring a family of sorts.

Based on the book "Gone To Texas" by Forrest Carter, who claimed to be half-Cherokee, 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' ranks among the best films in the Western canon. Director Eastwood keeps the movie both unromanticized and unglamorous, maintaining authentic period flavor and portraying the Native Americans with all too rare compassion and sensitivity. The inclusion of anti-sentiment between the North and the South after the Civil War adds immeasurably to the effectiveness of the story. The lead character is brought to vibrant life by the capable and superlative Eastwood who perfectly conveys the different states of conflict Wales goes through, reticent to change but proving vulnerable to the best qualities in people. The rest of the cast is equally superior in bringing conviction to their roles as well, with Chief Dan George as Lone Watie a standout and Paula Trueman as Grandma Sarah most memorable. Along with 'A Fistful Of Dollars' and 'Unforgiven', 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' stands as the best of Eastwood's Westerns - with a nod to 'Pale Rider'.

The only major misstep: the name-dropping of "Bloody Bill" Anderson who is never dealt with beyond the introduction he supplies to Wales near the beginning. While he is a genuine historical figure the mentioning of him is completely unnecessary and seems to be added to give the impression that Josey Wales is as "factual".

Rating:
Summary: This movie is a Legend, featuring Eastwood at his very Best
Review: This is my favourite western, if not one of my favourite movies. Either watch it or read the many other critics to understand.

Far from being akin to one of his earlier Spaghetti Westerns (the film was shot in 1976), it offers quite a bit of scenaristic and sometimes even sociological depth, and the rendering of the story only gets better with each viewing.

The scenery and the shots are majestic, the settings are dramatic and the story is spell-binding, while the dialogues are essential and percutant.

In my view, this movie definitively features Eastwood at his very best, both as a Director and as an Actor. It is the kind of movie you'll feel you've somehow missed, that is untill you see it for the first time, and if viewed once, you'll have to consider it as an inevitable, both as a Western and as a stepstone in Eastwood's wide and long ranging film-making career... each subsequent viewing will probably only confirm you in your assumption.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Clint!
Review: If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles.

Rating:
Summary: A Man Like Wales, Lives By The Feud
Review: Some 16 years before the Oscar laden and equally brilliant "Unforgiven", this movie is seen by many as one of Clint Eastwoods finest movies, particularly in the Western genre. Playing the title role himself, we meet Josey Wales, a quiet farmer, abruptly thrown into the civil war after his land and family are attacked by Union soldiers, who joins up with the confederate fight in an almost guerilla / mercenary way. The civil War aspect of the story is little more than an opening skirmish however, as it is the subsequent fugitive aspect of the character that moves us through most of the picture. I have to disagree with those that think this is just a revenge movie, or that a single viewing is all one can manage, as the story unfolds in a multi faceted way with each succesive viewing, despite the viewer knowing the ending. Wales comes to be the guiding scout and protector to an unlikely and very mixed bag of characters (all played with sound realism)as he is continually and almost reluctantly hounded by his former ally Fletcher. Charged with hunting him down, Fletcher (played with a salty almost poetic grace by John Vernon) must accompany a band of "red leg" Union soldiers, with more than questionable morality, to the border and this long pursuit helps the picture move at an even pace. Add some interesting subplots, commancheros, some imaginative and lively characters (with many of Eastwoods regular screen stars in various roles)and the overall effect is just right, without trying to be moralistic. Often brutal in it's depiction of the "wild" west, and at times graphically violent keeps the deserved R rating, but some moments of comedy and pathos bring an unmistakable Eastwood handprint of direction, without overtaking the excellent story or script. Already widely received as a classic piece of filmaking, it has stood the test of time extremely well, and has become one of the movies that have benchmarked the genre since it's release almost thirty years ago. Extremely enjoyable movie.

Rating:
Summary: Great film but watch it once only
Review: If you can watch this film over and over again then you must be incredibly stupid. Once was enough for me, buster!

Rating:
Summary: Not for family viewing
Review: This might have been a passable western BUT with such violence and a pretty graghic molestation scene, it is certainly not PG family material! Very disappointed!