Skip to main content

Retro Review: The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

The Outlaw Josey Wales was one of my dad's favourite movies. So I saw it a lot growing up. Every time it was on TV, he and I ended up watching it. By default, and gladly so, it's become one of my favourite movies as well.

Josey Wales takes Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name and deposits him in a post-Civil War epic about revenge and redemption. In many ways, it covers similar themes as Eastwood's Unforgiven. This movie is more thoughtful and intelligent than I remember it being. Then again, as a kid, I was mostly interested in the gunfights.

There are gunfights aplenty in The Outlaw Josey Wales, but there's a greater depth to the film, and the character, as well. This movie is as much about a group of individuals coming together to merge their destinies as they survive in the Old West. The ironic thing is Josey Wales, a violent loner, becomes their leader and father figure. It's an interesting dynamic, and plays very well, even some 44 years after the movie came out.

Eastwood brings a subtle depth to Wales. Yes, he does that thing he does best, but there's a lot going on in his eyes, his mannerisms, and the few words he says. More than most critics ever gave him credit for at the time. A scene between Wales and a First Nations chief named 10 Bears resonates strongly with current world racial affairs, and delivers a powerful message about how people from different cultures can get along.

Everything you want from an Eastwood Western is here, and a whole lot more. I'd forgotten how damn good Chief Dan George is in this, bringing dignity and humour to his aging Aboriginal. His and Eastwood's banter is spot on.

And yes, the gunfights are still awesome.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is a classic, and damn Good!
Labels:

Comments

  1. C.W. RodenJuly 19, 2020 at 10:30 AM

    Its still one of the best Westerns I have ever seen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We Came from the BasementJuly 20, 2020 at 8:14 AM

      Indeed! And it has lost nothing over the years. Thanks for the comment!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Justin Cider welcomes a Homewrecker to the Fanily

COVID-19 has impacted pretty much everything and, although some industries have slowly been able to get rolling again, sport is one that remains in limbo. This holds true for the world of Thrash Wrestling, which we in The Basement are a proud sponsor of. But the men and woman of Thrash Wrestling continue to challenge each other, and entertain fans, in a creative way. Which is why Jason and Shawn welcome Thrash Wrestler Justin Cider into the ring... err, Basement, when From The Basements takes over the Radio NL 610 AM airwaves at 6:05 tonight! Cider will update listeners on how Thrash Wrestling continues with social distancing in place. And he'll shed some light on the future of the sport, how people can support his Fanily, and more! And stick with us, as Justin joins The Basement Boys for a review of the new horror/comedy Homewrecker starring Alex Essoe and Precious Chong. Does this female-focused comedic thriller deliver the goods? Tune in after the 6 o'clock news ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Top 5 quotes from the Rambo franchise

It's Rambo Day, which means it's a day we celebrate all things Rambo. And no, we didn't make that up. It's a real thing, and part of the lead in to Rambo: Last Blood coming out on Friday. We were going to celebrate by doing a Top 5 favourite Rambo kills, but the fine folks at Arrow in the Head already did something like that, so I figured why not share our favourite Rambo quotes. I like quotes. Quotes are good. Anyway, here we go with our Top 5, in no particular order: 5) "They drew first blood." - John Rambo, First Blood (1982) Because it's always cool when the hero references the title of the movie in a quote. 4) "Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call." - John Rambo, Rambo (2008) Because it's 100-per-cent truth, and is the exclamation mark on a great monologue by Stallone. 3) "I could have killed 'em all. I could kill you. In town, you're the law. Out here, it's me. Don't push it, or I'l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grace Victoria Patterson returns

What's this? Two podcasts From The Basement in less than nine months? Has the world gone mad!?! No, but when past Basement guest Grace Victoria Patterson asked nicely if she could return to this fine podcast, Jason and Shawn -- agreeable sorts that they are -- said yes. Hence we have this new episode for your ear holes! Grace provides an update on her career, which has seen the cheerleader-turned-actress appear in no fewer than eight films plus a TV series, with more projects on the way. She and Jason talk all about this, plus some other stuff. What kind of stuff? Stick with us! And stay tuned, as The Basement Boys discuss a whole slew of movies and television, including the Netflix Jimmy Savile documentary, The Batman, the horror romp The Cellar and more! It's podcasting that's so awesome, you'll be awesomed out by its awesomeness! What are you waiting for? Push play and enjoy!
Post a Comment
Read more