Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Big Swede T Saw this,many,many years ago at the movies and it stayed on my mind. Having gone back to watch it again, more than once in the last couple of years,it seems even better than I remember. I have to confess to being a lifelong fan of Johnny Cash,although never convinced as to his acting skills.Still,he does convince here as Abe Cross and the whole story comes across well. True,not that much action but some Westerns don't need it. I do doubt,however,the information on IMDb that it was filmed in Spain. The Bullring is NOT the Madrid Bullring,as listed,I know that for a fact.Does anyone out there know where it was filmed? Best performance by JC on the screen?I think so. Kirk Douglas is great too and the questions raised about growing old,loneliness,love,money and how an "Outsider" faces up to it all,are explored well. A strange western but a minor masterpiece,a B movie(I love 'em!)in some ways but one that stays with you. A must see for all JC fans,of course. T

ma-cortes When an outcast gunfighter (a recently deceased Johnny Cash) with battered hat and black dressed goes to a Western small town called Rio Bajo , he meets an old time gunslinger named Tenneray (Kirk Douglas) stranded in the location along with his wife (Jane Alexander) and son (Eric Douglas) . Today he's a big guy with an enjoyable family . Meanwhile the drifter named Will falls in love with a Saloon girl (Karen Black) , the girl who could give the big guy a hard time . The two gunmen get a friendship ; Tenneray says him that he earns in a month it that he spent in one day and which killed the famous gunfighter Ringo . The 'Rio Bajo' folks expect a gun-down and they'd never forget the day the confrontation between Cross and Will . Before they paid to see a man murder a bull , nowadays they pay to see killing men . Needing money , both arrange a showdown for paid entrance and the winner take all . They're got to face a gunfight once more to live up to their legend once more to win just once more time and more money . The excitement starts at the duel when the hands point straight up . They've nothing like'em together in a duel but in the heat and hate of the small town nothing can tear'em apart . Thus, a bull square will become the scenario of the most spectacular duel ever attempted . Who will survive and what will be left of them? .The picture concerns upon a gun-battle pits two individualist characters . It's a serious , mature Hollywood Western with particular character studio about an aging gunslinger looking for peace and quiet , but also money and unable to avoid his reputation and the duel-challenges it invites against the baby-faced gun-fisted kid (Keith Carradine). So many good actors , such excellent actors as Raf Vallone , Robert J. Wilke , Keith Carradine , Dana Elcar among them , consent to appear in what amount small roles , besides make their film debut Johnny Cash and Eric Douglas (Kirk's true son and recently deceased for drug abuse). The lion's share of the acting meat deservedly goes to Johnny Cash in spite of his first film . There is , in addition , Johnny Cash's catchy theme and equally an impressive roaring climax with an amazing final showdown . It's a better than average Western although a little slow moving . The motion picture was well directed by Lamont Johnson (Little Annie and Little Britches and Mackenzie break) . If you're a Western fan you can't go far wrong with this .

h79423 I picked this up as a part of a set of dozen DVDs worth of westerns. I like westerns and I figured these would be good enough entertainment and wouldn't force me to use my brain after I get home from work.This was the first one of the movies I decided to watch, probably because I was intrigued by seeing Cash in a western. I knew he did some acting, but I had never seen any of his acting work before. I did notice that a clip from the movie made its way into Cash's video for "Hurt".I guess this was sort of typical for a movie from the revisionist era of westerns. It explores the themes of becoming old and the world you knew is dying around you. Granted, its no Wild Bunch or Unforgiven, but in its own way it is good. Not much action, which probably lost the movie a good share of its audience, but this isn't that kind of movie. These are men who are past their need for quick adrenaline fixes.The film puts much focus on the blood thirst of the townsfolk, which is in its way also a comment on the audience. The cruelty of the whole setup becomes quite poignant at the bull fight. The images of the bull being killed and afterwards slaughtered were a nice reminder of what the people were truly after.The ending isn't a real double ending. The part in which Tenneray actually won the duel, was just a fantasy by Cross. The idea was to show that even if it had ended differently, things wouldn't have been better for the Tenneray family.Also, any fan of the genre can appreciate the man in black actually winning the final duel. It goes against all the rules of western. Personally, I love it.However, mostly the film was fairly boring, straightforward and predictable. It wasn't the mind-numbing stuff I was looking for, but it wasn't the great artistic movie experience I look for when I'm not totally tired by work either. It falls somewhere between. I was hovering somewhere between 7 and 8, but in the end it rounded down to 7. Still worth watching, but not worth going through any trouble to see it.

wilkiecollins The old shooting times are over, the gunfighters are just a live legend - perhaps only a curiosity - for borrachos and mean people. Unable to fit into the new times, all they can do is killing each other, to feed their own legend or to be buried with it. In this complex, sober, highly undervalued movie, Douglas (the real one, not Michael) and Cash accomplish with their destiny, it does not matter who will be the winner, who will be the loser: both are doomed and they know it. But they are not the worst in town: this role is left to the bloodthirsty people who do not even have the guts to run personally the risk but enjoy the killing. Too late they realize what they have caused and supported, ant silence fall on them. But the'll forget, and next time it will happen again.