A cautiously optimistic epic, deeply rooted in American history. Bolstered by Surtees's magnificent cinematography, Fielding's fine score and an excellent supporting cast highlighted by the scene-stealing dry wit of Chief Dan George, Josey Wales affirms life and community with bracing conviction.
After a period of directorial uncertainty, the film demonstrated Eastwood's ability to recreate his first starring role, as the mythic Man with No Name of the Italian Westerns, and to subtly undercut it through comedy and mockery.
Clint Eastwood has turned in some great performances in some great movies, these include Unforgiven, Dirty Harry, and this film The Outlaw Josey Wales. Eastwood himself gives one of his finest performances here, and he is well served by a very talented cast who turn in equally impressive performances and also the film is superbly directed.
The film looks wonderful, the production values are very meticulous and the film is beautifully shot. Jerry Fielding's score compliments the film perfectly, and the dialogue and characters are all memorable.
I must also give credit to the story. The story here for me has very rare a dull moment and, from the shocking opening sequence to the ending that appeals to me every time I see this film, is swiftly told.
Overall, great and one of Eastwood's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.
The Outlaw Josey Wales is honestly a masterpiece and a half, the movie's plot is great and it's about Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) going to help the Indians who are in need of help and he does so. Also, the movie's got some great acting from all the cast especially the legend Clint Eastwood. Finally, the movie has got a great love interest which features the man himself Josey Wales and throughout this movie, it's got some bloody but brilliant action scenes from start to finish which are honestly amazing. Overall, it's a masterpiece and a half of a western with a great plot, great acting from all the cast, a great love interest and some bloody but brilliant action scenes throughout. It's honestly worth the watch, I'd honestly recommend this one.
Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales is a strange and daring Western that brings together two of the genre's usually incompatible story lines. On the one hand, it's about a loner, a man of action and few words, who turns his back on civilization and lights out for the Indian nations. On the other hand, it's about a group of people heading West who meet along the trail and cast their destinies together. What happens next is supposed to be against the rules in Westerns, as if Jeremiah Johnson were crossed with Stagecoach: Eastwood, the loner, becomes the group's leader and father figure.
This directorial style seems to spring naturally from the man, assuming that Eastwood's screen character, in its mature, or post-spaghetti, formulation is a true reflection of his sensibility. The flat, quiet voice, the understated grace of his movements, the sweet almost boyish manner, contrasting so curiously with the violent deeds he performs, have a remarkable way of gaining sympathetic interest not so much through command as through insinuation.
The screenplay [based on the book Gone to Texas by Forrest Carter] is another one of those violence revues, with carnage production numbers slotted every so often and intercut with Greek chorus narratives by John Vernon and Chief Dan George.
The movie tends to muffle and sell short whatever points it may be trying to make. There seems to be a ghost of an attempt to assert the romantic individualism of the South against the cold expansionism of the North. Every Unionist is vicious and incompetent, whereas Wales, despite his spitting, is really a perfect gentleman. There is something cynical about this primitive one-sidedness in what is not only a historical context, but happens also to be our own historical context. To the degree a movie asserts history, it should at least attempt to do it fairly.
I've been viewing this film since I was a teenager. It's gritty, real and the acting is pretty darn good. If you like the good the bad and the ugly you will like this film. The action scenes are right on and Clint as a real as it gets as Josey. Give it chance!
A little overlong, though 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' is an entertaining watch - with cool action sequences and a pleasing ending.
You have a strong performance from Clint Eastwood and good support showings from the likes of Chief Dan George and John Vernon. The plot is interesting and the road-esque nature of it keeps it moving well. I do think they could've trimmed the run time slightly, while Eastwood's character really didn't need to spit so much - on a dog and some insects, no less. Just bizarre, it adds zero and simply becomes an irritation.
A sequel, without the involvement of Eastwood, was released ten years after this - I'm intrigued to check it out.
Son fils et sa femme ayant été assassinés, Josey Wales décide de se venger... c'est sur cette idée absolument géniale que Clint Eastwood bâtit son film et déroule un scénario incroyable...
Oui, je me fous effectivement de ta gueule, Clint : ne t'énerve pas et ne défouraille pas tout de suite, car j'apprécie dans ton film ces quelques réminiscences de l'homme au poncho, de l'homme sans nom ("blondin" !) que tu incarnais sous la houlette merveilleusement ironique de Sergio Leone. Mais ça, c'était avant et tu n'es certainement pas ici Sergio Leone à l'apogée de sa carrière (la fameuse trilogie du dollar qui t'a mis le pied à l'étrier !).
Donc mon Clint fait quelques grimaces et nous ressort sa moue légendaire tandis qu'il flingue plus vite que Lucky Luke les importuns et les malfaisants... Mais c'est vraiment tout ce qu'il y a à tirer ou retirer de ce western poussif et c'est pour ça que j'irai jusqu'à deux, pour ta gamelle.
La mise en scène est mollassonne pour ne pas dire maladroite, la photographie est terne et les acteurs ont l'air perdu... ils n'en paraissent que plus gauches et maladroits eux aussi, tout ça pour servir la soupe à notre grande star... Comme je le disais, ce western est une limace qui pédale dans la choucroute et distille plus vite l'ennui que le whisky. Il ne fait pratiquement que ça entre deux mimiques et quelques sourcils froncés de ce sudiste très vindicatif.
Il aurait fallu un scénario digne de ce nom mais Clint n'avait pas ça sous la main, alors il a improvisé : bonjour les dégâts !