The Outlaw Josey Wales Reviews

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

(OK) The first great Eastwood, all his past and future themes are here, with humour and bitterness when it has to be. He's fatherly with Sam Bottoms, but friendl or even guided by Chief Dan George. In the end, he establishes a civilization in the canyon, plural and harmoniuos and wants to die for it... I can't take off my mind the dialogue between Chief and the old lady, where each syas 'no offence' and answers, 'not taken'....

Theres nothing like a western starring Clint Eastwood, and this is one of the best, doesn't quite match the Dollars trilogy but its still a great film. He even directed this himself. He plays his classic ass kicking role, with anyone he doesn't like tasting a round from either; one of his pistols or his rifle. In this film in particular, its the Union soldiors who butchered his family he's aiming at, and a few bounty hunters that try to claim the price on his head, but none can match the gunslinging of Josey Wales. Josey picks up a few allies during the story, my favourite being a bad ass old Indian guy. My favourite moment has to be the gun fight at the end, Joey Wales on horseback and a fortified hut full of people pissed off with the Union, against a squad of Union soldiors...

First of all, it is important to note that, in fact, this movie was actually probably the first one Eastwood has directed which was really heralded by the critics and it is nowadays considered as a classic. As far as I’m concerned, it is not actually the best Western he has directed and 'Unforgiven' remains easily his best in my opinion. In fact, to be honest, I frankly failed to see what so great about the damned thing but I have to admit that it was still quite  enjoyable. Basically, you had all the standard ingredients : the farmer whose family has been raped and murdered and who becomes a ruthless killer, the Civil war, some Indians, some bounty hunters,... Obviously, Clint Eastwood gave here his usual bad-ass performance and I thought he was once again pretty awesome and the old Indian guy was pretty cool too. The funny thing was that Eastwood was not even supposed to be directing this flick but Philip Kauffman, the screenwriter, left at the beginning of the shooting and eventually it became one of the most highly regarded movies directed by the legendary director. Anyway, to conclude, even though I don't think it was anything really original, it was still a very well made and entertaining Western and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.