The religious overtures are strong verging on blatant in this version of the frequently filmed story, especially in comparison to the 1936 film with its more subtle allegories. Ford lays it on thick but does so on his terms so well and so nicely balanced with light comedy that it works. A strength is the cinematography, especially in terms of composition.
Sometimes hokey, sometimes badass, sometimes bad but overall good. I wish I could delete the last 5 minutes of this movie though, damn that was gay. The technicolor looks marvelous.
The Three Wise Men parallels are a little too corny, but Harry Carey and Armendariz are good, and Wayne is excellent. The speech the Duke delivers after leaving the baby's dead mother inside the wagon, when he tells the other outlaws the story of how her husband's reckless incompetence led his family to destruction, is one of Wayne's finest moments. He manages--no mean feat--to project tenderness and helplessness combined with rage and contempt. Who says Wayne can't act?
Some beautiful camerawork and editing in this. The film plays out comically, though Ford doesn't shy away from balancing that out with a few tragic events. Also another example of Ford's interest in more overtly spiritual themes, like The Fugitive.
Loading Products from Amazon and Ebay
