A Brilliant Conflict

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is worth a watch if you are a fan of the more adult-themed westerns of the 1950s. But whose bright idea was it to put Cassavetes in a movie like this? It's a helluva weird choice. His acting style is so different from that of his co-star Robert Taylor that the film barely holds together.To his credit, Cassavetes shoots for veracity, for a naturalism that brings humanity to a character that could've easily become a cardboard cutout of a psycho. In some ways, he is elevating the worn out clichés of the script, bringing some real life to them. But other aspects of his performance are flat absurd. For example, he periodically attempts some sort of ridiculous "western" accent, then just as quickly he'll drop it; sometimes this happens within a single line of dialog. You can take the boy out of Brooklyn, but you can't take the Brooklyn out of the boy, and I never bought for an instant that he was a tough western ranch kid with lingering Confederate sympathies. And his mood swings, as he goes rapidly from giggling to brooding, are hyper and overdone.Meanwhile, Taylor is all classic Hollywood "strong & silent type" understatement, bordering on wooden and inexpressive. Their scenes together are oil and water. It brought me out of the story, into awareness that I was watching two actors who shouldn't be sharing the stage together. Their aesthetics are just too different.In the plus column, supporting character actor Royal Dano is amazing in this movie, utterly convincing as a squatter with lingering Civil War resentments and a legal claim on a piece of land that puts him in direct conflict with the area ranchers. There are some brutal, squirm-inducing, standout scenes where Cassavetes terrorizes Dano. These are really subversive in a way, as Cassavetes' character takes on a role usually reserved for Indians, nameless "Others" who are utterly inhuman and dispensable.I was also pleasantly surprised at Julie London's performance. She has a few key scenes early in the film and does a fine job, but she's underutilized; her character is sketched quickly, then left underdeveloped as her story thread is largely dropped.Overall, this could've been a lot better, but it holds some interest for those with a particular love for the sub-genre. And Cassavetes fans will find much to like about his performance, at least for curiosity's sake.

I am of the belief that "Saddle The Wind" (1958)can be pretty much summed up when Robert Taylor (Steve Sinclair) takes a gun away from his brother John Cassavates (Tony Sinclair)after he kills a man and says, "The use of it ... you got from me .... but where did you get the love it?" How many times have we seen the older reformed gunfighter take away a gun from his gun crazy kid brother who just happens to be full of hubris? We have seen this pedestrian western plot time and time again. Sometimes it is reworked, and the kid brother full of hubris may be changed to a son full of hubris or a friend full of hubris but regardless of whether they be kid brother, son, friend or any other concocted character, it is the "hubris" that leads to their untimely demise which is usually delivered by the reluctant reformed gunfighter. Examples of these re-occurring reformed gunfighters and kid brother type of characters show up in films such as "Vengeance Valley" (1951)starring Burt Lancaster (Own Daybright/fast gun) Robert Wagner (Lee Strobie/friend with hubris), "Man Without A Star" (1955) starring Kirk Douglas (Dempsey Rae/fast gun)and William Campbell (Jeff Jimson/friend with hubris), "Gunman's Walk" (1958)starring Van Heflin (Lee Hackett/fast gun father)and Tab Hunter (Ed Hackett/son full of hubris). What I find most astonishing about these usually entertaining pedestrian western with similar plots is they always seen to work and entertain time and time again. Rod Serling wrote this one and the dialog is everything a western movie fan could ask for!

A violent western which,in spite of a happy end -a bit artificial-, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.John Cassavetes 's presence is strange and his playing is more modern than the rest of the cast;it is not easy to believe he is Robert Taylor's brother,but why not? Tony comes from a family that has a history of mental sickness:didn't he see his brother kill several men when he was at such an early age?As soon as Tony appears on the screen ,we know his fate is sealed ;the scene where he shoots at his reflection in the water is prophetic.If you pay some attention,you'll notice that Tony and his brother Steve are almost wearing the same clothes (see the scene with the Yankees and the final scenes where Robert Parrish substitutes close -up shots for his panoramic ones) Joan (Julie London who sings the eponymous lovely title track ) could be his salvation ,but this girl has always a racy past (not THAT girl! says Steve).She would like to pick up the pieces ,to start a brand new life in the country (in the westerns ,the town often means evil),but the first intimate scene between her and Tony proves it wrong: she says she loves his smile and she begins to sing his song ;but what follows is almost a rape attempt .Tony is a violent rebel without a cause:as he was always refused love and compassion -and his scene with Joan proves he is incapable of giving tenderness and affection,the only way he knows to be a man is the gun.No matter if he shoots his brother's enemy or the intruders in the valley.Tony has never grown up:his last words are touching.NB: Julie London starred in another Parish movie "the wonderful country" .

This movie is a western of great merit. Although modest in length and budget and lacking big-star actors, it presents a dramatic and realistic picture of family relationships (between two brothers) in an authentic western setting. The screenplay and acting are outstanding. The dramatic conflict between two brothers who have gone different ways in life is very well depicted and the climactic scenes very well made. Overall, a modest but very enjoyable and satisfying movie.