Sunday, March 29, 2009
THE DUKE
Today's NYTimes Best Film was
with John Wayne in his capstone role. Years of seeing Wayne prepare us for this last hurrah.
The rapport between the Duke and all his costars shows his immense generosity and, at the same time, his realization that good acting is good listening and good collaboration.
Improbably, Glen Campbell plays credibly as a young Texas marshall on the make for the same fugitive that Wayne and his "client" Kim Darby are pursuing. Wayne and Darby have some great verbal contests. Very well done.
It is a chase movie. It has at least three endings. It is the dialogue and banter that makes this so delightful.
The last battle is quintessential Wayne. One revolver, a rifle and the reins in his teeth he takes off in direct confrontation with four outlaws.
Of course, he wins. Sort of.
I missed this film when it came out because, by that time, I was disaffected with Wayne and a lot of his politics. But now I can sit back and remember that this was the star I watched intensely as a kid. He was a prolific actor and I saw his work regularly. I can still remember some of it and not all are westerns by any means.
And so on.
Talking just piles on the BS. John Wayne is the real thing and in this late in life picture he gives it his all and I was happy to see it.
The young Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper are in this picture as well as the always welcome Strother Martin as a horse trader. He has some good scenes.
I will give this a 3 out of Netflix5. I couldn't bear to see those three endings again.
Labels: best films
