The Western from director Walter Hill that most people remember as “the film with all of the acting brothers in it”, The Long Riders should never be mistaken for just a movie with a good gimmick. In fact, the casting is more of an inspired decision than a cynical one, allowing a number of great actors to work with their siblings in a way that showcases real connections, and the obvious physical similarities, between them.
The movie focuses on the exploits of Jesse James (played by James Keach) and his outlaw gang. It’s just after the Civil War in America and Jesse James and his friends still think that they have the ability to do what they want in their own country. Of course, what they want to do is rob banks. Little do they realise as the film opens that a net is about to be cast that will draw tighter and tighter in an attempt to capture them all and put an end to the Wild West of yesteryear. Yes, Walter Hill’s movie works as both a classic Wetsern piece and also a snapshot of a time when the Wild West was being tamed and civilised.
James and Stacy Keach may have helped to write the script, and may play the James brothers, but they’re not selfish when it comes to great moments being shared out amongst the rest of the talented cast. David Carradine gets to work well with Pamela Reed and also manages to get into a superb bar fight with James Remar, Keith and Robert Carradine also get to make a memorable impression on a number of occasions, Randy and Dennis Quaid play very different brothers who find themselves divided and Christopher and Nicholas Guest threaten to steal the movie with their few scenes. James Whitmore Jr manages to hold his head high, despite being stuck in the thankless role of the main lawman out to stop the entertaining outlaws and Kevin Brophy and Shelby Leverington both also do well with their small, but important, roles.
It’s a testament to the script and direction that nobody gets lost in the shuffle, nobody is short-changed. Walter Hill is, as fans will already know, absolutely assured when it comes to handling the material and, of course, when it comes to the action moments. The score by Ry Cooder is another treat, accompanying some surprisingly beautiful visuals. Before anyone takes me to task for calling some of the visuals “surprisingly beautiful” I must say that I’m not saying that action movies can’t be stylish and/or beautiful. I am, however, saying that if people can give me five other examples of action cinema moments that rival the astonishing climax of The Long Riders then I will be very, very surprised. The film is consistently great, but the finale elevates it to near-classic status.
If you enjoy a good Western, buy this. If you’re a fan of Walter Hill, buy this. If you love good acting with your action fix, buy this. There’s very little reason not to buy this.
The Long Riders makes its Blu-ray debut on Monday 3rd June here in the UK. The disc may not be jam-packed with extra features, but it does include a decent “making of” featurette that runs for about 60 minutes, a 15 minute anatomy of a scene and a 5 minute featurette allowing Hill to discuss his relationship with Sam Peckinpah and how working with the man may have influenced him.
DIRECTOR: WALTER HILL
WRITER: BILL BRYDEN, STEVEN SMITH, STACY KEACH, JAMES KEACH
STARS: JAMES KEACH, STACY KEACH, DAVID CARRADINE, KEITH CARRADINE, ROBERT CARRADINE, DENNIS QUAID, RANDY QUAID, KEVIN BROPHY, HARRY CAREY JR, CHRISTOPHER GUEST, NICHOLAS GUEST, JAMES WHITMORE JR, SHELBY LEVERINGTON, PAMELA REED, JAMES REMAR
RUNTIME: 100 MINS APPROX
COUNTRY: USA
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