A Brilliant Conflict

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

The first must-see film of the year.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

. . . as in, "What would John Wayne do?" During CHISUM, Mr. Wayne joins forces with Billy the Kid to gun down countless corrupt sheriffs and deputies. No doubt many of these deputies think that they "were just following orders." But as hundreds of low-level Nazis hung for War Crimes after World War Two discovered as they were dangling from their nooses, this excuse of "I was just following orders" does NOT cut it when push comes to shove. How is CHISUM relevant to we Americans of the 21st Century Now? In a nut shell, 46% of U.S. voters have violated their Constitutional Oath NOT to elect Satan as America's President. First off, they voted for a self-proclaimed finger rapist of American Womanhood. Try to channel Mr. Wayne's (or Chisum's) reaction to the ACCESS H0LLYWOOD taped confession, or his response if Mr. T's tiny little digits had sneakily penetrated his niece Sallie's most personal part. Can't you just hear him muttering "You make me sick, Donald" in that disgusted guttural tone he had (assuming that he did not resort to immediate "Frontier Justice")? At the very least, CHISUM Justice calls for any known Trump supporters to spend the rest of their lives on their state's Sex Offender Registry, because American Law always has equated conspiracy to condone or facilitate a crime with actually committing that offense yourself, with an equivalent penalty being imposed on you.Perhaps the next biggest Reveal from last month's fiasco is that Communist Russia has been propping up the National Rifle Association financially for at least a decade, funneling in countless rubles for their pro-Trump political ads. Exit polls show that election loser Trump got 91% of the vote from card-carrying NRA dupes. If America ever gets back to her normal self, the NRA MUST be outlawed as a terrorist organization.Finally, Trump's appointment today of KGB chief Vlad "The Impaler" Putin's top Fifth Column Agent in America as U.S. Secretary of State--4th in line to the Presidency--after the previous Administration had Nixed this clown's plot to double what we pay at the gas pumps by merging his Exxon Company with Putin's Oligarch Oil Concern essentially welds America onto Russia's Rump as a Puppet Regime. Heroic Anti-Communist fighter Wayne would not have tolerated this sad situation for a New York Minute, nor would have Chisum or his buddy, Billy the Kid. They would have had the sense to go after ANY Trump supporter, given the fact that 24 U.S. intelligence agencies announced their agreement that the Trump Campaign was micro-managed, financed, and controlled by Putin and his Red Communist Henchmen in Russia BEFORE anyone voted. The U.S. military especially must be PURGED of the 226 generals and admirals Trump has claimed as supporters, and the rest of the Oath Takers there who have sworn to "fight to preserve and defend the U.S. Constitution" MUST be put on Trial for High Treason as soon as things get back to normal. John Wayne and his buddy Billy the Kid have NO qualms about killing as many corrupt so-called law enforcement people to make things right in CHISUM. If they had to waste a couple million Ring Leaders who duped a minority of 50 million some Fellow Travelers to Vote Trump, they would view the necessity for undertaking such a task--no matter how daunting--as a No-Brainer. America sometimes can show a little Mercy (though NOT toward a Baby Killer such as Tim McVeigh). As long as the weapons and assets of the weak-minded sheep who blindly danced to the tune of Trump's Pied Piper are promptly surrendered, there may not be a need to thin their suspect gene pool by liquidating them. We are NOT Nazi Germany. But we cannot afford to stay Putin's Amerika for very long, since inertia loves company. Again, ask yourself WWJD--What Would John Do?--and contribute to your local chapter of BANGS (Broke Americans Need Gun Stamps) Today!

Copyright 25 June 1970 by John Wayne's Batjac Productions. Released through Warner Bros Pictures. New York opening and U.S. release: 24 June 1970. U.K. release: 30 August 1970. London opening: 23 July 1970. 9,904 feet. 110 minutes.COMMENT: Fine pictorial values in this mostly interesting re-working of the early days of the Billy the Kid/Henry Tunstall/Pat Garrett legend. Filmed on grand locations, it builds up to a terrific shoot- out climax. As usual, director McLaglen's pace tends to be a little over-leisurely. Where the script is dull, his lethargic treatment tends to make it even duller. This is especially true in many of Wayne's domestic scenes with the heroine which could stand considerable cutting and even gets in the way after the great action climax. The bland and uninteresting Pamela McMyler compounds this error. Nonetheless she cannot be blamed too much for her part is not only superficial and familiar, it's not developed and her scenes are handled by McLaglen in an unflattering close-up style, which actually doesn't suit Wayne either.On a broader plain, McLaglen is obviously aiming for John Ford effects and if ever a film was a homage to Ford, this is it. Hank Worden from the Ford stock company is even in the cast and there are two wonderful villains, Forrest Tucker giving the performance of his career and Chris George packing his role with surprising malevolence. Jaeckel is a most effective and amusing henchman and Cabot is delightful as always as the villain to Wayne's hero once more (cf. "The Angel and the Badman"). Ben Johnson as usual is excellent in his faithful sidekick role, transforming a familiar piece into one that is genuinely interesting. John Agar has a small bit as the dispossessed storekeeper at the beginning of the film.The use of music and song, the set-pieces in the film like Tunstall's funeral with artfully framed backgrounds, extras and period props recall the best of Ford. Only Wayne's somewhat stiff (both physically and histrionically) portrayal and the too-slow pacing of his ranch-house scenes and the mundane TV-style close-ups of same, put the film firmly into the 7/10s, and the start of the tail end of the once omnipresent screen western.Deuel impresses as Bonney, but Glenn Corbett seems too immature for Garrett despite hiding beneath a mustache and Clothier's adroit shadowy lighting. Nice to see Patric Knowles effete as ever as Tunstall.

In the town of Lincoln, John Chisum (John Wayne) battles rustlers stealing his horses. He is concerned that greedy baron Lawrence Murphy is taking over as he buys up everything and pushing out the smaller operations. Murphy has even chosen the lawmen. Chisum and his men with honest rancher Tunstall, Pat Garrett, William Bonney aka Billy the Kid and others are forced to battle Murphy in his crocked schemes. Chisum opens his own bank and store to compete.It's a simplistic old fashion western. Chisum is the best of the good. It's not all necessary. For example, it's not really necessary for Chisum to stand up for the Indians. It becomes a bit clunky. Billy the Kid needs to be played by a more charismatic actor than Geoffrey Deuel. McSween is too idealistic bordering on idiocy. This is a movie of sharp black and white. The cattle stampede is quite impressive and there is plenty of good action. The sensibility is old fashion even in its times.

John Chisum, as we learn early on, is an amalgamation of many sorts of characters that John Wayne played over his 40-something year career. He's a basic good guy who used to seek revenge, but now seeks only justice as he has learned that the price of revenge is usually destruction. With the powerful Forrest Tucker ("F-Troop's" hero and "Auntie Mame's" leading man) as the town villain causing trouble among the cattle men, Wayne and his brood (which includes Billy the Kid) set out to take him and his men down any way they can. Wayne wants to bring in the law to do it legally, while Geoffrey Deuel (as a very likable Billy the Kid) reads the wrong passages of the bible given to him and decides his way (murder) is the only way.This western starts off with a rousing title song saluting the hero, utilizing fascinating artwork over the credits to show him in his various exploits. A fascinating group of characters (both fact and fiction) come in to give this rousing western a bit more heart than normal, particularly, the gentle rancher played by Patric Knowles who gives Billy the Kid a bible with a special inscription. This father-like character makes the legendary outlaw stand out with many different facets as he takes revenge out of grief when Knowles is shot down by Tucker's men.Glenn Corbett is also very notable as Pat Garrett, an irony considering the later unrelated western "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" was probably in pre-production at the time. A minor subplot concerning Wayne's niece gives his character more heart, but fortunately doesn't boggle down the story here with unnecessary romance. The final shootout (which also includes a memorable cow stampede) is excitingly filmed, although the use of violence is much greater than normal. The shot of Wayne on his horse at the end is also quite memorable. Overall, this is quite a memorable film, and the title song, while no Oscar Winner, will linger on in your memory long after the movie is over.