From my favorite movies..

A Disappointing Continuation

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

One of the things that most impressed me about Philip Kaufman's take on the James-Younger gang's depredations when I was a kid was that he didn't make these guys out to be heroes: they were Civil War veterans who held grudges and did everything they could to make the Northern Invaders pay for what they'd wrought. The dark, dreary look of the movie fit its overall tone. It was interesting, too, that Kaufman focused more on Cole Younger than Jesse James (who, as played by Robert Duval, struck a chord most creepy as the often bible-thumping but murderous son of a preacher). A unique western then, and just as compelling a film now. Hop on board for the ride: you won't be disappointed.

In this film the real brain of Jesse James's gang is Cole Younger(Clff Robertson). Jesse(Robert Duvall) is a very mean guy, who does not care much for women and his brother Frank is just his yes man. Robertson is excellent as Cole Younger, he looks like a heavy man, which Cole really was, he is intelligent and human. When he hears that amnesty was given to the gang, he goes to Northfield to stop Jesse from robbing the bank, but on the way he learns that it was denied, so he decides to go along with the raid. When he learns that there is almost no money in the bank because people would rather keep it at home, he conceives a plan with the bank's owner for everybody to get scared and make deposits. There is a quite comical baseball game between St Paul and Northfield where Younger meets the town's most important persons. This version of the James and Younger's story seems to be very far from what really happened, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

There are some very interesting moments in this movie. The performance by Cliff Robertson is indeed very good, and I think the movie raises some interesting points in its portrayal of the James/Younger gang as a metaphor for the final death rattle of the old south against the modernizing north. However, this movie can't seem to decide between a comedic tone or an ironic and cynical one. I would say it succeeds in its more serious moments, but the comedic sections are very contrived.I went to college in Northfield, and I was glad to see my alma mater represented in the film (before its name was changed to Carleton). I became pretty familiar with this raid after attending Northfield's annual "Defeat of Jesse James Days" festivities four times. Surprisingly, the actual raid itself is portrayed fairly accurately, with the proper body count and roughly similar series of events, although some details are different. I liked the irony the filmmakers added with the incident of Cole Younger fixing the rifle that was later used to snipe at his gang members. Oh yeah, and you gotta love those snow capped mountains that surround Northfield (yeah, right), and the whorehouse full of buxom Scandanavians!

This is a terrific film with an amazing performance by Robert Duvall.The cast is excellent and the direction by Philip Kaufman (THE RIGHT STUFF) is visceral and exciting. This film captures the energy of the real Old West. The film takes place in 1876 when the U.S. was just taking shape as a nation. Wonderful new contraptions are coming into being which fascinate the outlaws. Duvall plays the famous, often psychopathic outlaw Jesse James. Duvall is like a demon possessed and dangerous as a coiled snake. This film shows off what a wonderful actor he is. There is a rollicking energy to this often humorous and alternately tragic film that captivates the viewer. I cannot recommend this film enough. IT IS A