Post by drystyx on Sept 9, 2017 17:06:55 GMT
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, I'm glad we all agree, is Peckinpah's "master piece", and what will make him a legend.
Why does this stick out over his other works, almost all of which are mere bland uses of violence? We have to admit that there are more kills, more violence, more bangs, in his other action films, but we also have to admit that they are drab compared to his one classic RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY. It's good that we all agree on that, because that now makes it OFFICIAL!
So why does it stick out?
It's more than the legendary actors. Sure, it has what is undeniably the greatest showdown scene in film History, undeniably the most memorable gunfight in Westerns, even greater than SEVEN MEN FROM NOW and THE TIN STAR, both with classic climactic showdowns.
First, his classic camera angles of the final showdown has yet to be surpassed. It can only be equaled. It's perfection.
It's also the change in the characters. Most action movies don't really have characters change or have credible revelations the way this one does, including Sam's other Westerns. Oh, people will claim they do, but they don't. They merely show that a character was a geek all along. And that suits most audiences, since the control freaks who decide what the group watches are always "Beavis and Butthead".
But what will endure? Clearly, the test of time is over a century, but even that is overrated. There have always been control freaks who want mindless thugs like Homer's Odysseus (of which Leone's spaghetti heroes are complete clones of, traditional Greek heroes), and there have always been those who have actually stepped out of cubicles. Obviously, in a world of spoiled brats who don't know what pain is, who think they could gun down three gunmen and then stand around their guts without gagging, these geeks are prone to adore the goofier Westerns, as we see from Imdb voting, posts, and ratings.
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY gives a more credible look at violence than Sam's other Westerns, undeniably. It's still a bit over the top, but not nearly as ignorant as Wild Bunch and other "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" bits of boredom. And much less preachy. Wild Bunch, with the constant killing of beautiful black haired women, isn't even subtle in its Nazi propaganda, and one can't help but think that Sam was jilted by some hot brunettes and took a while to grow up. Not to say he was always that way. Osterman Weekend looks like he was jilted by some hot blonds. So, at least he was consistent.
HIGH COUNTRY never really illustrates why the Hammond brothers are evil and the good guys are good. There's a bit of magic in it. As lawman Steve, Joel McCrea states that "you just know". His friend, played by Randolph Scott, is disillusioned, but by the end understands that one has to beat the devil in order to have a worthwhile existence.
What's great about HIGH COUNTRY is that it is the most subtle of Peckinpah's Westerns, and relies more on "credible characters in incredible circumstances" than the others, which are just Hollywood formula movies of the same old hatefulness and demonic preaching. In fact, it's the only Western of his in which he doesn't batter us with demonic preaching.
Sure, there will be a few "sheep" of the system whose "sensibilities" will not let them allow others to enjoy something other than demonic preaching, and those "sheep" are the loudest bleating sheep here, I'm glad we all agree, but mature minds will agree that Peckinpah's master piece is RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY.
And now that we are in agreement, it is declared OFFICIAL!
Why does this stick out over his other works, almost all of which are mere bland uses of violence? We have to admit that there are more kills, more violence, more bangs, in his other action films, but we also have to admit that they are drab compared to his one classic RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY. It's good that we all agree on that, because that now makes it OFFICIAL!
So why does it stick out?
It's more than the legendary actors. Sure, it has what is undeniably the greatest showdown scene in film History, undeniably the most memorable gunfight in Westerns, even greater than SEVEN MEN FROM NOW and THE TIN STAR, both with classic climactic showdowns.
First, his classic camera angles of the final showdown has yet to be surpassed. It can only be equaled. It's perfection.
It's also the change in the characters. Most action movies don't really have characters change or have credible revelations the way this one does, including Sam's other Westerns. Oh, people will claim they do, but they don't. They merely show that a character was a geek all along. And that suits most audiences, since the control freaks who decide what the group watches are always "Beavis and Butthead".
But what will endure? Clearly, the test of time is over a century, but even that is overrated. There have always been control freaks who want mindless thugs like Homer's Odysseus (of which Leone's spaghetti heroes are complete clones of, traditional Greek heroes), and there have always been those who have actually stepped out of cubicles. Obviously, in a world of spoiled brats who don't know what pain is, who think they could gun down three gunmen and then stand around their guts without gagging, these geeks are prone to adore the goofier Westerns, as we see from Imdb voting, posts, and ratings.
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY gives a more credible look at violence than Sam's other Westerns, undeniably. It's still a bit over the top, but not nearly as ignorant as Wild Bunch and other "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" bits of boredom. And much less preachy. Wild Bunch, with the constant killing of beautiful black haired women, isn't even subtle in its Nazi propaganda, and one can't help but think that Sam was jilted by some hot brunettes and took a while to grow up. Not to say he was always that way. Osterman Weekend looks like he was jilted by some hot blonds. So, at least he was consistent.
HIGH COUNTRY never really illustrates why the Hammond brothers are evil and the good guys are good. There's a bit of magic in it. As lawman Steve, Joel McCrea states that "you just know". His friend, played by Randolph Scott, is disillusioned, but by the end understands that one has to beat the devil in order to have a worthwhile existence.
What's great about HIGH COUNTRY is that it is the most subtle of Peckinpah's Westerns, and relies more on "credible characters in incredible circumstances" than the others, which are just Hollywood formula movies of the same old hatefulness and demonic preaching. In fact, it's the only Western of his in which he doesn't batter us with demonic preaching.
Sure, there will be a few "sheep" of the system whose "sensibilities" will not let them allow others to enjoy something other than demonic preaching, and those "sheep" are the loudest bleating sheep here, I'm glad we all agree, but mature minds will agree that Peckinpah's master piece is RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY.
And now that we are in agreement, it is declared OFFICIAL!
