Last night we watched The Searchers. Ironically, we've had that recorded on our DVR for about two years, but watched it live on TCM.
We were both disappointed. It's not that there's something horribly wrong with the film. Maybe the hype was just too much. I will say that John Wayne was mesmerizing. At one point, his glare blazed through the screen and almost scared me. Jeffrey Hunter is also good. Overall, we liked the film; it just didn't live up to our expectations.
I'm not a huge western fan. My favorite western is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, which also stars John Wayne and Vera Miles (who has a supporting role in The Searchers.) It has a twist on the usual western (print the legend.) I also like Bad Day at Black Rock. That may not be a traditional western, but it's a modern tale in a western US location. Stagecoach is another western that I enjoy--now that's traditional.
A few days ago we watched Bonnie and Clyde. We had both seen it before but it's been a long time. When I originally saw it, I didn't realize how influential it would be in American film. Re-watching it, I realized that it was probably the first time I heard Earl & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Breakdown. I still find the death scene powerful and tragic. But maybe those weaned on torture porn find it tame.
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