The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, PG)

Without a doubt, I will state right at the beginning of my review that the Outlaw Josey Wales is one of the greatest westerns ever made. Director/star Clint Eastwood mentioned that this was his favorite film of any movie that he did. This is a superb, high quality western. It's a western that actually adds some depth to it, much more so then other Eastwood western flicks and even especially more so then those John Wayne pictures.

The film opens during the height of the American Civil War in Missouri. Josey Wales (Eastwood) is a farmer raising a family. Union cavalry soldiers show up, burn down the house, murder the family and leave Wales for dead. As a result, Wales takes up his guns and joins the Confederates, his rage for his family's unneccessary murder fueling him throughout the movie.

Eventually, history catches up and the war ends in a Union victory. Wales remains the only soldier in his unit who refuses to surrender. Thus begins a big manhunt for Wales, with the Union officer, Captain Terrill (Will McKinney), the man who lead the assault on his farm, taking charge of the hunt. Wales makes his way to Texas, evading Union soldiers and other obstacles along the way. He eventually finds and makes friends with a group of Cherokees, and later with a family of people heading to Texas, whom Wales finds himself protecting from Comancheros and Indian attacks. Wales also finds himself attatched to his new family, but realizes he's only leading them to their deaths with the Union hot on his trail.

I've seen several Eastwood westerns: out of them all, he delivers his best acting and directing performance in the Outlaw Josey Wales. In other words, Eastwood is superb both in the lead role, and behind the camera. I might include that Eastwood wasn't originally signed on to direct, but he kicked out the to-be director Philip Kauffman and took the reins of directing this masterpiece himself.

The cinematography is excellent, with several close up shots set against the back drop of beautiful American landscapes.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is an American classic just as much it is as a western masterpiece. That's because the Outlaw Josey Wales adds a sense of moral depth to it, something that is not present in most westerns I watch. In addition, it delivers most everything you would expect from any western: shootouts, classic western draws, humor, romance, horses, memorable lines, Indians vs. cowboys, great shots of the American landscape, and a cowboy hero giving his own sense of justice.

Today, the Outlaw Josey Wales still stands as one of the best westerns ever made. It's a superb film; a western masterpiece.

                                         *****/5