Gone Are the Days

This is on Netflix now, and while I enjoyed it the first viewing, I really had to see it twice to fully understand it. Maybe I am slow, but once I really had the insight it was a beautiful story. It is a story of redemption not only for the main character, but a supporting character.

Some have complained about all the coughing the main character does - but to fully understand the movie the coughing - and the medicine he takes - is necessary to the plot.

Not trying to start a fight, but I believe some of the reviewers have gotten it a bit wrong as far as the character backgrounds. To explain this further I'd have to spoil it.

See it - and see it a second time if you have to.

Wish I could get the soundtrack but haven't seen it.

Lance Henriksen did an OUTSTANDING and Oscar worthy performance in this slow burn character driven movie. I agree with some of the other critiques that too much time and emphasis was spent on the characters deteriorating health (in the beginning of the movie) but other than that I can't find another fault in this GEM of a movie. Every single actor brought their A game.....The direction was spot on. The setting and costumes were genuine and the camera and lighting were done superbly. The score was appropriate and added to the scenes wonderfully. I bawled at the end.....and I loved it.

Despite having (the always endearingly odd) Steve Railsback and Tom Berenger in supports, Danny Trejo in a cameo the whole show here is Lance Henriksen.

He is a wonderfully convincing as a former bad man, dying of natural causes and unhappy with who he has become physically and, perhaps, mentally. His solution is to exit life in a blaze of glory whilst confronting personal demons and righting past wrongs. Along the way he is joined by the ghost of a colleague and, what seems to be, Death. Cheery this isn't.

The photography is of the modern realism school (perhaps also because of the low budget) and the supporting characters aren't fleshed out. The films starts slow and is short on action but it is a "slow burn" with elegiac asides. It comes across as a cross between the masterful "The Shootist" (1976) and (the somewhat overrated but much loved) "Unforgiven" (1992).

Not magnificent but definitely one for lovers of westerns, who are familiar with the genres tropes or for lovers of Lance Henriksen, of which there should be more.

Movie moves kind of slow, focuses on what its like getting old and knowing its almost over

Has some underlying messages on how some younger guys figure old guys are 'out' of it

Redemption the hard way, going out like a man etc

Lots of cigarette smoking

Very good to above average acting, good direction, good camera work, excellent costume work. Characters are believable, ages are correct for roles. Set pieces look real for the times they are in

Trio should NEVER have gotten first billing, he is barely in this movie.

Good symbolism done in the movie for 'crossing over'

--Enjoy

This movie is a perfect example of why plot and plot development is king when creating a film. The casting and strange dialog elements that are drawbacks in this film are easily overlooked because of how great the plot is. Some of the accents and lines simply don't fit and do not feel like they belong. However the story shines through and truly comes to a great resolution. No academy award level film but definitely a decent movie to watch if you're looking for a easily digestible "western"