Ritt im Wirbelwind

Former Roger Corman collaborator Monte Hellman directed two of the most underrated American movies of the 1960s/70s 'The Shooting', a puzzling western starring Warren Oates and Jack Nicholson, and the existential road movie 'Two-Lane Blacktop'. 'Ride In The Whirlwind' was shot simultaneously with 'The Shooting', and while it isn't as impressive as that film it's still very good, and one of the most underrated Westerns of the 1960s. Jack Nicholson once again stars, and also scripted. He and Hellman made a great team, and it's just a pity that they didn't continue to collaborate. A few other actors from 'The Shooting' also appear, most notably the sultry Millie Perkins, though she has a much smaller role in this one. Nicholson is ably supported by legendary character actors Cameron Mitchell ('Hombre', 'The Klansman', 'The Toolbox Murders') and Harry Dean Stanton ('Cool Hand Luke', 'Repo Man', 'The Last Temptation Of Christ'). Watching these three guys work off each other is reason enough to see this. (Also hunt down the Bruce Dern biker obscurity 'The Rebel Rousers' which they all appear in, thought it's nowhere near as good) Hellman's westerns are minimalistic and a bit of an acquired taste, but I really like them a lot. 'Ride In The Whirlwind' is easier to get into than 'The Shooting'. It's more straightforward, but still a very subtle and interesting movie, and Nicholson and Mitchell's contrasting acting styles bounce off each other really well. Recommended.

I found this film to be both traditional and non-traditional at the same time. I originally watched this film because I am interested in anything starring Jack Nicholson, but I was drawn in by the story of horse thieves and mistaken identities.

With essentially the same cast as The Shooting, which was filmed in succession with Ride in the Whirlwind with many of the same locations, this has the feel of what we now in the 90's call an "independent" movie. For all practical purposes, it is. As a result you get a good story, good acting without all the Hollywood bottom line money making stunts. A must see for Nicholson fans along with the Shooting.

Monte Hellman's "Ride in the Whirlwind," while not quite as good as his masterpiece, "The Shooting," is still an endlessly fascinating meditation on the old West. Hellman's Westerns are almost antithetical Westerns since they stress allegory and atmosphere over character and plotting. Not for every taste, this film has a lot to admire, not the least of which is Jack Nicholson's fine script and performance.

A couple of cowboys end up with a lynch-happy posse on their tails after being mistaken for members of a murderous band of stagecoach robbers. Monte Hellman's short, spare 'vigilante justice' tale is pretty good for a low-budget oater (shot back-to-back with 'The Shooting' to save money) but is likely best known for an early starring role for Jack Nicholson (who also wrote the story). Nicholson and western regular Cameron Mitchell (Uncle Buck in the great TV ranch-saga 'The High Chaparral' (1967)) are quite good as the two drifters trying to stay alive and the rest of the cast (including the always watchable Harry Dean Stanton) are serviceable. The story is lean, simple but interesting, the desert cinematography is nice, and 'action sequences' are well done. Typical of a Roger Corman project, the film is very good considering the resources available.

If you are looking for a romantic Western with traditional good guys battling against the forces of evil, then you have come to the wrong place. There are no heroes and no villains, just ordinary men and women struggling against the elements for survival. No one has an easy life, neither homesteader nor outlaw. The drudgery of the former is shown by the farmer hacking away endlessly at the stubborn stump that refuses to give up its hold. The folly of the latter comes into focus when the vigilante posse catches up with its quarry. Knowing that a life of punching cows will get them nowhere, three cowboys, played excellently by Jack Nicholson, Cameron Mitchell and Tom Filer, briefly consider joining up with the outlaw gang they've been forced to spend the night with. Not having the outlaw nature, the cowboys reject that option and determine that they best separate themselves at first light. However, by then it is too late. The vigilantes have both the outlaws and them surrounded and open fire. If they surrender, they will be hanged, no questions asked. If they try to ride out, they will be shot down. They can only climb out of the valley up the mountains, leaving their horses behind. However, as stated by one of the cowboys, it is no country to be set afoot. Thus, their enemy becomes not only the men tracking them down but also the harsh environment into which they are thrust and must overcome. That struggle is the essence of what this marvelous film is all about.