Dos hombres contra el Oeste

I was very surprised when I saw that "Wild Rovers" was written and directed by Blake Edwards. Edwards is more known for his comedies and occasional dramas...not westerns. Was he up to the task? Well, considering what sort of film it is, having a non-western writer/director is actually a very good thing!

Why would I say this? Because "Wild Rovers" is a totally deconstructed view of cowboys. Instead of the usual macho theatrics you see in a western, this one is much more like the lives of REAL cowboys....their dull and somewhat pointless lives. In the film, the guys work hard, get paid little, visit prostitutes, fight because they are bored, puke, and die young...like a real cowboy of the era. There's nothing romanticized about the men in this film and, if anything, they are a bit sad and pitiful.

In the story, two of these drifting cow punchers, Ross and Frank (William Holden and Ryan O'Neal) begin to question their lives and their futures. To escape this, they consider robbing a bank. After all, better to die this way than to die on the job. But if they follow through with their plan, it's pretty certain that it won't be easy and some folks will come gunning for them.

In order to maintain the realistic style of the film, Edwards does not rush the film at all. Instead, it's slow and deliberate. Additionally, the cinematography often helps to convey a sense of loneliness--with wide screen shots of the lonely prairie. It's lovely...but stark. This could make for a dull film (like "Heaven's Gate") but the writer/director seemed to maintain the proper balance of dullness, scope and the story itself.

So is it any good? Well, it's difficult to judge based on the IMDB reviews. They run the gamut...from those hating it, the indifferent as well as those who think it's a masterpiece. As for me, I really appreciated "Wild Rovers" because I used to be an American History teacher...and know Edwards' view of the west is far more realistic than 99% of the movies in this genre. Thoroughly exciting? No...but neither was life in the old west. Overall, very well made and well worth seeing provided you have an open mind and don't demand the usual western cliches and plot twists.

Ross Bodine (William Holden) and Frank Post (Ryan O'Neal) are a couple of cowboys complaining about life. They work for cattleman Walter Buckman (Karl Malden). They play with the idea of robbing a bank and riding off to Mexico. They are forced into a fight and wreck the saloon. Walter holds back their wages to pay off the damages. The two men see no way out other than to really do the robbery. Ross robs banker Joe Billings while Frank holds his wife Sada hostage. They allow him to keep some money to pay the local cowboys but Sada convinces him to steal it. Walter is angry that his two employees did the robbing. His two sons, John Buckman (Tom Skerritt) and Paul Buckman (Joe Don Baker), join the posse.

The poster is a little funny. The intention seems to be portraying this a light fun action western. I don't actually find it funny. It tries to be light at times. Mostly, it's bit muddled and long. I would rather have some better action. Blake Edwards is using too much slow motion when he doesn't need it. The bank robbery should be better. The horse roundup is the best action. Otherwise, the action is less than impressive. All in all, this is fine but I would find a comedian to be one of the leads especially if Blake intends this as a comedy. Apparently, the studio took over the finishing and Blake disowned the final product. At least, he got material for another film. I doubt he has a sense of the western genre.

Sensitive Western with satisfying and impressive directorial by Blake Edwards , in his Western debut , being based on his own screenplay . The film starts at the ending XIX century when appears railway , big companies buy ranches and new technologies put difficult things for traditional cowboys who are yearning the freedom of the open prairie and attempt to go on their hard jobs . Cowboys lives are divided between months on the range and the occasional trip into town . It deals with an aging Montana cowboy called Ross (William Holden) who finds himself a dinosaur in an old West that's dying out , he befriends a younger colleague named Frank (Ryan O'Neal) and both of whom turn to bank robbing . Both of them tired of cow-punching for a living , carry out rob a bank and flee but they are relentlessly pursued by a posse formed by two deputies and the employer's (Karl Malden) sons (Tom Skerritt , Joe Don Baker) . Declining the Old West and with the stolen stash they attempt to make a new upright start in Mexico .

Sad , melancholic and dusty-looking Western , worthy of genre , with lots of shootouts in Peckimpah style , and adding a phenomenal duo protagonist , though the pace is too slow . Moving and sensitive Western where two cowboys must say goodbye to their old lives and embark a way to crime , while a bunch chases after them . Stands out great performances for all the casting with top-drawing main roles from William Holden and Ryan O'Neal . This melancholic picture is acclaimed like one of the best twilight Westerns and has a nice nostalgic feeling . It's an excellent Western with thrills , wars between cattlemen and shepherd people , shoot'em up , gorgeous scenarios , emotion ; but also melancholy , competition , unlovable camaraderie and emotionalism . And a magnificent soundtrack by the great maestro Jerry Goldsmith , providing a rich, vibrant , and sometimes stark score to accompany the story . Interesting but uneven script and too much referential baggage , including faint shades of ¨Wild Bunch¨ by Sam Peckimpah , ¨Monte Walsh¨ by William A. Fraker and ¨Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid¨ by George Roy Hill . Marvelous slow-moving scenes when Ross/William Holden is riding a wild horse under an impressive musical background , wonderfully composed by Jerry Goldsmith . Moving Western , elegiac , subdued and worthwhile for genre lovers , including great acting by two big stars hanging right in there all the way . Perhaps one of the greatest Westerns of the sixties -as well as unknown- and certainly one of the most likable with Holden and O'Neal in their charismatic acting as cowboys turned into outlaws . And it still looks good more the 40 years on . The dialogue shines with constant wit , the noisy action is spot-on and the photography is best-ever . Even the supporting cast are beautifully drawn , such as : Karl Malden , James Olson , Joe Don Baker , Tom Skerritt , William Bryant , Victor French , Rachel Roberts , Charles Gray and a glimpse of the secondaries : Moses Gunn and William Lucking as a card player . Cinematographer Philip H. Lathrop proves himself a proficient cameraman in this awesome yarn . Special mention for the breathtaking musical score , wonderfully heard when the two pals try to take some wild horses , including a thrilling and exciting leitmotif .

This wacky Western-comedy-adventure motion picture was compellingly directed by Blake Edwards . The excessively twilight tone and overlong runtime doom this brave effort and achieved limited success at box-office . Blake's first venture Western has a nice nostalgic feel , but the pace is too slow to keep a long as well as good grip on the interest . Blake had some hit smashes with ¨Pink Panther¨ series who became him a world-wide celebrity , such as ¨A shot in dark¨ , ¨Return of pink panther , ¨Revenge of pink panther¨ , ¨Curse of Pink Panther¨ , ¨Pink Panther strikes again¨ , ¨Trail of Pink Panther¨ , ¨Son of Pink Panther¨ , among others . Since then , there have been many more hit-and-miss comedies , some wildly unsuitable vehicles for his second wife Julie Andrews as ¨The Tamarind seed¨ , ¨Darling Lili¨, ¨SOB¨ , ¨10¨ , ¨That's life¨ . His greatest hits were ¨The party¨ , the tranvestite comedy ¨Victor/Victoria¨ and of course the joyously ¨Breakfast at Tiffany's ¨. The flick will appeal to Western fans . This is arguably one of the Blake Edwards' best . This consistently entertaining Western titled ¨Wild Rovers¨ or ¨Frank and Ross¨or ¨Dos Hombres Contra El Oeste¨ deserves 'Two thumbs up' .

Wild Rovers is written and directed by Blake Edwards. It stars William Holden, Ryan O'Neal, Karl Malden, Joe Don Baker, Tom Skeritt and James Olsen. Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and the Panavision/Metrocolor cinematography is by Philip Lathrop.

It's a Western that not only was butchered by cretinous execs at MGM, but has also proved to be divisive among the Western faithful - those that have seen the now thankfully available un-butchered version that is. Wild Rovers is one of those Oaters that is very much concerned with the changing of the West, where cowboys start to find themselves out of place with their era. Think Monte Walsh/Will Penny/Ride The High Country, with a bit of Wild Bunch/Butch & Sundance thrown in for good measure, and you get where Wild Rovers is at.

Some critics were quick to accuse Edwards of merely copying Western films of past, but that is unfair. For this is a loving homage to those movies, also managing to be its own beast in the process. The tale is simply of two cowpokes, one aged and world weary, the other a young excitable buck, best friends who want more from life, so decide to rob the local bank and flee to Mexico to start afresh. Of course two men and destiny are quite often not the best of bed fellows...

There's an elegiac beauty to Edwards' screenplay, with some of the scripted dialogue lyrical and poetic. And yet even though the harshness of the West, of the life of a cowboy, and the violence that is abound, is deftly pulsing within the story, there's plenty of dashes of humour as well. This is not a perpetually downbeat movie, slow moving? Absolutely, short on ripper action? Also correct. But as the themes of heroism and honour, of friendship and folly, are born out, and the many tender sequences draw you in, a pratfall is never far away.

Technically it's high grade stuff. Holden is superb and he drags O'Neal along with him to avert what could have been a casting disaster. They make a fine and beguiling partnership and both men are turning in some of their best ever work here. The photography of the Arizona locations is outstanding, with Lathrop (Lonely Are the Brave) managing to add some ethereal beauty to the story. Goldsmith knocks out a triffic score, part blunderbuss Western excitement, part intimate pal to all and sundry.

Skip any version that is under two hours, for that is an MGM crime. The MOD DVD comes complete with overture, intermission, entr'acte and exit music, while TCM shows the uncut version but minus the aforementioned roadshow segments. This is not a Western for those looking for a Magnificent Seven style actioner, for as fun as that great movie is, this is an altogether different and mature beast, and it deserves to be better known. 9/10

Overlong, but the wide-screen cinematography (a must-see in letter-box format), music score and character relationship of Holden and O'Neal, make this one of my favorite westerns. As a nature-lover, I find the outdoor scenes, especially the horse-breaking in the snow, among the best I've seen in any western. The cinematography in this scene is breath-taking, exhilarating and thrilling. The superb and beautiful music score by Jerry Goldsmith adds to the overall enjoyment of this film. Please, M-G-M, bring this film out on DVD. It needs to be seen in it's original, uncut, widescreen version so it can take it's place along other great western films.