L'ouragan de la vengeance

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.

Monte Hellman makes art movies--as in Mr. Wim Wenders, or Mr. Robert Bresson, for that matter. How he disguised them as hot-rod movies, or trendy hippie bashes, or simple old Westerns, is beyond me, so rarefied, quiet, composed, and art-conscious are they. RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND, scripted by its star, Jack Nicholson, reduces "the Western" to abstract essentials. Guys in a shack getting smoked out by the lawmen outside. Guys on the lam from a lynch mob. Stoical lynch-mob hanging. Tense, purse-lipped conversation between outlaw and kidnapped good-girl type. Presented against a stark landscape with no extras (I'm sure Hellman'll tell you it's sheer economics), the scenes take on the quality of gallery installations based on Western plot devices. If you ever wondered where the laconic sensibility of such latter-day types as Jim Jarmusch and Michael Almereyda came from, here's a hint.

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.

"Ride in the Whirlwind" is an interesting western for several reasons. It was written by Jack Nicholson. You just don't expect to see him in westerns but especially writing them! Additionally, the story is told in a most unusual fashion--with none of the usual cliches nor structure of a western...and it's just a very economically written film with minimal dialog and a rather simple premise.

When the story begins, Wes, Vern and Otis come upon a man who has been hung. Soon after, they come upon a small cabin where three men are inside. The men inside invite the trio to come inside and eat. And, soon after eating, a posse comes upon the cabin and begin shooting. Little did Wes, Vern and Otis know that these new 'friends' were wanted killers. Soon, Vern is shot...as are the three crooks. Wes (Jack Nicholson) and Otis (Cameron Mitchell) manage to escape...but without horses nor provisions, they know it's only a matter of time until they, too, are caught and hung...as this posse doesn't seem the type to stop and talk! What's next? See the film.

As I said above, the film is done economically. I don't mean that it has a low budget...but it was made simply, without a lot of dialog and none of the usual cliches. Because of this, it's better than the average western...and a bit like the classic "The Ox-Bow Incident". Well worth your time and the Utah/Arizona setting is quite striking.