L'Homme sans frontière

I'm surprised at the maturity Peter Fonda the director displays with THE HIRED HAND. It'll be a fruitless search to attempt to find a western resonating with the ambiance and themes of THH in its time. It would take quite a few years for the American western to embrace this new take on the mythos of the old west - far removed from the works of John Ford, Anthony Mann or Howard Hawks.

THH relates a small but intimate drama about three men travelling west for California - the gold, the ocean, the cold beer, it's a promised land of sorts for drifters like them. After a deadly incident in a small, rundown village where they bury the younger companion, the other two, Harry (Peter Fonda) and Artch (Warren Oates) decide to turn back and instead of California return to Harry's wife - whom he abandoned six years ago to become a drifter.

Upon their return Harris finds a frigid and distant wife, reluctant to have him back. She satisfied her natural sexual frustration over the years by sleeping with the men she hired - and that's exactly how she takes Harry back, a hired hand to do work around the house, until he can earn his way back as her husband.

This little vucolic drama unfolds in some neck of the woods, unpretentious and stripped of all fat, laconic as much as it is melancholic. A simple story superbly told, with small nuances and glances and full images that stand in for a barrage of dialogue and the actors hitting all the right notes, underplaying it enough to suck you in the heart of it all.

It is only natural then that Vilmos Zsigmond's cinematography matches the tone of the script. Beautiful exterior shots turn the landscape, in turns rugged and comforting, into another character. The only misstep, in my opinion, in the visual aspect of THH is the overuse of montages - Fonda superimposes image upon image as a transitory device which doesn't always work that well. I prefer full, clean images as far as that goes.

I can't find any major faults with THH - apart from that it's not what many western fans might be looking for which is of course not an inherent flaw of the film. The third act builds into a gritty and violent revenge subplot that includes a short but terrific shootout whose outcome is suffused with bitter irony. Apart from that however THH doesn't have anything in the way of action, no wild galloping through the prairie, no robbers holding up banks and no cavalries chasing away injuns.

As much sombre as it is elegiac, heartfelt and poignant, THH might be little seen but remains one of the best westerns of the 70's. Fans of UNFORGIVEN, OPEN RANGE and the recent THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES will find something to appreciate.

This is not only an overlooked western, but a sorely overlooked piece of filmmaking, beautifully shot by Vilmos Zsigmond (who uses some of the slowest dissolves anywhere in cinema) and directed by Peter Fonda, who seemed bent on capturing an authentic period flavor often missing from westerns of that time. His eye for detail, and his refusal to insert too much of it, is impressive for a young director. That is, the visual authenticity, like the acting performances and dialogue, work by way of understatement. This is a very understated film, at a time when few coming from the American market were.

Ultimately, it is a sort of 'buddy' film about the deep friendship between two characters played by Fonda and Warren Oates. It also has in common with EASY RIDER the tragic, "backward" movement from West to East, which goes against the "natural" flow of American history and literature, and which ends in death here as in the earlier film, when the "hired hand" of the title takes on a sadly ironic new meaning.

Fonda directs his actors in an understated, low-key, highly naturalistic style; Warren Oates was never warmer or more at ease seeming on camera. It is good to see him relaxed and even jovial. His character is genuinely disturbed when forced to shoot in self defense a menacing drunk taking shots at him. Larry Hagman even gives a good performance here in an uncredited role as a town sheriff, caught in an awkward spot when peace in the community demands he ask Oates to leave his jurisdiction. The off-beat comedian and actor Severn Darden (memorable from THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST, 1966) appears here in an uncharacteristic role as a malignant villain. Bruce Langhorne's music is among the most haunting anywhere in film. It will stay with you.

This film is a work of true film ART, where most westerns of its day (e.g. John Wayne's) were little more than loud, mass-market entertainments. The understated THE HIRED HAND will probably not satisfy western fans looking for action and violence in the Wayne or Eastwood mold. It is closer in feel to, say, Jan Troell's ZANDY'S BRIDE, made in the mid-70s, or HEARTLAND, the highly realistic drama of frontier struggle that closed the 70s. Yet even those who favor Peckinpah's THE WILD BUNCH (1969) should appreciate the literate script of THE HIRED HAND, written by Alan Sharp, whose credits include Arthur Penn's NIGHT MOVES (1975), and the equally overlooked Robert Aldrich western, ULZANA'S RAID (1972), which presents even more intense moral complexities.

THE HIRED HAND is, alas, now difficult to see. But make the effort, and you will be greatly rewarded.

-- Derek Bousé

This unheralded subtle film should be a "must see" for students of western US history and film buffs alike. The plot is a believable story involving characters that are NOT larger than life. These are people we could expect to know - only 125 years ago. As others have observed, Verna Bloom is THE western/frontier single mother in this film. She looks the part and shows us the day-to-day hard work of her life. Warren Oates has always been the classic prototypical "cowboy" and never elsewhere is he more perfectly cast. Finally comes Peter Fonda. Who could have thought that he could go from the drug-running renegade of Easy Rider to the thoughtful character struggling with deep conflicts of loyalty and justice? It is a tour-de-force that creeps up on you in its quiet way.

This film works on many levels. The story, the characters, the cinematography, the music, the dialog are all top flight - especially since the dialog is sparse and punctuates moments of thoughtful non-verbal imagery. If you want to see it your best chance is on Bravo or some public broadcasting service station. Please, PLEASE - somebody put this one on video or DVD. In genre this film deserves a solid nine out of ten. In general at least a 7.5 out of ten - try to see it!

If you're into film that has to have a cut every 3 seconds to stay interesting, skip this one. But if you're into film as an art form, this is a must see.

The photography is masterful by Vilmos Zsigmond. From the deeply rich silhouettes made with the natural light of a sunset to the shading and textures of lamp and fire light, this film is a profound lesson in painting with light.

The montage scenes blend the beautiful images into a pensive and graceful passage of time. The editing creates a deliberate pace that recreates a time when a horse trot was the natural speed. But when the gun battles begin the pace quickens to a gallop.

The delicate music is perfect blend of instruments for the visuals and provides the emotional depth that music should.

Under Peter Fonda's creative direction the film's elements deliver a story of a man who returns home to make things right because he had the courage to change. And just when the man and his wife restore their love and trust in each other, he had the courage go away again to save his longtime friend.

Another in the great string of Oates movies to finally come out on dvd. He's flawless as usual, Fonda is great, the old weathered wife does a good job too. Wonderfully shot. The best thing about Oates is his facial expressions, the way he frowns and gestures, he would have been a great silent actor. I'll take Oates over Nicholson any day, I love Jack too, but Oates was the best of his time....