(1976) Clint Eastwood directed and starred in this gory allegorical, Civil War-era film, adapted from Forrest Carter's novel, Gone to Texas, of "the basic illness of war," as the actor later recalled it.

After Redleg marauders from Kansas, affiliated with the Union Army, drag off his wife, torch his house with his young son inside, and slash him with a sword, Josey Wales teaches himself how to use a pistol expertly before leaving his farm to join a band of Confederates led by grisly Fletcher (John Vernon). At war's end Fletcher (a Judas in cahoots with a politician) convinces his rebels to acceded to an offer of amnesty; upon surrendering their weapons and standing to take an oath of allegiance, the men are shot down in cold blood, just as Josey, the only one refusing to give up, charges into the Yankees' camp and turns a Gatling gun on the blue scumbellies.

Jamie (Sam Bottoms), the youngest member of the gang, escapes with Josey, making their way south through Missouri toward Indian Nations. With a $5000 price on his head, Josey repeatedly confronts bounty hunters, whom he leaves behind: "Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms." Suffering from a serious bullet wound, Jamie expires along the way.

Making his way into the Cherokee Nation, the outlaw sneaks up on an old Indian, Lone Watie (Chief Dan George), who provides comic relief: "White men been sneaking up on us for years." In addition to Lone Watie, Josey acquires Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams), a Navajo squaw, and two Kansas pilgrims - Laura Lee (Sondra Locke), a young woman, and her granny - whom he rescues from rapacious Commacheros.

When yet another bounty hunter faces him, explaining his need to make a living, Josey replies: "Dying ain't much of a living, boy." Josey has a nasty habit of spitting on his victims, a dog, and any time the situation looks bleak, which is often. With his small group holed up at the Turner ranch in Texas, outside Santo Rio, in Comanche territory, he rides out alone, first to confront Chief Ten Bears and his Comanches followed by Capt "Redlegs" Terrill and his bounty hunters.

Before single-handedly taking on his legions of enemies, Josey allows himself a brief respite from killing by making love, not war, with Laura Lee. Unrealistic in its excessive violence and cardboard characters, nevertheless, the film communicates its apologal messages that lonely heroes are willing to die for what they believe; that people can't rely on governments for peaceful co-existence, they have to come to understandings among themselves, with the iron of their wills and weapons, for the rare privilege of freedom from oppression.

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Copyright © 2008 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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