The scene above is set in the grubby Texas town that Josey, Lone Waite, and Little Moonlight (and the dog that Josey loves to hit on the head with tobacco juice) ride into. It's what civilization passes for in the west—full of bounty hunters and ex-soldiers and charlatans like the carpetbagger and his potion making a buck. And real homesteaders like young Laura Lee and Grandma Sarah who pretty much hates anyone not like her. Think of "Bronco Billy" and "Unforgiven" here—is this the west Bronco Billy depicts in his Wild West Show? How close is this to Little Whiskey?
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" was Clint Eastwood's fifth directorial effort and his first big success as a director. As some of you may have heard in class, he wasn't even the original director—screenwriter Philip Kaufman was. But it was Clint's production company Malpaso putting up the money, so he felt in the right to replace Kaufman when Kaufman shot too slowly for Clint's taste. The book it was based on was by Forrest Carter, who was soon unmasked as Asa Carter, a former speech writer for Gov. George Wallace of Alabama and white supremacist. None of that changes what we have in front of us, one of the few successful westerns made at that time, an era when The Western as a movie genre was pretty much dead. This movie, for whatever reason, was embraced by the public and has come to be seen as one of Clint's best efforts and a valuable film. It was added to The Library of Congress's National Film Registry in 1996.
1. Your reaction to the film? Like? Dislike? The scene or moment in the film that now, hours later, has stayed with you?
2. This was made four years before "Bronco Billy," a much different film obviously (but with many of the same cast members). We've been saying that "Bronco Billy" is a parody and commentary on the western; and it could be argued that it's a commentary especially on this film. Where do "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Bronco Billy" overlap? And to what effect? Don't generalize—oh, violence, let's say. Be specific! Draw specific parallels.
3. You should be able to do this next question now (you'll need to be able to for the test in a week).
Connect Josey Wales to three of the other protagonists we've seen this short term. How are they alike—how do we specifically see the parallels? And to what point? What might Clint Eastwood be saying through this connection?
Quick, facile answers above will earn you less that full credit for this blog entry. Think about these questions: use specific examples in your answers.
One last scene. Here's Josey on liking people. He tries to not like people—but somehow he can't stop himself from doing so. See you all tomorrow.
I don't think this is the west that is depicted in Bronco Billy. I think it relates very closely with Little Whiskey because of the civilized shops, people from all over, and a group of scared soldiers who should probably consider a different job.
ReplyDeleteI really like this movie. I think it is a really good western, and I love how the "good guy" is a confederate. It puts a real twist on the movie. The scene that has stuck with me all day is when the men were raping the Kansas girl. It was an extremely dark scene and was disturbing to me. I really liked it when Josey swooped in and killed the whole rapist gang.
Josey Wales and Bronco Billy are similar in a couple of different ways. Bronco Billy and Josey are both people who changed their life path drastically. For instance, Bronco Billy, at the age of thirty, quit his job as a shoe seller and became a cowboy. While Josey Wales, would have been a farmer his whole life if it hadn't been for the killing of his family. Also, another obvious similarity is they both see themselves as cowboys. (Josey actually is a cowboy. Bronco Billy is somewhat of a cowboy, it is debatable.) Both Bronco Billy and Josey only kill either when they have to, or if it is a horrible person. Bronco Billy killed the bank robbers who pushed a little boy down and were about to rob the bank. Josey killed everyone in the gang who raped the Kansas girl. He also killed the men who were raping the Native American girl, and who were about to kill him and receive the reward for doing so. And, lastly, they both have a soft side. Bronco Billy has one for Lily, and Josey has one for the Native American man and the young boy in the confederacy who died.
Josey Wales, Will Munny, Chris Kyle, and Jimmy all fight for what they think is right. They are also all violent when necessary. Some of them are slightly more violent than others. I think by connecting all of characters through their actions, Clint Eastwood is trying to show something about all heroes. I think he is trying to show that heroes in his movies are more like heroes from real life, not cartoon character heroes. All of these protagonists can be frowned upon in some way, they all have a flaw, if not many. Josey kills a lot of people as does Chris and Will Munny. Will Munny reverts to his habits of of drinking and killing. Jimmy is looked down on for his impulsive and sick murder of his best friend because he had a suspicion that his friend killed his daughter. And, Chris Kyle leaves his family for too long to go and fight in the war. They are all doing what they think is the right thing to do. Also, every one of these men are doing what they are doing for their family. They are all calm, composed, and decisive. They are all set in their ways. I think Clint Eastwood is also saying that if the hero believes in themselves others will believe in them too.
ReplyDelete1 I really enjoy this movie. It's action packed, which is something I really like in a movie. I like the characters, which has been an interesting change for once. Though Josey is a killer, I like him as a character. The side characters, the Native Americans, are enjoyable and funny, at times. The scene that really stuck with me was when the older Native American snuck up on Josey a second time but Josey had the girl sneak up on him. It just stuck with me that he's always thinking a few steps ahead. It will definitely be needed if he's going to go 1(really 3 and a dog) vs the entire Union army. It shows his intelligence and quick thinking.
2 One overlap BB and OJW have is its representation of Native Americans. Bronco Billy shows the native Americans how the white people would like to see them, doing ritual dances and wearing that traditional chief wear. With The Outlaw Josey Wales shows how we really changed them to be, mainly in the older guy. The US government forced them off their land and wanted then to be more civilized, because what they were wasn't civilized. Once they did change they were awarded medals and recognition by Lincoln. The effect it has is showing how times change. If you watch the movies in chronological order (of release date) we are able to see that earlier we wanted natives to be civilized but in the time of bronco Billy they wanted them to be like stereotypes say they are. Views change often and this is an example of it.
3 Josey Wales is like Jimmy Malcolm, Walt Kowalski, and Will Munney. The connection with Jimmy is that they both kill for revenge. Jimmy lost his daughter, 19 years old, and he decides to take the law into his own hands and kills his friend thinking he was the murderer. Josey is going out to kill the union members because they killed his wife and cute son. They are both angry about the loss of a loved one. And with that is the connection between Will and Josey. Yes, Will also loses a loved one, Ned, and starts killing the people that killed his friend. But aside from that I believe both Josey and Will enjoy killing/are numb to the effects of killing. Emotions have overtaken them and they don't care what they do now. It's all for revenge. Finally, the connection with Walt and Josey is how they both have a soft spot. Walt is one of the toughest old guys I know he took no crap from anyone. But once he got to know Su and Thao, he became kind to them, even if he did have a sort of rivalry with their grandma. I believe that we will see Josey have a soft spot for the lady, the one who played Antoinette Lily, and possibly will cost him his life, just like Walt put his life on the line to save Thao and Su's lives. With all these connections, I believe Clint is trying to say that each character is unique and complex in their own ways, but similar qualities that Clint keeps bringing back are shining qualities of a person, such as heroism.
~Nick
The town in this movie is similar to Little Whiskey in looks but the people inside are somewhat different. Both towns are driven by money and bounties, but the town in Texas was filled with gun toting soldiers whereas Little whiskey was not. The West in Bronco Billy is definitely the modern version of what these towns have become. There was not as much of an idea of the emptiness of the west in Bronco Billy compared to these other westerns.
ReplyDelete1. I like this movie a lot. I love all of the action mixed with the comedy, the characters are both rugged and lighthearted. I find the view point of the Union soldiers being evil but I don't think it has anything to do with the idealism of the war. I believe that Josey Wales doesn't care as much about the war as he does revenge. The Union soldiers are just evil and not acting on behalf of the union. I loved the part of the movie where Josey sneaks up on the Indian. Lone Waite is a great character because he always has something funny to say no matter the situation. I also realized his line: "I don't think it's for eating, just looking through" has been used in many tv shows as kind of a parody of this movie. The scene with the ferry is also very interesting. The character of the ferryman was funny and the way Josey solved the problem was smart and exciting.
2. Bronco Billy and Josey Wales both went through significant life changes in order to end up where they are in the movies. Bronco Billy was a shoe maker in New Jersey and Josey Wales was a farmer. I find the two near rape scenes in Josey Wales very similar to the near rape scene in Bronco Billy. Both times Clint Eastwood's character comes out and defends the woman beating up two or even six men. Both of these characters do not think much on the idea of death. Both men killed people but neither regretted it or even thought about it as many characters do in Clint's later movies. Both of these men try to showcase their soft exteriors and rarely show their soft interiors. Bronco Billy with kids and Lilly and Josey Wales with the Indian woman and Lone Waite. We talked yesterday about how Bronco Billy had no real nemesis, his nemesis was society. I think that fits with Josey Wales too because everyone is out to get him due to his reward money. It is not the exact same but both characters are almost alone.
3. Josey Wales, Chris Kyle, Walt Kowalski and William Munny are very similar in that they stand up and fight for their beliefs. They are also mostly driven by revenge: Chris Kyle- Mustafa, Josey Wales- The Union soldiers, Walt- The asian gangsters and William Munny- the two cowboys. Munny is different in that the cowboys did not harm him individually but he heard about what they did. All of these characters on not true good guys if seen from another point of view but the audience roots for them because they are the main characters. Josey Wales is able to kill everyone without thought, Chris kyle- Leaves his family for the war and kills over 160 people, Walt Kowalski- A bigot and violent man and William Munny- did many bad things in the past and leaves his small children alone for weeks. All of these men are still protectors, they stand up for the weak and they fight back. Walt stands up for Toa, Chris Kyle stands for his country, Josey Wales stands up for his family and WIlliam Munny stands up for Ned. All of these men commit a heroic act during the movie and come out different. Chris Kyle realizes he wants to go home once he kills Mustafa, Will Munny's bad side comes out when he kills all those men for Ned, Josey Wales attempts to save all of the confederate soldiers from the Union trap and becomes an outlaw from it and Walt gives his own life in order to provide a better life for the family next door. I have not seen the end of Josey Wales yet, but I expect a large shootout and heroic act.
1. Thus far I love this film. The characters and interesting and though not exactly “relatable” they are likable. Which is interesting considering the protagonist, Josie, is on the wrong side of history. To most Americans, including myself, the Confederacy is equitable with modern day terrorists, however, I like Josie. I root for him over the Union time and time again. This is because this movie doesn’t address the issue of Confederacy vs. Union in their reasons for fighting the war but rather their tactics. This movie is about the murdering of Josie’s family and his makeshift unit rather than slavery or any of the other factors in the war. The moment that stuck with me most was when all the men prepare to go down the hill to surrender and Josie is left sitting there alone. Though I was rooting for Josie a large part of me just wanted him to walk down that hill and surrender. I think the audience is supposed to feel this way, or at least supposed to feel confused.
ReplyDelete2. I actually thought of Bronco Billy when Josie first entered the town in Texas. The first things you see are two men riding almost sideways on their horses around the town; similarly to the way Josie rode his. But onto more important things…Bronco Billy’s show does paint a semi-accurate portrait of the west. There are cowboys with guns, there are Indians, people ride horses, etc. What Bronco Billy’s show does is glorify these things: the Indians aren’t regular people, they play with rattlesnakes. Additionally, shooting flying plates is very different from shooting fleeing men. Bronco Billy’s show takes true elements of the West and in part dumbs them down and glamorizes them, making them perfect for average Americans looking for an interesting afternoon.
3. Every one of Eastwood’s movies thus far have a “man vs. world” “lone-soldier” theme. Starting from the beginning: “American Sniper.” Though Chris Kyle is on a base with many other soldiers we don’t get to know any of them and therefore do not trust any of them. In the audiences mind when Kyle is in a war he’s basically on his own. Similarly in “Flag of our Fathers,” though there are multiple main characters none of them truly understand each other or have anyone that understands them. Ira, for example, is a drunk with clear PTSD but has no one to turn to. In Gran Torino the audience gets the sense that it is up to Walt to save the town, no one else can do it. William Munney, has to shoot the first guy for Ned before Ned just throws in the bucket all together, and from the beginning it is pretty clear that the Schofield Kid will be no help. All the big decisions being made in Bronco Billy such as: helping the deserter (I forgot his name) get out of jail and going to the mental hospital to get the tent, are made by Bronco Billy by himself. Similarly, though Josie has help around him, he is the one always making the decisions and he always seems to get lost from the others. It is clear that Lone Waite and Little Moonlight look up to him.
My dad is a huge Clint Eastwood fan, and I let him know which movies we watch in class. When I told him we were watching "The Outlaw Josey Wales," he responded by saying it was in his list of top 5 favorite movies. I came into class with extremely high expectations, and so far, my expectations were met. There’s one scene, or couple of scenes rather, that have stayed with me. Josey likes to spit tobacco on living things. He spits on humans, dead bodies, dogs, and other critters? I am curious as to why he does that, and what is the significance. Is Eastwood suggesting that Josey is above all forms of life?
ReplyDeleteBronco Billy and Josey Wales both sport duel wield revolvers, and they both have fast hands. They are both killers, yet killing doesn’t seem to other either character. I think Billy is immune to killing because he lives in a fantasy land, while Josey is immune to the affects of killing because his wife and child were murdered.
First, I see parallels between Jimmy Markum and Josey. They both love their family, and do anything to protect them. They both experience great loss, and they respond to that loss with violence. They want to kill whoever is responsible for taking their loved ones away. Second, Chris Kyle and Josey are both similar. They both look over their unit, and protect them from the enemy. Chris Kyle watches over his troops, and kills anyone who poses a threat with his rifle. We see Josey charge down the hill to prevent his fellow soldiers, who were surrendering, from being massacred. Josey also saves that poor woman form being sold by those looters. Lastly, I see connections between Walt and Josey. They both form unlikely friendships. Josey, a confederate soldier, have tow companions named Little Watie and Little Moonlight. Walt, a racist fellow, becomes a hero for the Hmong people in Detroit.
1. So far, I have really liked this film. Even though Josey Wales is somewhat of a cold-blooded killer, I see where he is coming from more than some of the other characters in movies we have watched. Since his wife and kid were brutally murdered by the Union for what seems like no reason, I can understand that all he has left in his life is revenge. Also, more than any of the other killers we have watched, I really root for Josey Wales which makes me really sympathize, care for, and like him. The moment that sticks with me the most is the rape scene with the younger blonde girl. It was a really disturbing and disgusting portrayal of how some of the people during that time where. It really stick with me because of how terrible the men that were trying to rape her were. They were extremely desperate and aggressive, which made me kind of happy and somewhat satisfied when Josey Wales rode up and killed them all.
ReplyDelete2. To me, "Bronco Billy" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" are similar in their portrayal of leadership and the commanding aspect of stereotypical "Cowboys." In both movies, people follow Bronco Billy and Josey Wales because they end up really liking their personalities and their charisma. Both of the characters are not the most likable men, and they are sometimes pretty hard-assed, but they still manage to have people follow them, like them, and those people are often changed and affect them. For example, Bronco Billy has his loyal group of followers and affects Antoinette Lily, and Josey Wales has his loyal Native American friends and also seems to change the young kid he was with. That kid had been scared to die, but after being with Josey for a few days he wasn't scared anymore. The other thing that overlaps the two movies is the way that violence is portrayed and glorified. Bronco Billy seemed to be the cartoon version of Josey Wales. Bronco Billy built up a reputation for being the fastest draw in the West by soothing some plates and balloons. Josey Wales is the real life version of him because he gains his reputation by killing lots and lots of people.
3. The first parallel I saw of Josey Wales right off the bat was with Jimmy Markum. Jimmy and Josey both get really distraught and angry when their child (and wife for Joesy) are murdered. Both of them go out and kill people to get revenge on what has happened. I think this connection shows how Clint Eastwood like to portray masculinity as a man that protects his family and is willing to go to extreme extents to get revenge. The next parallel I noticed was with Chris Kyle. Kyle and Wales both killed a lot of people (for pretty different reasons) and a bounty was put on their head. Since they had killed so many people and had had such an impact on the wars they were in. I think this comparison shows how Clint Eastwood likes to show his heroes as people who not everyone likes. The other parallel with Josey Wales that I saw was with William Munny. Both of them also kill lots of people out of revenge for murdered family or friends, but the other connection between the two of them is how cold-hearted and efficient at killing they are. Also, they were both farmers at one point and lost a family member and a friend. I think this comparison shows how Clint Eastwood like to portray his heroes as multi sided and not just good killers with no reason.
The first shot of the town instantly made me think of Big Whiskey, if only because “Unforgiven” is one of the few westerns I have ever seen. But I also think a certain communal nature is intrinsically a part of both places – for instance, they all walk outside and react the second someone mentions the name Josey Wales. They’re set in the same time, with the same theme, and the same director; it’s hard not to connect the two.
ReplyDeleteI have really liked this film so far. I think that the faster pace with Eastwood as the director instead of Kaufman is a main reason for my interest. I just think that despite common sense, Josey is a very “rootable” (wouldn’t dare say likeable) character. He’s quick-witted, badass. This is one of those movies where the protagonist is in trouble, and you just can’t wait to see how he gets out of it. The scene in which he encounters the two strangers is evidence for that. He seems to be screwed – the two of them ready for blood (and money), with Josey seemingly lacking defense. Yet in a quick second, with the help of his partner, they take the guys out and move right along.
I think the parallels start with Josey. Clint’s charisma and confidence in “Bronco Billy” hold his rag tag group together through the tough times. In “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” his charisma and confidence are more focused on himself. Though he does acquire a couple followers in the process, his self-confidence and calm demeanor help him navigate every landmine he seems to encounter.
I think a fundamental part of each of Eastwood’s movies is his single independent character. Said character – Chris Kyle, Walt, William Munny, Bronco Billy, Jimmy Markum and Josey – relies on no one else to take matters in his own hands and “finish the job.” To me, this speaks to the masculine characteristics that Eastwood values. Sure, he clearly thinks a man should be able to defend himself via violence. Yes, he thinks a man can and should enjoy hard liquor at times. He also believes that a man should have companions (Walt’s dog, Bronco Billy’s gang, Josey’s Indian friends, etc.). But above all, Eastwood is saying that a man should be able to act and live independently if he needs to.
1. I like the movie a lot so far. It is non stop killing mixed with some really weird humor which I find to be an entertaining mix. Even though Josey Wales would be considered a bad guy to us, I find that it's really easy to sympathize with him and want him to succeed as a character. The action scenes almost always end with Eastwood drawing two guns and killing 4 or 5 people before they can react. This formula has kept on through the whole movie and I absolutely love it, it shows how powerful and dominating he is. My favorite scene so far is when Josey sneaks up on the Native American. This scene shows some of the dry humor of the time when they exchange remarks and is a good place to set the tone for their relationship.
ReplyDelete2. There a couple parallels to draw between Bronco Billy and Josey Wales. Both of them are men who were constrained to semi normal lifestyles until a drastic change put them in the place of a cowboy, in Josey's case a bloodthirsty one. In Bronco Billy I would say that his anger problem is more noticeable because the movie has less violence overall, But In Josey Wales you can tell that he has quite a quick temper. Both of these men are idolized in a way, even though one is for entertainment and the other is for the cold hard sake of killing. Bronco Billy has always wanted to live the lifestyle, but Josey was quickly thrown into it after the loss of his wife and son.
3. The one I immediately thought of is Chris Kyle and American Sniper. Both of these men are famous mostly for the amount of people they killed. That being said, a huge difference between them is their motive. Josey Wales is killing for revenge and will not stop for the foreseeable future, taking a shot at anyone who challenges him. Chris Kyle killed only for his country, and in the movie we could see the noticeable regret he had after some of his early sniper shots. The second comparison is between Josey and Walt from Gran Tarino. The major theme these men share is suffering in their early life and turning into meaner, colder versions of themselves over the years. Although we havn't finished the movie, I think we will see Josey turn softer as Walt did by the end. Although this isn't as obvious I think another thing these men share is a loss of family. Josey's family was murdered, and Walt's family takes him completely for granted and doesn't even treat him as a human. Both of these guys are lonely and take the feeling out on other people in different ways. The last parallel I see is between Jimmy in mystic river. This one is obvious, because both of these men kill a lot without repercussion. They get their hands dirty and then act like nothings happened at all, and they have both been through rough times with family.
This movie is amazing so far. I haven't had any definite positive or negative reactions to the past few movies, but I'm loving the The Outlaw Josey Wales. I think the scene that stuck with me the most so far is the scene where Lone Waite is telling Josey about how he lost his family on the Trail of Tears. The balance of sadness (Lone Waite recalling his beautiful wife and children) and humor (Josey Wales walking away in the middle of him speaking) was perfect. Another intense scene was the scene where the band of men are attacking Laura Lee, obviously. The men's faces looked terrifyingly wild and hungry.
ReplyDeleteFor one, Bronco Billy and Josey Wales both started out leading pretty normal lives. Billy was a shoe seller, and Josey was a farmer. Eventually, they both completely transformed themselves (although for completely different reasons). They also both lost their wives, but for different reasons. Josey's wife was killed by the men who attacked his home, and Billy shot and left his wife after he found her cheating on him. So far, we sort of have a pattern. Both men end up doing the same thing or having the same thing happen to them, but by different means. Both movies also contain two main characters that are Native American, although Lone Waite and Little Moonlight are nothing like Big Eagle and Running Water outside of their shared race. Both characters, Josey and Billy, both have an insatiable hunger for something. Josey wants revenge, and he seems willing to do anything or kill anyone to "satisfy" his thirst for revenge. Billy wants to be who he wants to be inside that tent, even if the west is "dead".
Josey Wales and Chris Kyle both have an obvious connection: fighting in a war. However, Josey went to war for a personal reason whereas Chris Kyle went to war for his country. Josey was avenging family while Kyle was seemingly avoiding his in order to go back to the war. Through this, perhaps Eastwood is saying that the greatest and bravest of soldiers are the way that they are because they truly believe in what they're fighting for. With Kyle and Wales, we know that they're hearts are completely invested in what they are fighting for.
Josey Wales and Walt Kowalski are alike because they both lost their wives that they loved immensely. This loss made them both different people. It caused Wales to join the army. Walt, without, anything else left in the world that he cared about other than his dog and his car became even an even grumpier old man. When Walt began to care for Thao and Sue, he went to war as well. Although Josey was part of an actual war avenging the murders of his wife and kids, Walt was part of a war against anything that could hurt his two new friends and their family. The last and probably most obvious connection is between Josey Wales and William Munny. Although Josey didn't start out that way, they were both ruthless killers. They both seemed not to think twice about killing anyone who got in their way. Yet again, they also both lost their wives (is there a recurring theme here?). After Munny lost his wife, his life went to hell and eventually turned back to being an outlaw. After Wales lost his wife, he also became an outlaw. Eastwood certainly seems to connect loss of a loved one/something you care about deeply with violence and death.
So far I like this movie. I like how in this movie the person watching the movie is cheering for and hoping success for Josey Wales. The movie ran a little slow in the beginning, but it certainly picked up as the movie progressed. My favorite part in the movie was when the Native American snuck up on Josey and told him he could sneak up on him because he's a Native American. I like this movie and hope the ending will be something very fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteI would say that Josey Wales and Bronco Billy overlap in a couple of different areas. Both of them started out their work as something different than what they are now. A difference is that Josey Wales had a family and Billy never did. Josey Wales kills all the people because they killed his wife. Bronco Billy never had a family, and he doesn't kill people unless there is no other option.
Chris Kyle, William Munney and Bronco Billy all have similar character traits that Josey Wales has. Chris Kyle and he have killed tons of men. WIlliam Munney both are pretty loyal to their families, William Munney keeps his promises to an extent and he kills the men that killed his friend. Josey Wales kills all of the union solders that he can, he does it to get revenge on them for killing his family. Bronco Billy and he are similar because they both do what they want to do and do it well, Billy wants to be a cowboy and entertain, and Josey gets revenge on union solders.
I really like this movie so far, out of all the movies we have seen in this class this has been my favorite. The Outlaw Josey Wales is entertaining and funny at some parts. Its a Classic movie that makes the hero something unrealistically good at shooting, which is extremely entertaining. The opening scene has probably had the biggest impact on me, since the supposed good Union soldiers killed a woman and child. We then find our hero to be a confederate which people normally associate with being bad. in my eyes i think Josey isn’t fighting for the confederacy because he is pro confederate but because he wanted to give the union solders what they deserved for killing his wife and kids. This doesn’t make it right to kill all the other men but i believe thats how everything started with the fighting.
ReplyDeleteJosey and Bronco Billy both started off as something besides a cow boy. Josey was more pushed into his Outlaw portrayal but this could be a good reason to back up the parody that Bronco Billy personified. Bronco Billy wanted to be a cow boy and dropped everything he was doing in new jersey and moved to the west to become a “cow boy”. Another thing the two have in common is they are both given names like fastest gun in the west which shows the old wests love for heroes with pistols and quick hands. Besides the very literal correlations I don’t see anything else that would tie the two together. They have very different personalities and up childhoods.
Josey Wales realtes to Chris Kyle, Jimmy Markum and William Munney. All of them set out on a journey because of a very specific reason and end up killing people because of it. They all have the drive and will to put there lives on the life for their beliefs and country. John said in class today that he thought that Josey could be a cousin of William Munney. I thought that was spot on, they act the exact same in just about every way. We only saw William Munneys fall from his outlaw days but the swagger William and josey give off make me think that both are and were ruthless killers in their prime. I believe that Clint Eastwood was trying to send a message with the fact that all of these men were thought of as heroes and all of them were wiling to risk their lives to fight for a specific cause they thought was right.
I am definitely enjoying this film so far. All the characters are very interesting to me. Josey and those that fight with him are definitely supposed to be the people the audience roots for. With this in mind, it is interesting that Clint also chose for them to be confederates, people typically associated with being bad guys. And at the same time, the people that support the Union are shown as bad guys, although in history they are known as the good guys in the Civil War. It is an interesting twist that Clint puts into the movie. Even though it is a fairly small moment in the big picture of the movie, the moment where Josey is dragging his son's dead body to be buried and his son's arm falls out has really stuck with me. Josey feels terrible because he couldn't do anything to save his son from the wrath of the Union gang. Josey slipping his sons arm back into the sack is a very tender, moving moment.
ReplyDeleteIn both of these movies, the figures that represent the authority have highly questionable morals. Once the Union wins the war Terrill becomes even higher on the ladder of power. What ever he says, his men must do. Something that he said about once they find Josey, they'll weed out other non-loyal people made me very uncomfortable. He is going to go kill people that have done nothing wrong, and his men will follow him because he has power. He is a malevolent man with skewed morals, and yet he is in a position of power. This is similar to the power that the sheriff has in "Bronco Billy". He takes bribes and is downright rude when he encounters Bronco Billy. These actions do not show the law in a positive light. The portrayal of Native Americans is also very stereotypical in both movies. In Bronco Billy Chief Big Eagle does a snake dance dressed up in a full tasseled and beaded traditional outfit. In "The Outlaw Josey Wales" Lone Waite is seen listening to the ground to see if anyone is coming and using a horned road to tell which way to go. Today these actions are seen as ludicrous. Both of these depictions of Native Americans are like something you might see in a comic book.
Josey Wales and Jimmy Markum , Chris Kyle, and William Munny all seek revenge. They look for revenge for the death of their family members, friends, or countrymen. What is common through these searches for revenge is that the spark for these searches is death. With all four of these men, death causes them to seek revenge on those that have killed people they care about(or those that were thought to have killed). They all also don't want to teach these killers a lesson, they just want them dead. They want an eye for an eye. I think part of the reason Clint chooses his characters to seek revenge is to show how revenge is a very natural instinct. I think he wants his audiences to think a bit about how even though getting revenge is very common and accepted, is there a point when it isn't ok to get revenge, especially when it comes to killing, and the lengths people will go to in order to find the revenge they are looking for. Another point that the topic of revenge brings up is that if you seek revenge through death are you just becoming the person that you are trying to kill?
I absolutely love this movie so far. I’m a big fan of fantastical Westerns, movies like the Fistful of Dollars trilogy, for example. The Outlaw Josey Wales has got a lot to love about it, including a sympathetic but flawed protagonist, an unclear shades-of-gray system of morality and good and evil, lots of action, lovable characters, and funny scenes. There were a few scenes that stuck with me. The most fun to watch was probably the ferry scene, which was quite funny while still being a bit tense as we wait to see how Josey will get out of this one. The other moment that really ingrained itself in my mind was the prolonged rape-and-rescue sequence in the desert. I found it to be quite horrifying, and it got a lot more brutal than I was expecting it to be. The way Josey comes in and kills all the bad guys is a satisfying bit of action, but it honestly doesn’t cancel out the horror of the preceding scene.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how casually the idea of violence is handled in both Bronco Billy and The Outlaw Josey Wales. In Bronco Billy, it’s played as more of a comedic thing, where Billy is immediately trying to sell tickets using the publicity gained from the shooting of the bank robbers. In Josey Wales, it’s similar in the way that there don’t seem to me any lasting consequences for death (or at least for the deaths of unimportant characters). Josey has shot a ton of folks dead already, and, while we can’t actually see inside the man’s head, he doesn’t seem to be having much of a problem with it externally. Another parallel is the way that Josey and Billy are basically running from the world. While Billy is desperately struggling to stay afloat and make money doing what he loves in a time that’s long since passed over him, Josey is being hunted by just about every other person he runs into. It’s a kind of ‘us against the world’ theme that’s been present in both of the films. I definitely think Bronco Billy is a huge parody of this film as well. Billy even dresses somewhat similarly to Josey at times, and Billy is the ‘rough outside, soft inside’ trope taken a step further, since he’s not actually all that rough outside either, he just plays a character.
A common theme among several of Clint’s protagonists is that they’re just hell-bent on revenge for whatever wrong has befallen them. Josey, of course, is out to get the red legs for the brutal and senseless destruction of his family and way of life. Jimmy Markum is dead set on ending his daughter’s killer, whoever it may be— even if it’s a childhood friend. William Munny is at least partially motivated by hearing what the cowboys did to the girls, even if it isn’t his primary motivator and the story turns out to be exaggerated. Even Chris Kyle, the American hero, is definitely motivated by revenge. He wants to get back at the people that attacked the U.S. embassy and later the World Trade Center. Clint doesn’t just deal with the revenge aspect, though— He deals with the fallout of said revenge as well. Jimmy Markum, for example, ends up murdering an innocent man and a friend in the name of cold-blooded revenge. Chris Kyle ends up killing over one hundred people, including women and children, even if most of those kills were justified. William Munny shoots up a bar filled with at least some innocent people— Even the deputies were pretty innocent. We’ve yet to see whether Josey’s quest for revenge will backfire severely yet— So far, he’s scraping by pretty well, but I suspect that his mission will come back to bite him later in the film, and it’ll bite him hard.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe that this town depicts the Wild West we see in Bronco Billy’s show. Billy’s show turns the “Wild West” into an exciting and happy spectacle. However, this ghost town in Texas is a sad, desolate place that does not seem too lively— until Josey decides to show up. On the other hand, the town does remind me of Big Whiskey, particularly visually. The buildings are the same style and both have a desolate “old west” look. We also see dead bodies displayed in front of places of business in both films.
I’m really enjoying this film. I really like how fast-paced the movie is. There’s never a dull moment. Violence is plentiful in this picture, but it doesn’t feel unnecessary or over the top. It’s realistic because a man on the run from the Union Army would encounter quite a few people with intentions to take his life. I have found many characters in this film to be very easy to like— Even good ole’ Josey Wales, a violent, sneaky confederate. The scene that sticks with me the most is when Josey and his partner seemed to be doomed as union troops are making their way across the river via the ferry, but Josey takes it upon himself to shoot the rope that allows the boat to cross the river. This scene really made me realize just how clever and composed Josey is when danger is near.
The first comparison that comes to mind is how the two made a drastic change in their life when they became cowboys. Billy was a shoe salesman and Josey was a farmer, but when the time called, they both got a new start. I think that Josey is the real-life version of the man Bronco Billy emulates in his show. They both ride a horse, wear boots and are incredibly quick shots. The only difference is that Josey shoots to kill. Billy shoots balloons.
The strongest connection between Josey, Will Munny, Jimmy Markum and Chris Kyle is the motive that fuels them: vengeance. All of these men have set out on a quest in order to avenge the loss of people they deeply care about. All of these men put their desire for vengeance above everything else in their life. From the desire for revenge, comes the ability to kill. These four protagonists all kill at least two other men in their lifetimes.
I like this movie but I feel like major things that happen in the plot come very fast. There is no time to process what you just watched. For example, when the Indian man and girl are on top of each other. It happens so quick and it's so random. Another part would be when Josie Wales kills the two men in the saloon when he is trying to purchase a horse. It happened so fast. Another thing that is confusing is that why he started running to people that would kill him. It a little confusing. The scene that has stuck with me the most would have to be the scene where he drags his dead, burnt up kid to the hole he dug, to burry him. I think it was really sad, and it showed what time of person the main character was in the beginning.
ReplyDelete2. I would say that they are both, kind of show offs. Josey Wales puts himself into positions where he has to do something spectacular to get out of them. It is very similar with Bronco Billy. His job is to be a show off,. That is his living, and we have come to realize that, that is what he likes to do. I think a huge difference is Billy killed the person at the bank to protect others, and Josey Wales is killing people out of vengeance. Another thing is that they are both trying to save themselves. Bronco Billy is trying to save his Wild West show, that seemed to be his life, and Josey Wales is trying to save his actual life.
3. The connection I saw the clearest was between Josey Wales, Chris Kyle, and William Munny. They all seem to kill for themselves. It isn't to save their family at first. Josey did not have to go off with the confederates, but he chose to, to possibly avenge his son and his wife's death. William Munny at first, goes off with Ned and Scofield kid to make a little extra money, so he can support his kids s little at the horrible farm they live on. After he goes into town, he kills the ,an that didn't even cut up the prostitute, and felt bad about it. There is some resource to his character. After Ned is murdered, William Munny goes off to avenge his friend ass well. Chris Kyle, even after being asked to come home because his family needed him, decided to stay in active duty to Lilly Mustafa. That was a personal goal. He wanted to avenge the deaths of his friends that were taken away by him. Every single one of these main protagonists are swayed to kill because of vengeance.
1. So far I have liked the movie, I need to watch more westerns! The parts that have stuck with me through out the day have to be when the group of men rape the young women and kill her father, along with how Clint spits on every living or dead thing I'm site, he just spits on people dogs and anything in his way.
ReplyDelete2. One thing that Clint did in both bronco billy and in outlaw is help the women, in bronco billy he helps mis Antoinette when she is in need of a ride and when the men attempt to rape her at the bar, and in outlaw he helps the young Indian women and the young settler from Kansas. The both are very fast with their six shorters and are deadly with their aim
3. Josey, Billy, Will, and Jimmy all fight for what they believe in, they all fight to get revenge and justice for what has happened to someone very close to them wether it be their family or best friend the stop at nothing and will kill anyone standing in their way of what they believe is right. All of this men make a hard choice of killing for what they believe in and it has not always been the nicest way, often it is very violent. We come to see how all of this strong men who fight for their loved ones deal with the pain that killing a human puts on your soul and how you must think about it everyday and we see how all of them have major PTSD. Clint Eastwoods definitely likes the story of a strong man who will do anything for the ones he cares about.
1. I like the movie a lot so far, and I think the plot is developing pretty well so far. From the beginning of the movie its pretty evident that Hillary Swank will do well and eventually get to the top of the game. My favorite scene so far is the montage of her first round knockouts because it shows the power and dominance she has in the ring. All of the fighting scenes in this movie are very well made and I think combined with the underdog vibe is what made this movie such a commercial success.
ReplyDelete2. Yeah, he has the usual Clint Eastwood grouchy personality that is paired with an innocent and hard working younger counterpart. This movie is very easily compared to Gran Tarino because of the similarities between Walt and Tao. This leads me to believe that by the end of the movie they will have a big fight and reunite once again. In the end Frankie will be far less angry in general and I bet will have a champ in a title match.
3. I really don't think we've seen anyone so far to compare to Maggie besides Tao (loosely). Both of them exhibit a great drive with a motivation to work and achieve their goals no matter what. I think that Maggie was put in this movie to give us more of an idea of Frankie's washed up and upset attitude. Maggie stands for what Frankie couldn't do, because even though she is old she is not giving up and she is achieving her dreams. Frank couldn't do this and tried to tell her that she couldn't, and she is proving him completely wrong and teaching him a lesson in the movie.
4. The hit pit is a place for people to work their asses off. The skinny kid who thinks he will be the welterweight champion represents youth and unaccomplished dreams. Maggie is the opposite and does exactly what she wants. The hit pit is comparable to Bronco Billy's act and the people that he was with. There were certain people that succeeded no matter what, and others who were not as strong and constantly underperformed. Both of these places are where the people in them want to be, but some do it better than others.