What's in a Title? Horse Operas Part II Quiz

Answer: The Red Man's View

The film's title must refer to the native Americans' point of view regarding the expansion of pioneering white settlers.

The film was way ahead of its time. Not only was sympathy towards native Americans rare in early Westerns, such a sharp critique of US history was unheard of. What's even more interesting is how the native Americans are shown as complex characters rather than just victims. Silver Eagle has to make a difficult decision: protect his elderly father or his lady friend. His dilemma, his choice, and his further actions all go to make up a recognizable human being rather than a stereotype.

Answer: The Virginian

The two friends are Steve and a man only referred to as The Virginian of the title. The former is played by Richard Arlen and the latter by Gary Cooper. The Virginian is the foreman at a huge ranch where Steve ends up working, and then stealing from. Early on in the story, Trampas the cattle rustler runs foul of The Virginian in a bar and the feud gets fueled all the way through until the inevitable climax. The love story between The Virginian and the new school teacher, Molly Wood, also runs right through the plot.

The film was based on a 1902 novel of the same name written by Owen Wister. 1929's "The Virginian" wasn't the first silver screen version of the story, but it was a couple of other firsts: it was both director Victor Fleming and Gary Cooper's first talkies, and Cooper's first lead role in a Western. You'd never guess it though, and Fleming's use of sound is as brave as Cooper's first big role is confident.

"The Virginian" fully enjoyed the freedom of Pre-Code Hollywood. From the mischievous horseplay between the two friends to the brutal violence of a posse hanging, the film would have been very different had it been made just a few years later. Furthermore, the moral dilemmas faced by The Virginian are genuine ones, and he seems to have little hesitation in his quest to woo the lady.

"The Virginian" was a seminal Western certainly a benchmark for many later films within the genre. It had the plot, the symbolism, the banter, the setting and last but not least the performances. From the quintessential Western star Gary Cooper to the bit-part actors, all the cast put in sterling performances with the fabulous Walter Huston standing out in particular.

Answer: Fort Apache

The title simply refers to the name of the cavalry post. Thursday, played brilliantly unsympathetically by Henry Fonda, expresses his disgust at being sent so far off the beaten track right from the off. He's not particularly welcome either. On the other hand, York, played by John Wayne, seems to be adored by all and sundry. Wayne's character is actually one of his most affable, and he rarely looks so relaxed in a role. In fact, right to the end he never once does the wrong thing.

"Fort Apache" is a weird film. It would have been perfect had Ford left out about half an hour, maybe cutting down the love story, dancing or even the comedy scenes. As much as I love physical comedy, there's one scene done for laughs in which the horses are the best actors. What makes it great is the trailblazing attitude towards the Native Americans, the fascinating sub-plot of class distinctions in the military, the on location cinematography, and the live action scenes of the cavalry going to battle. Add to that some fine performances of top actors and a whole host of character actors, and you've got a great Western.

Answer: High Noon

The title refers to the time the train is due to pull into the station.

For my money, "High Noon" is one of the most perfectly executed Westerns ever made. The scenario of three hoodlums waiting for the recently-pardoned Frank Miller to come on the train so he can settle the score with the man who sent him down gives the whole film not only tension but a time scale. Incredibly, the film develops almost in real time and when characters faff about, the viewer gets anxious. Clocks are frequently shown, all moving towards high noon.
The cinematography is equally laudable. In particular, some of the shots as we hear and eventually see the train coming in are fabulous.

The political message must have been clear at the time of the film's release since it was around the time of the anti-Communist witch-hunts in Hollywood. However, the film is about much more than that. Such cynicism as regards the townspeople's attitude has rarely been seen in mainstream American films and I daresay many lesser directors would have gone for an affecting speech which roused the whole town to help out the marshal. I wonder if the film would have even got made in later eras.

Answer: Rio Bravo

The title "Rio Bravo" simply refers to the Texan town's name, although it's obvious that the choice of name has a secondary meaning about the good men fighting the bad. Some of those goodies aren't immediately obvious since Dude has fallen into the sin of drunkenness following a love story gone sour, but Chance sees the deeper good beyond shallow moralizing.

Chance is played to perfection by John Wayne and Dude by Dean Martin. The Colorado Kid is played by pop star Ricky Nelson whose only sin is breaking into song at one point. One of my personal favourites of "Rio Bravo" is Stumpy, played to wonderful comic effect by Walter Brennan. There's also a slightly unbelievable romance between the gorgeous twenty-eight-year-old Angie Dickinson and the fifty-two-year-old John Wayne, and some gratuitous ethnic stereotyping in the Mexican hotel owner Carlos, played by Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, but even these two quibbles can't ruin a great Western.

Answer: The Professionals

The title must refer to the team hired and their respective skills.

Grant's wife, Maria, is played by Claudia Cardinale, and Jesus Raza is played by Jack Palance. The professionals don't realise until quite late in the game that Maria is in love with Jesus, not Mr Grant, and to all intents and purposes they have kidnapped Maria rather than rescued her.

The cast also includes Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, and Ralph Bellamy. Such a stellar cast could hardly disappoint, and it doesn't. For my money, Burt Lancaster steals the show with his charisma, but Robert Ryan also shines as a slightly unsympathetic character. One of my favourite bit-part actresses, Marie Gomez, plays a vital role in the film as Chiquita brilliantly, and her interaction with Lancaster's character is a further highlight.

Answer: El Topo

The man in black is "El Topo", i.e. "The Mole". The film opens with the following narration over some startling images: "The mole is an animal that digs tunnels under the ground searching for the sun. Sometimes his journey brings him to the surface. When he sees the sun, he is blinded".

"El Topo" is full of religious, esoteric and mystical imagery. Making sense of it all in the traditional sense is a Herculean task, and I'm not sure Alejandro Jodorowsky's films benefit from formal analysis. Listening to Jodorowsky's commentary on the DVD version of the film is highly entertaining and does offer some hints at how to appreciate the film, although it doesn't quite answer the questions the average viewer poses. In fact, what emerges is Jodorowsky as a mythmaker rather than an epiphanous prophet.

Answer: High Plains Drifter

We never really get to know the name of the stranger (played by Clint) but can assume that he's not only the drifter of the title, but also that he is related to the town's previous marshal, Jim Duncan. We learn from dreamy flashbacks that Marshal Jim Duncan was whipped to death by three men under the apparently complicit gaze of the townsfolk. These three men must have gone to prison for the killing, which is why they are coming for revenge. Unknown to the "good" people of Lago, the Stranger is there for revenge too.

"High Plains Drifter" was only Clint Eastwood's second foray into directing and it shows. The influence of directors such as Sergio Leone, who Eastwood had worked with as an actor, is clear. One particular example of that is the comic book style of storytelling. There are some strange jumps from one episode to another, although the plot itself works well. The flashbacks are really odd, especially the Stranger's since we can assume he wasn't actually present at the whipping. Interestingly, this has led some critics to opine that it's actually a ghost story.

Overall it is an enjoyable film and boasts some great performances. Billy Curtis as the local dwarf who is appointed as both sheriff and mayor, and Geoffrey Lewis as the main baddy are worthy of particular note.

Answer: Silver Saddle

The title refers to the ostentatious saddle which Roy Blood "inherits" when he shoots his father's assassin, Luke Fletcher. It becomes Blood's calling card over the years while he earns a living as a bounty hunter. Fletcher was working for unscrupulous land owner Richard Barrett, father of the boy Thomas Barrett, Jr. whose life Blood unwittingly saves. A complex kidnapping and ransom scam evolves involving inheritances, a tufthunter, and Mexican bandits, but our Roy sees straight through it all.

Lucio Fulci is better remembered for his wonderfully warped horror films, but he actually made three Westerns. "Silver Saddle" was the last and by many accounts the lesser, but I am quite fond of it, flaws and all. It's all very comic-strippy and quite silly, but great fun. The kid is a bit over-cute, but he's balanced out nicely by Two-Strike Snake who is anything but sweet. In fact, he follows Roy Blood around so he can rob the corpses of Blood's victims.

Roy Blood is played by Spaghetti-Western veteran Giuliano Gemma (Ringo in "A Pistol for Ringo"), and Snake by Geoffrey Lewis (tons of films, father of Juliette Lewis).

Answer: Unforgiven

Personally I think the title "Unforgiven" works on many levels. Most obviously it refers to the cowboy who permanently disfigures a prostitute for laughing at the size of his equipment. It might also refer to the fact that the fellow prostitutes won't accept the sheriff's clemency. The Clint Eastwood character, Will, who comes to kill the baddies, had given up his life of sin but falls right back into it as if he has never been cleansed with forgiveness. Furthermore, when Will's pal Ned, played by Morgan Freeman, is killed by the sheriff, Will is frighteningly unforgiving.

"Unforgiven" was Clint's first Western since 1985 and he said it would be his last. It would be fairly tough to outdo, and it seems like his whole career in Westerns was bound to culminate in this one. It's not without flaws, but it's not far off perfect. One thing I like about it is the range of important, complex characters, something many Westerns don't manage to pull off. It also takes an interesting position on the Western theme of "leopards can't change their spots". I'm not sure anybody has ever told us that quite so pessimistically.