Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) is a Missouri rebel who is both the pursuer and the pursued. Set at the end of the American Civil War, he seeks vengeance for the killing of his family by Union "Red-legs". He refuses surrender as his guerrilla war provides a theater for retaliation. While he is hunting those that murdered his family, they are hunting him. As are many bounty hunters.
Josey Wales has much in common with the legend of another Missouri outlaw, Jesse James. Both were farmers before being wronged, Josey by the Union, and Jesse by the railroad. Revenge consumes them. In The Outlaw Josie Wales, Josie struggles to reclaim his life and humanity. Can he return to farming and stop the killing? His quest to answer this question takes him to Texas and binds him together with a band of misfits. There is the wise old Indian, Lone Watie (Chief Dan George) who speaks to Josey about life and living. While wise, Lone is not entirely trustworthy. Fortunately for Josie, Lone is now a toothless warrior. There is the provincial family from Kansas. And there is the loyal and self-reliant Indian woman, Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams). She is scorned by her tribe and on her own in the West. Together, the troupe travels to Texas to start a new life.
The film is filled with nearly as much spittle as killing. In a running gag, Josie spits on everything. And his gobbing is as accurate as his shooting. Rough frontier behavior is met with rough justice. And the result is a bloody and violent movie. Fans of Clint will correctly hail The Outlaw Josey Wales as one of his finest films. It would be a Classic at CouchCowboy but for the greatness of Unforgiven. A film that stands alone among Clint's Westerns as a classic. The Outlaw Josie Wales is an excellent Western. We give it a very strong Must See.
Cast:
- Clint Eastwood.... Josey Wales
- Chief Dan George .... Lone Watie
- Sondra Locke.... Laura Lee
- Bill McKinney.... Terrill
- John Vernon.... Fletcher
- Paula Trueman.... Grandma Sarah
- Sam Bottoms.... Jamie
- Geraldine Keams.... Little Moonlight
- Woodrow Parfrey .... Carpetbagger
- Joyce Jameson .... Rose
- Sheb Wooley .... Travis Cobb
- Royal Dano .... Ten Spot
- Matt Clark .... Kelly
- John Verros ....Chato
- Will Sampson.... Ten Bears