Action,Western
United States of America
The film is based on a novel of the same name by Jack Schaefer. It was directed by William A. Fraker and stars Lee Marvin as Monte Walsh and Jack Palance as his friend Chet Rollins.
The movie was released in 1970 and is a western drama that explores the end of the cowboy era. Monte and Chet are both getting older and are starting to feel the pressures of their chosen lifestyle, as ranches are being bought up and consolidated, and cattle drives are becoming a thing of the past.
Monte is in love with Martine, who is a prostitute in the local town that the cowboys frequent. Although he longs for a more stable life with her, he knows that it is unlikely to happen. Chet, on the other hand, falls for a widow who owns the local hardware store, but she is unsure if she wants to be with him or not.
The story takes a dark turn when Shorty Austin, one of the other cowboys, loses his job and turns to rustling cattle to make money. Monte and Chet try to talk him out of it, but he won't listen. When Shorty kills a man during a rustling attempt, Monte and Chet become disillusioned with the cowboy way of life and start to think about finding new careers.
The movie has a melancholic tone as it examines the end of an era and the changes that are happening in the American West. The performances of Marvin and Palance are strong and they have a great chemistry on screen. The movie has been praised for its realistic portrayal of the cowboy lifestyle and its exploration of the friendship between Monte and Chet.
