LeonLouisRicci Cut from the Dirty Cloth and Whimsy of its Era, with Echos of "The Wild Bunch" (1969) and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), Director Hoffman Manages to Make the Film an Enjoyable Romp with Good Acting and a Visual Template that Works as a Time Machine Travel Back when the Future was Not Certain. The Country was in Flux.There are Many Colorful Details that Make the Movie Interesting and Fun to Watch, but there is also a Goodly Amount of Angst about the Civil War, Social Concerns, and of Course the Rivalry Between Cole Younger and Jesse James. Cliff Robertson is Cole and Robert Duvall is Jesse and They are Surrounded by Some Good Stalwart Western Character Actors.This Never Quite Attains the Entertainment Value of the Same Story Laid Out in Walter Hill's "The Long Riders" (1980) that Amped Up the Stylization and the Characters Prove More Profound and Engaging. But This One Came First and is Worth a Watch for the Better Parts with its Look More Effective Than its Tone.

Woodyanders Writer/director Phillip Kaufman eschews the well-documented facts of the famous ambitious (and ultimately botched) robbery in the name of bold and downright irreverent revisionism that offers a pointed satirical critique of the new "civilization" that was coming into being at the end of the 19th century (for example, the mob of angry townspeople who go after the gang in the wake of the robbery prove to be more crazed and dangerous than said gang!). It's Kaufman's fiercely biting dry wit that gives this film an extra tangy flavor, along with the sharp cinematography by Bruce Surtees, David Grusin's jubilant and harmonic score, and the splendidly sonorous narration by the ubiquitous Paul Frees. Cliff Robertson gives an excellent and engaging performance as the shrewd and amiable Cole Younger while Robert Duvall breathes hell-raising fire as an extremely ornery Jesses James. The stellar supporting cast of familiar character faces keeps the movie buzzing: Luke Askew as the stoic and laconic Jim Younger, R.G. Armstrong as the crusty Chet Miller, Dana Elcar as the jolly Allen, Donald Moffat as the sarcastic Manning, Matt Clark as the antsy Bob Younger, Elisha Cook Jr. as the weaselly Bunker, and, in an especially tragic small part, Royal Dano as loony old coot Gustavson. Moreover, the quirky array of colorful characters are lots of fun to watch, the titular caper is both tense and thrilling, and the vivid evocation of the period seems authentic (if not entirely accurate). Recommended viewing.

paul2001sw-1 There are a few western staples in 'The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid': the last mission, the friendly whorehouse; but compared with most films of this type, it's a plausible and honest portrait of the life of a criminal gang, and set in the relatively lush lands of the near west instead of the dry high plains further west. In fact, it's based on the story of a real gang, one that featured the legendary Jesse James, and it's refreshing to see this character demystified: he doesn't even take top billing. However, the plot never quite comes to life, and perhaps more could have been made of the gang's origins in the aftermath of the civil war. But like Altman's superior 'McCabe and Mrs. Miller', made at around the same time, the film deserves credit for telling its own tale, instead of merely re-hashing the clichés of the genre.

CivilWarBill There are some very interesting moments in this movie. The performance by Cliff Robertson is indeed very good, and I think the movie raises some interesting points in its portrayal of the James/Younger gang as a metaphor for the final death rattle of the old south against the modernizing north. However, this movie can't seem to decide between a comedic tone or an ironic and cynical one. I would say it succeeds in its more serious moments, but the comedic sections are very contrived.I went to college in Northfield, and I was glad to see my alma mater represented in the film (before its name was changed to Carleton). I became pretty familiar with this raid after attending Northfield's annual "Defeat of Jesse James Days" festivities four times. Surprisingly, the actual raid itself is portrayed fairly accurately, with the proper body count and roughly similar series of events, although some details are different. I liked the irony the filmmakers added with the incident of Cole Younger fixing the rifle that was later used to snipe at his gang members. Oh yeah, and you gotta love those snow capped mountains that surround Northfield (yeah, right), and the whorehouse full of buxom Scandanavians!