Ride in the Whirlwind
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Movie Reviews of Ride in the Whirlwind
Movie Review: Tough, laconic Western
Summary: 4 Stars
Jack Nicholson wrote the screenplay for this little gem, and in the dialogue he captures the flavor of life at that time perfectly. While too much time is spent on the shootout in the first half of the film, the second half more than makes up for that, as Jack and Cameron Mitchell--two cowpokes unlucky enough to be too close to an outlaw gang--hole up in a sodbuster's cabin.The sodbuster, an old guy, lives with his wife and daughter, played by Millie Perkins, and as Jack says about her, "You don't talk much." True. In fact, nobody does in this film, but that's just fine. Because it's the atmosphere that counts here, and Monte Hellman, the director, gets that just right. I found Hellman's The Shooting somewhat pretentious and the ending was just plain weird. But Ride in the Whirlwind is the kind of Western that resonates a lot more--it FEELS like you're there; it feels like you can talk to these people. They won't say much, but what they will say counts for a lot.
Nicholson is fine as Wes and Cameron Mitchell equally strong as his partner Vern. As Blind Dick, leader of the small outlaw gang, Harry Dean Stanton puts in another of his strong, straight-ahead performances. The shootout is between the outlaw gang and a vigilante posse that's out to get the gang after the latter have held up a stagecoach.
One thing that makes this Western so strong is the small, dusty, lonesome life that all the main characters lead. The sodbuster and his family live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. The cowpokes ride together, but they're removed from anyone else. The outlaw gang similarly hangs out in an isolated shack, and the vigilate posse, all men, ride wherever they think there's outlaws; one of them, seeing Abigail for the first time (Millie Perkins) mentions to his partner that she's a "cute piece" and that he'll be coming back to have a meal.
This lonesomeness is what pervades Ride in the Whirlwind and what makes it so compelling. It's a short (82 minutes) film, but well worth watching, if not owning.
Movie Review: 3 1/2 Stars: Into the Utah whirlwind with Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson
Summary: 3 Stars
In 1965, Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson took $150,000 dollars out into the Utah desert and came back with two films, 'The Shooting' and 'Ride in the Whirlwind'. Given that both films were shot back to back, I would have assumed that they would be similar, at least in style if not theme, as Hellman directed and Nicholson had large parts in both, but instead I found them to be very different. So different, that had I not known better, I would thought they'd come from two completely different eras - 'The Shooting' from the nihilistic early 70's and 'Whirlwind' in the lingering last days of the cowboy 50's.
At least at the beginning. 'Whirlwind' looks almost like a cheap John Ford knockoff as it starts out, with Harry Dean Stanton turning in an early Harry Dean Stanton -esque character named Blind Dick who's gang robs a stagecoach and kills one of the guards. After the robbery, the outlaws head for their hideout, and the survivors on the stagecoach head into town and get a vigilante posse together.
Into this mess ride three cowhands headed to Waco. They inadvertantly stumble onto the hideout, and Blind Dick, realizing they are just passing through, lets them bed down outside the hideout shack. In the morning, both parties find themselves surrounded by the vigilante posse, and there's no time for explanations, or sorting out who's who. The posse takes it for granted that everyone's a member of the gang, and the cowhands realize no one would believe them now anyway. Two of them are able to break out and head out on foot in the mountains, pursued by the posse.
Despite their innocence, both of the remaining cowhands are slowly forced to become exactly what the vigilante's think they are as they try to make their escape. By the movie's end, it doesn't seem as much a John Ford western anymore as it does something out of the French New Wave (with spurs).
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that it was Jack Nicholson's script - but after watching, I am anyway. This is a very intelligent movie, and one that doesn't feel the need to beat the viewer on the head by over-stating plot points or emphasizing the obvious. The actors are allowed to advance the story by their actions and by some very spare but effective dialogue - and the movie speaks for itself.
Whereas 'The Shooting' could come across as garbled or difficult, 'Whirlwind' is a much easier picture to follow along with. Fans of the western will be satisfied, and those who may not normally seek out that particular genre will, I think, also find a very thought provoking picture. The main drawback to this film is the production and film quality, which reflect the sacrifices that a $75,000 budget requires. Personally, I think it was incredible what they accomplished with such limited budgets, but there are some who, I'm sure, will be put off by the cheap look of the film.
I enjoyed both of these films, but I'll give the edge to 'Whirlwind' only because it's intelligent and more accessible than 'The Shooting'. The real shame is that at this time, both these discs are discontinued, and the cost on the second-hand market is pretty severe. Pick them up if you find them cheap, or else rent them, but either way, I'd suggest getting them both at the same time. Together, they make up a unique filmmaking chapter, one that's been ignored too long.
Movie Review: SEE THIS WITH "THE SHOOTING"
Summary: 3 Stars
In the spring of 1965, Roger Corman, the king of profitable, low budget movies, helped produce (without credit) two amazing films that have achieved legendary cult status. Now, thanks to VCI Home Video, Monte Hellman's "THE SHOOTING" and "RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND" are available on DVD in pristine, widescreen transfers. The films should be seen together. They are subtly connected in many ways. Perhaps even insubtext and theme.Both films star a then unknown Jack Nicholson and super starlet Millie Perkins and were shot simultaneously on location in Utah for the modest amount of $150,000. Nicholson also wrote and co-produced "Ride in the Whirlwind." It is the straightforward tale of the making of a bad man and features on target performances from Cameron Mitchell, Harry Dean Stanton, Rupert Crosse and Katherine Squire among others. After accidentally happening on a group of outlaws, and getting caught in the crossfire by a sheriff and his posse, Wes (Jack Nicholson) is mistaken for one of the gang and escapes. But, in order to defend himself during his flight, has to start killing. By the end of the film he has become a legendary and mythic figure. Quentin Tarantino, a big fan of Hellman, has called this "one of the greatest films ever made."
In the The Shooting, former bounty hunter turned miner Gashade (Warren Oates) returns to his diggings to find one of his partners, Leland, dead, his brother Coigne gone, and his third partner, Coley (Will Hutchins) holed-up in a nearby cave. Soon, a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) materializes out of nowhere and offers Gashade a huge sum of money to guide her on a journey he soon realizes is a manhunt.
The quirky screenplay is by Adrien Joyce, the odd pen-name of the brilliant screenwriter Carole Eastman who wrote the acclaimed "Five Easy Pieces" which also stars Nicholson.
What "The Shooting" is actually about is anybody's guess. It has been called an existential western, or anti western. The super low-budget enforced a minimalist, almost surrealistic style that is terrific and timeless. The stark outdoor locations add immensely to the mood and of this this strange, enigmatic story that seems to reflect mid 60's paranoia and disillusionment.
Since their initial release, both films, though seldom seen, have become critical favorites, and have attained cult film status here and in Europe. Both discs include an entertaining and revealing commentary by director Monte Hellman and actor Millie Perkins with additional informed commentary by American Cinematheque programmer Dennis Bartok.