MovieChat Forums > The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) Discussion > Did anyone else find the townspeople ann...

Did anyone else find the townspeople annoying?

posted 14 years ago by star_in_the_zenith_79
5 replies | jump to latest

I just personally thought they were a bunch of judgemental goody two shoes with their treatment of the Elders, especially early in the movie.

I mean what had these fellows done that was so bad and unforgiveable? There was nothing truly specified in the whole movie, other than the fact that they left home and went out on adventures, or that they didn't stay around to go to college or whatever. Boo who. And than they come back and get treated like dirt? I think I would have left that town to.

I mean I'm sure John was in his share of shooting scrapes, but good lord those were rough times. He hardly seemed like a common murderer. Even the sheriff admitted he wasn't even wanted for anything.

Matt's occupation was never even specified, and from what I could gather Tom was merely a gambler. Even the sheriff pretty much stated he was pretty much being talked down to just on the reputation of his brother.

These guys hardly seemed like the dangerous awful men the town acted like they were, of course I suppose that was the conflict of the movie.

The older Elders even seemed to feel they were beyond redemption they had been talked down to so much. I remember John saying its to late for the rest of us. Its supposed to never be to late for redemption.

[–] Remnant_Of_The_Abyss 14 years ago

I like your analysis. And I agree, I found the townspeople pretty darn judgmental and thus annoying.

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[–] tenement-funster 12 years ago

John is a gunfighter. That's not exactly a respectable occupation! Plus the movie is set in around 1898, when settlers were trying to clean up their towns, and gunfighters were definitely persona non grata. In addition, the three oldest brothers left home years before, and never came back. It's quite clear that their mother was loved by her neighbours. They're angry on her behalf. She had three strong sons who never came home to visit, didn't help their ailing parents on the ranch, didn't send home money, despite how their mother was barely making ends meet, and left her worrying about them all the time. I think it's quite clear why the brothers are frowned upon.

That doesn't mean that the townspeople aren't being judgmental. It's none of their business after all. A gunfighter and a wandering gambler are not likely to be welcome in a town that wants to be respectable though; and their abandonment of their mother certainly isn't going to count in their favour.

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[–] OnlyRocknRoll 12 years ago

The point is that the townspeople killed their father, stole the ranch, and beggared their mother. Somewhat similar to 'Bad Day at Black Rock'.

BTW, the occupation of townspeople IS to be annoying whether in Texas or Transylvania. :-D

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[–] star_in_the_zenith_79 9 years ago

Well to be fair all the townspeople were not responsible for that, only Hastings and his cohorts. But in general they were very judgmental. Although at least Billy and the women did try to take up for them somewhat later on. And PB the storekeeper seemed like a nice easy going guy too.

But people the Reverand, Ben, and the banker were all very irritating.

[–] J_Howlett1886 8 years ago

Yeah they're all like "how could you do this to your mother". When until 6 months ago she was doing fine and also they're not the ones who stood by and watched her land get stolen and then let her husband's MURDER go unsolved. They come back pay their respects settle her debts(or attempt to) and the townspeople just put them all down because they lived their own lives which I'm pretty sure was common for that time.