MovieChat Forums > The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972) Discussion > The ending. Spoiler alert.

The ending. Spoiler alert.

posted 18 years ago by Bobster36
9 replies | jump to latest

I love the movie. In the IMDB comments, several people made reference to the guys returning in the end for a higher moral purpose. I don't see it that way. Those four gunslingers had eaten crow once already when their guns were taken from them by Pierce and his men. When Pierce ordered them to immediately vacate land he claimed (but didn't appear to actually own), Russ Caldwell implores Frank Culpepper to stay and fight rather than give in to their demands. Caldwell essentially says he can't stomach being ordered by Pierce to get out--a second time, no less.

As they began to ride out with the company, their pride takes over and they borrow guns and return. I don't think they cared one iota about the homesteaders they would be protecting. If they had any good-hearted motive, it was to help the kid who stayed behind to face Pierce's men alone. And they couldn't live with themselves riding away from the fight knowing the kid stayed behind but they didn't. But I think their motive was to save face and fight the man who had humiliated them twice, not to defend the homesteaders on a moral basis.

The only thing I don't like about the film is how Russ and Dixie get shot. These are experienced gunslingers. But Dixie leaves his cover to preen in the open after killing a man. Exposed to the fire, he gets shot. Russ stops in the middle of the battle to admire the pistol he just retrieved from a fallen man, and is shot as he stands in an unprotected place. The fact that these two get shot because they become oblivious to their surroundings in the middle of a battle seems out of character for experienced gunmen. It reminded me of the old "Combat" series when Sgt Saunders' squad would be involved in a firefight with the Germans. Both sides would have good cover and the battle would continue until each German ultimately gave up his cover to stand in the open and get shot. It was as if the director didn't know any other way to end the scene. I got the same feeling when Dixie and Russ got shot in Culpepper Cattle Co. Otherwise, I think it's an outstanding movie.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 14166637 18 years ago

And what about when all the crew went to get The Kid's horse and gear back from the two low lifes- "Howdy," said one of the horse thieves, all innocence;-

-They shot him down like a dog, and his buddy too. Very non PC! But that's how it was in The Old West-

The fight in the bar room with The Kid holding the Colt's Dragoon on the barkeep-"If he moves, kill him!"said Culpepper,- and he did.

The movie was full of scenes like pictures by Remington

Yep, I could watch it again.

[–] Norma_Snockers 18 years ago

Culpepper didn't say that line "If he moves, kill him!" - Drover Luke (Luke Askew) said it. Sorry to be pedantic but its one of my favourite films!

Kathy

IKEA! Swedish for Sh*te!

[–] bullit2513 16 years ago

And Russ is going for his gun, not just any old gun. I think that's important in explaining a lot about the characters. Their guns are an essential part of their lives so when he gets a chance to get his own back, he takes it, even if it does end up killing him.

"Congratulations, Major. It appears that at last you have found yourself a real war." Ben Tyreen

[–] Norma_Snockers 16 years ago

That's right! You see his eyes light up when he sees it lying on the ground! He picks it up and whilst he's admiring it ... some son of a bitch shoots him! I've gotta get my CCC video out again soon and watch it! Love this film.

Kathy

IKEA - Swedish for sh/te

[–] spectrx 15 years ago

I thought the ending completely sucked, and here's why: Pierce tells the settlers to get lost and that he's gonna come back in an hour and basically shoot anyone who's still there. The settlers are saying it's God's land and all that. So then the cowboys come back to protect them (whether or not that was their sole intent is open for debate) and all end up getting killed. But then, AFTER everyone has freakin' died over the dispute, they decide to leave anyway!!! So basically the people all died for nothing, and suddenly it's God's will that they should move on?? It was just idiotic to me. They should've stayed so the sacrifice wasn't in vain.

[–] terri7199 14 years ago

I think that was kind of the point, much like the ending of the movie, The Wild Bunch.

[–] IceboxMovies 9 years ago

But then, AFTER everyone has freakin' died over the dispute, they decide to leave anyway!!! So basically the people all died for nothing, and suddenly it's God's will that they should move on?? It was just idiotic to me.

Dude... that's the point.

The peaceful settlers were just as cowardly as the landowners trying to kill them. They were unappreciative of the sacrifice done to protect them.

This movie is about two kinds of cowards: The kind that kills in cold blood, and the kind that constantly flees in fearful from conflict. At the center is the Gary Grimes character, who finally avoids both kinds of cowardice and thus becomes the most heroic character in the film.

[–] phillipsdan83 (101) 2 years ago

Grimes still flunks the basic test of manhood for the 19th century: He doesn't finish what he started when he leaves the cattle drive to try and play gunfighter...something he doesn't have the ability or willingness to kill to do successfully, which isn't a bad thing. Staying with the cattle drive would have been finishing what he started. He shows moral courage in making the homesteaders bury the dead gunfighters who died for them but he's ineffective as a gunfighter because he's just a scared kid playing around with something very deadly.