Just an amazing and awesome film start to finish. No cliche's, great pacing, believeable action.
shareAnd stunning sets - the bar, the faro set-up, the boarding house, the doctor's office, the streetcars, the streets. Great period details.
shareIt wasn't a typical Western. More like a straight drama. The action was secondary to the contemplative themes of old age and death.
shareYeah. I just finished it and was surprised that, for a film that's called The Shootist and that is about a legendary gunman, there is very little action.
I enjoyed it, though. I think that John Wayne is often thought of as more of an icon and a "western star" rather than a really skilled actor, but his performance in this film is pretty great.
It's a good film as his swan song. It's ironic and poignant that this was his last film and that much like his character, Wayne succumbed to cancer just three years later.