MovieChat Forums > The Long Riders (1980) Discussion > Everything great that a western should b...

Everything great that a western should be.

posted 20 years ago by Sullenone
12 replies | jump to latest

The Long Riders is easily one of my favorite westerns. There have been about 1 trillion movies pertaining to Jesse James(Actually i heard that there have been more movies made about Jesse James than anyone else ever). Anyhow, there is no question in my mind that Long Riders isnt the best.
Unlike most of the other James Gang movies it doesnt show us how the James/Younger gang came to be outlaws. It starts off mid career, and yet shows each character develope and grow(most of them haggered and tired).
The action is great, and so is the acting. I could go on and on and on about how wonderful this film is, but if your a fan of westerns at all then this is a must see.

[–] lightninboy 20 years ago

Yeah. It's a good watchable movie.

[–] joeestlinbm 20 years ago

Having fooled with horses off, and on all my life, I have to say there was some of the best horsmanship in this movie I've ever seen!

A man can be no more than what he is.

[–] mynamesdignan 19 years ago

This is The Western movie imo. There have been no other movies that capture the James/Younger gang with warts and all. I sell this movie to every one i know esp those who claim to like westerns.

"I am Queens Blvd."

[–] patty108 19 years ago

ry cooder's soundtrack doesn't hurt the movie either. he was able to convey the music and dance of the time and that to me, added to the realism of this film. i first saw this movie when i was 20 (in 1980) and me and a friend of mine saw it probably close to 6 times in the first week of release. i'm so fortunate to remember this film and have added it to my collection.

[–] bsy 19 years ago

Fantastic western. Comparable to Unforgiven.

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[–] MorbidKittyProductions 19 years ago

actually i was just reading on the net about other outlaws as well to learn a bit more about the history of a few of the famous ones --- Billy The Kid is the outlaw most depicted on film, actually - not Jesse

sorry :(
@ least that's what i just read on the 'net

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[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] lldnt 18 years ago

i'm not a big western fan. but, i love a good movie..and this is one of the best. great actors. i love the quaid bros, in particular. but, what sold me on this film and made it a life long fave was the way it was filmed. it's just stunning. and the slo-mo action is impressive...so much so, that it has become a favorite trick of film-makers today. my favorite scene is after the minnesota (sp?) bank robbery. when they are trying to escape, shots fired from all directions, almost all in slo-mo...and the manic ride through the woods with long coats flapping in the wind. gorgeous, and heart pounding.

::sigh:: cowboys are sexy :)

[–] outsider-2 17 years ago

I'm another person who's not big into westerns but this totally drew me in, I LOVED it. Just watched a nice print of it at a seattle cinema celebration of walter hill films.

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[–] JaneDanton 17 years ago

Apart from the accuracy of the indoor settings; music, furniture, etiquette etc, the best thing about this one was the performance of David Carradine; in most of his '70's movies he played serious roles but here he is hilarious with a great interaction going on with Pamela Reed who makes up for in character what she might be lacking in looks...

[–] outsider-2 17 years ago

I loved his lines! I thought Pamela Reed was perfect and totally fit the role..and very nice looking :)

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[–] Noir-It-All 16 years ago

I could have watched an entire film about the romance between Cole Younger and Belle Starr played by those actors. Pamela Reed's eyes when she looked at Cole were so expressive. She was a tough business owner but she certainly had feelings.

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