THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES

US, 1976, 134 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinny?, John Vernon.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is an excellent Western with Clint Eastwood's now developed screen persona to the fore and his directing expertise most effective. And Chief Dan George's performance of humour and pathos is a joy. The film works on three levels; first, a good story of vengeance and pursuit; second, interesting thematic exploration of the Civil War, pioneers, outlaws, frontier justice and peace with the Indians; third, a highly symbolic Western with Josey, an evident saviour figure with Christ overtones, betrayed, persecuted, saving the outcasts, leading them to a paradise and solemnly offering "words of life". It succeeds on all levels and is akin to Eastwood's High Plains Drifter.

1. This film has a very good reputation as a western, a symbolic western? 'Time' magazine included it as one of the ten best films of 1976. Why? Does it live up to its reputation?

2. The film as a Clint Eastwood film? Clint Eastwood and his tradition in westerns, the laconic hero, the violent man, the mythical success cowboy hero? How similar is Josey Wales to the Clint Eastwood style of hero? Are there significant differences? The film as directed by Clint Eastwood? His tradition of symbolic westerns? His overall view of the West, the characters in the West, the hero and what he came from, his effect on others, the myth being challenged continually by reality? Pioneering in the West and the possibilities of peace and salvation from within a violent West?

3. The contribution of the colour, the western locations and their variety from the plains and farms, to the battlefields of war, to the dry plains of the west, the town and the isolation? The contribution of the action scenes? The music? Panavision?

4. How well did the film portray the usual conventions of the West: the Civil War, the farmers, the chase structure, the laconic hero and his saving people from injustice, guns and violence, the bounty hunters, the Indians? Were they treated in a conventional manner, better? An appropriate blending for a significant western?

5. The atmosphere of the opening: the peace, the ploughing and the work, building a life, wife and son? The ominous sound of the men coming, the threat, the violence of the Redlegs, the portrayal of Terrill and the individuals? The collage of slaughter and burning? The subjective angles from the wounded Josey? Audiences identifying with him for the feeling and toning of his mission, revenge, the atmosphere for the film?

6. The atmosphere of the burial, the memories of the burning, the grief, the bullet-ridden cross? His words from the Book of Job? The cross falling on his shoulder as if he were a suffering Christ-figure? The early introduction of religious symbols and language? How did this pervade the film, combine with the conventions of the western?

7. The importance of the collage of the Civil War during the credits? Information as regards Josey and his joining Bloody Bill's Southern guerrillas? The clash with the men of the North? The battles and the slaughter? The feelings of the persecuted Southerners against the Redlegs? The violence? The patriotism and the emphasis on the flag? The tones of colour and monochrome during the credits?

8. The portrayal of the end of the Civil War? The North and its arrogant attitude of winning, the impact of surrender for the Southerners? The fact that Josey would not surrender? The contrast with the situation of Fletcher and his oath of loyalty and the command of the North? His leading the men in: the portrayal of their surrender and their discussion, Josey not going, Jamie being defiant, the giving up of the arms, the swearing of the oath? The Senator and his rationalization for the execution? Fletcher and the dilemma of his disgust and yet his obedience? Josey and Jamie thinking that Fletcher was the traitor? The American themes of the injustice and oppression even of the victors? (The relevance of this to America's history in the 1970's?) The motivation for Josey's revenge and vengeance, this slaughter coupled with that of his family?

9. The portrayal of Josey seeing this slaughter, the judgement on Fletcher as a Judas, the feeling with his own massacre of the soldiers? The inevitability of his being an outlaw? His being chased by Terrill and by Fletcher? The different motivations of Terrill and Fletcher? Did it matter to Josey? The injustice of his being an outlaw?

10. The film's use of the chase structure and audience involvement in this, the suspense, the hope for Josey to elude his pursuers? The build-up of the scenes of pursuit, Josey's skill in getting away? The bond with Jamie and his injury? Jamie's enthusiasm at their beating the others, Josey becoming a father-figure and a saviour-figure and Jamie's happiness before he died because of the bond with Josey? Comment on the people that they encountered, the people who were for them and against them, the carpetbagger and the humour of his elixir and getting the stains out? Grandma and her support, the boatman with his tow songs and his readiness to betray? The soldiers and their being set adrift down the river? The bounty hunters and their lurid enjoyment of capturing Josey Wales and Jamie's shooting of them? What kind of a West was Josey being pursued in?

11. The importance of getting to Indian territory? His mission of vengeance to get back to Missouri? What happened to him in Indian territory? Fletcher's insight about how Josey would work? The device of sending the dead Jamie into the camp and eluding pursuit? The build-up to the choice between going to Missouri. Mexico, Texas?

12. The character of Lone Watie: the performance of Chief Dan George, his presence.. age.. diction and tone? Humour and dignity? The importance of the whites sneaking up on the Indians and his trying to sneak back? His philosophy of 'having an edge? His explanation of himself and his top hat, civilisation, endeavour to persevere, the visit to Lincoln etc.? A symbol of what had happened to the Indians? His becoming a disciple of Josey and yet leading him? The transition then to getting supplies, getting a horse, the experience with the girl, Little Moonlight? The experience at the outpost with the rape, the bounty hunters, the store-keeper and his violence? Little Moonlight becoming a disciple with Lone? Their bond together, even sexually? The humour of this?

13. The transition to the town in Texas. the salesman with the medicine giving them away? Josey going for the groceries, listening to the storeman boasting? The encounter with Grandma and her granddaughter, their being described as 'pilgrims? The sudden violence of the shootout? Their fleeing for the desert and Little Moonlight helping them escape, her pursuit of them in the desert and the bonds between them?

14. The continuing journey and the visualising of the little troupe going across the screen? The encounter with the Comancheros and the ugly violence of the Comancheros? Their brutalizing of the wagon-train people their murder, the build-up to the raping of Laura Lee? Josey and Lone watching this, Lone's fall and the importance of Josey's intervention and saving them? The brutality of the execution of these Comancheros? The saving of Grandma and Laura?

15. The continuing picture of the growing rag-tag band that Josey led, despite himself? A saviour despite himself? The arrival of the town, the meeting of the prostitute and the drinkers? The humour of having no beer? His bringing them that kind of salvation? Their joining the band and going to what turned out to be Paradise? The establishment of peace?

16. Josey and the salvation that he wrought? From farmer to vindictive man, the mythical Josey Wales before whom all trembled, and get the ordinary group that followed him, persuading him to become a farmer again? The house (the significance of the crosses in the windows for religious symbolism as well as for shooting?) The celebration, the singing and the dancing, Gran and her personality, her hymn-singing? Laura Lee and her dressing in white, her being retarded? The house? The preparation for a siege against the Indians? The significance of Laura Lee and Josey making love?

17. The threat of the Indians in the West: Ten Bears and his being painted as a kind of devil-figure? Audience expectations of a battle and confrontation? The preparations for the siege and the strategy Josey's willingness to sacrifice himself? The significance of the dialogue between Josey and Ten Bears and words of life and peace. Josey as saviour-figure and bringing the two men being tortured back to life?

18. Peace and yet the presence of Terrill and the possibility of siege? Terrill's brutality? Josey leaving but not getting very far and having to confront these men? The significance of his friends all coming to his defence? Their saving Josey? The build-up to the pursuit of Terrill the way it was visualized a dramatic chase. his final death?

19. The aftermath of the violence, Josey's willingness to sacrifice himself? People's memories, the investigation, Fletcher allowing him to become a myth?

20. Comment on the success of the film as a western, of pioneering, of violence, the revenge genre? The American heritage?

21. The religious overtones and symbolism.. the specifically Christian symbolism and language.. Josey as a Christ-figure (not Christ) and the overtones of the good news of salvation brought to the American West?