THE LONG RIDERS

US, 1980, 99 minutes, Colour.
David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, James Keach, Stacy Keach, Dennis Quaid, Randy Quaid, Kevin Brophy, Harry Carey Jnr, Christopher Guest, Nicholas Guest, Shelby Leverington, Felice Orlandi, Pamela Reed, James Remar, Fran Ryan, Savannah Smith, Amy Stryker, Jams Whitmore Jnr.
Directed by Walter Hill.

The Long Riders can be seen as a fairly straightforward story of the famous James and Younger gang, their exploits and their defeat at the Northfield-Minnesota? raid. As such, it is photographed beautifully and the violence emphasised in the slow motion Sam Peckinpah style. The brothers James, Younger, Miller, Ford are played by brothers - Keach, Carradine, Quaid, Guest. But the film, no whitewashing the gang, puts it is the context of southerners affected by the Civil War, with families on farms, hounded by brutal, greedy bounty hunters as well as the law. This conflict of law and justice, victimisers and victims is often the stuff of folk lore and ballad and, as such, this film is interesting and effective. Former writer Walter Hill (The Getaway, The Thief Who Cam To Dinner) turned director (The Streetfighter, The Warriors, The Driver) is interested in presenting and exploring sone of the violent characters of American mythology. This is an interesting addition to his films.

1. A western of the '70s? The rarity of westerns during the '70s? Interest, entertainment? Its place within the traditions of film westerns? Its breaking with traditions?

2. Audience knowledge of the James brothers, the gangs, the outlaws? The traditions about the individuals, the incidents they were involved with? Social issues? The changing tradition of the presentation of Jesse James and the others: as heroes and misunderstood, as cinema heroes partly whitewashed, the dirty and debunking tradition of the early '70s? The influences of all these styles here?

3. The work of Walter Hill and his writing and direction? His interest in crime, the lives of criminals, their escapes from justice? The ironies of society, the administration of the law, freedom? His interest in the range of groups that figure in American tough mythology? The gangs of the streets, the getaway drivers? His linking the western mythology with contemporary tough American mythologies?

4. The style of the film: the blend of the naturalistic and the contrived? The scenes of domestic life and violent action? The graphic portrayal of violence? The colour photography and its glowing beauty? The vivid impact of the colour photography? The attention to ordinary detail? The atmosphere of oppression after the Civil War? Themes of law, greed, betrayal? The device of having acting brothers take the roles of the brothers in the plot? Did this add to the impact of the film? The musical score ? rousing, the frequent use of folk songs and folk melodies and their style? The emphasis on the ballad nature of the film?

5. The conclusion of the Civil War and the explanations at the opening? The aftermath of the war and the South? Hostilities and the Jameses and others trying to survive in the South? Opportunities for rebuilding life, farms? Land occupation and victimisation? The need for survival? The moral code of the American western and the frontier? Rebels and the need for rebels at the time against injustice? The range of attitudes within the outlaw gang ? the more honourable men as the Jameses, the opportunists amongst the Youngers, Clell Miller and his being in for the thrills etc.? where did audience sympathies lie? The audience seeing the administration of justice? The victimising of the law enforcers? The outlaws as part victim? The tradition of ballads about outlaws - their rehabilitation, their focusing on social issues of the time which they symbolised?

6. Audience interest in the plot: the gang at work and their relative success and skill? Their working together and their clashes? The transition to the more humane background of the farms and the town? And the memories of and the need for thrills and action? The Jameses? and their leadership? The threat by Cole Younger? Jealousies? The contrast with Mrs. Samuel and her retarded son at home? The girls and their families? Their becoming the wives of outlaws? The introduction of the Pinkertons', the atmosphere of the bounty hunter? The build-up to the expected Northfield Minnesota raid? The elaborate staging of the raid? Its becoming a fiasco, the escape? The capture of the Youngers and the Millers? The Fords? and the confrontation with Jesse James? The familiar plot ingredients and the way they were presented?

7. The portrait of the Jameses - Jesse and his quiet leadership, his understanding of the issues of the time? His control of the group? Regard for his mother? His reliance on Frank? His wife and family? Frank and his seriousness, support of Jesse, presence in the gang? Mediation? Frank's wooing of Annie Ralston, the promise to settle down? The comparison with Jesse's betrothal to his cousin Zee, the marriage and the growing family?

8. The contrast with the Youngers - Cole and his toughness, his pursuit of Belle Starr, the bar fight and the knifings? The confrontation with Jesse? His belonging to the gang and going along with it? Jim Younger and his softer approach? the death of Cousin John and its effect on him? His wooing of Beth from Ed Miller and her love for him? Bob Younger and his wanting to be like his older brothers? The influence of Cole?

9. The Millers: Ed and his violence, his misjudging of situations, his being expelled from the group? His going back to town, the wooing of Beth and her leaving him? His being arrested but not betraying the group? Clell and his pleasantness, naivety, in for the thrills? The following of Cole to the bar for drinking? The whores?

10. The contrast with the Fords? their wanting to be in the gang, their slyness and greed? Their resentment of the gang? Their deal with the Pinkertons? The visit to Jesse James and the betrayal?

11. The sketch of Mrs. Samuel, her attitude towards her sons and their way of life at home, as outlaws? The retarded boy and his death? Mrs. Samuel and her surviving and grief? The linking of the Cousin John Younger theme with Mrs. Samuel, his violent death from the Pinkertons and the bounty hunters?

12. The presentation of the women in this kind of world - Belle Starr and the tough woman from the saloons? The country girls? Zee, Annie, Beth? Love and devotion, support? The many sequences of courting, the long sequences of the country dances? Weddings? The capturing of the gentler way of life as background to the action?

13. The effectiveness of the action sequences - in the atmosphere of the west and the frontier? The robbing of the trains? Skill and luck?

14. The build-up to the Northfield raid? The plan, tension, the execution, things going wrong, the shootings, the violence? The escape? The Jameses leaving the others? Their imprisonment and interrogation? Their not betraying the Jameses?

15. The Pinkertons and their methods? The Fords and their betrayal?

16. How satisfying a western? Enjoyment? The frontier and American heritage? Issues of 19th. century justice? The universal interest in the west and its characters?