THE LAST SUNSET
US, 1961, 112 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotton, Carol Lynley, Jack Elam, Neville Brand.
Directed by Robert Aldrich.
The Last Sunset is an ambitious western directed by Robert Aldrich. Aldrich had made his mark in the fifties with westerns and thrillers including Vera Cruz, The Big Knife, Kiss Me Deadly. He was soon to change style in the sixties with the horror thrillers, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. His films increased in scope with The Dirty Dozen, Flight Of The Phoenix and Too Late The Hero in the late sixties. He continued to make quite a number of significant westerns and thrillers throughout the seventies and into the eighties.
The screen play for The Last Sunset was written by Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten, who had been writing screenplays in the fifties under pseudonyms. At this time he emerged with his own name with screenplays for Exodus, Spartacus and The Last Sunset. He was to film a version of his own novel Johnny Got His Gun in 1970.
The cast of this western is very strong. Critics and many audiences considered it somewhat slow. It aims to incorporate aspects of Greek tragedy into the atmosphere of the west. Eugene O'Neill had been interested in this kind of thing and indeed there is a lot of basis for the tragic Greek confrontations in the west and the atmosphere of law and justice. The Last Sunset in always interesting in showing the possibilities for a western with hopes for seriousness.
1. The significance and tone of the title? Pessimism and death in the west? How successful a western was this? How enjoyable, the use of conventions, characters, situations? Was this a good action western? A convincing psychological Western?
2. Contribution of the colour and locations? The contribution of the actors and their styles?
3. The tone and meaning of the theme from the title and the ending? What were the main themes of this western?
4. How successfully did the film use symbols, the use of black and of white, the gunfighters, black and white outfits, the dresses? the cattle, the final shoot pits?
5. The film had parallels between Greek tragedy and the West, the law? How were they portrayed? Did the film have and atmosphere of Greek tragedy? (or is this too pretentious an interpretation?). Discuss the theme of vengeance, law, violence, vendetta. relationships, love, fate, doom?
6. Comment on the way of transferring Greek tragedy. Its styles, themes, intense world, meaning of life and death to the west? Comment on the use of the old man as a chorus, on the behaviour of the main characters?
7. In what ways was? O’ Malley a hero? A hero of the west? His first appearance during the credits, pursued, needing to hide? The importance of the explanations of his background, his shootings and killings, his relationship with Belle love in the past, neglect, relying on her, her emotions? His capacity for work? The nature of the pursuit with Stribbling after him? The significance of his anger and his throttling of the dog? His need to help him? remaining to work? The importance of his saving Stribbling? his encounter with the Indians? A better side of his character? His relationship with Dana, trying to rescue him? fatefulness of the love for Belle and for Missy? How influential was this in deciding to go to his death? Was he a sad man? his death and pathos?
8. What insight into western heroes and anti-heroes did the film give?
9. How convincing a hero was Stribbling? a match for O’Malley? Kirk Douglas compared with Rock Hudson? initial picture of his pursuit? The gradual explanations of his motives? His capacity for work? Why was he attracted to Belle? Was the love relationship convincingly portrayed? His relationship with John Breckinridge? Saved by Belle? obligation on oath? His hot-headedness with the Indian?. The significance of the final duel? The fact that he survived?
10. How strong a character was Belle? Strong enough for a focus for the two men’s emotional response to her? The realism about her love for O’Malley? Her attraction for Stribbling, her marriage to Breckenridge? Her love for her daughter?
11. How did the film portray Missy as a younger version of her mother? Prettiness, zest for life? Wanting to be a woman? Independent? The importance of the dance sequences? Her not knowing the truth? The emotional response to O’ Malley and his dashing of her hopes?
12. The importance of Breckenridge, Breckenridge as the leader of the trek, but his weaknesses in drinking, memories of war, his lies and the pathetic nature of his death?
13. Comment on the effect of the portrayal of cattle ranches, work, seasons, fiesta…,?
14. What did the other cowboys in the background add to the meaning of the film and the suspense? The role of the Indians?
15. Was the film a good one for insight into life in the West?
16. Was it convincing in portraying the west as a situation for insight, into the human condition and its deeper complexities?
