THE LAST HARD MEN

US, 1976, 97 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Barbara Hershey, Christopher Mitchum, Jorge Rivero, Michael Parks.
Directed by Andrew V. Mc Laglen.

Westerns have been rare lately. This is a tough and violent one, a picture of the changing West at the turn of the century, where heroic sheriffs and gunfighters have retired, but emerge for a final battle to the death. Charlton Heston embodies the ageing hero very well and James Coburn is an ugly villain as they stalk each other in town, desert and mountains. Barbara Hershey as Heston's daughter is used as bait to snare him and a menacing rape sequence will make a female audience uncomfortable. Themes include growing hatred and vengeance versus survival and ingenuity in a West on the verge of the 20th century.

1. The title and the emphasis on "last", the hardness of the men of the west? The types that were represented by these last hard men? Audience expectations of a tough western, their fulfilment?

2. What conventions of the west were used, how well? Audience response to these: prison, outlaw, vengeance, the retired marshall, the chase, violence, the final shoot-out?

3. What were the main interest in the film? The presentation of the two men, their clashes, actions, situations, the issues of a changing and dying west?

4. Comment on the portrait of the American west: the 19th century with its heritage of tough heroes, of ruthless villains? Of the law of the gun, vengeance? Of sudden death? The picture of the decline of the 19th century and the transition to the modern 20th century? The 20th century viewpoint of the film as regards the two men? A glorifying of the traditions of the west, its violence? A criticism? Something of both? What did the film have to say in favour of and against the west?

5. The use of colour, Panavision, mountain and town locations, the stars?

6. The atmosphere of the tough opening, the conventions of a western prison, harshness of outlook, the vengeance, the group and their loyalty to Provo? The mixed race group? The escape and their violence? The preparation for a confrontation with Burgade?

7. How did the film contrast Burgade with Provo? Burgade as retired, the heritage of his administration of the law, his quiet life, devotion to his daughter? A man of violence who was weary? The heritage of Provo's vengeance, and the explanation of the death of Provo's wife?

8. What were the issues confronting the two men? Why did they hate each other? The pros and cons of their attitude? The mutual knowledge which helped each of them in the chase?

9. The presentation of Provo winning, his skill and tracking, his kidnapping of Susan, the menace and the threat to Burgade because of his daughter, the violence of the staging of the rape and its effect? Audience hostility to Provo? Did he have any redeeming features?

10. Burgade's skill, his not following the letter of the law in pursuing, his reaction to Provo's moves, his not moving during the rape of his daughter, his decision to wait and ambush?

11. The gallery of characters in Provo’s gang: the various races represented, the interaction amongst the men, their greed, lured by Provo, the rape, their deaths? A dying out of an ugly west?

12. The contrast with the picture of Marshall Nye, his accompanying of Burgade, his administering the letter of the law?

13. Hal as a hero? Young, inexperienced, his love for Susan, wanting to help, the others looking down on him, his ingenuity and rescuing Susan?

14. Susan and her relationship with her father, her love for him, the effect of the kidnapping, being harassed by Provo and the men, her suffering the violence of the rape but living through it? Her being rescued but facing the death of her father?

15. The mountains as the location for the final confrontation, the deadly menacing of each other, the mutual deaths and the last of the hard men?

16. The entertainment value of this film, the critical picture of an old west?