Second viewing; the date of my first viewing is under suspicion -- I have no record of having seen it since 1987, a fact which suggests I saw it between 1983 and 1986; on the other hand, I have a tape recording of it dating from the early 1990s, a fact which suggests the possibility of my having seen it then and having forgotten to write that event down.
A middle-aged gunfighter comes to a small Western town hoping to contact the woman with whom he had a relationship and a son with. He must deal with the town's curiosity about him, and some young men who keep bullying him to prove they are tough. Also some people are after him to avenge their relatives who were murdered.
The fascination with violence is an important theme, and one that resonates to this very day. An equally cogent theme is the need to escape an identity which no longer suits one. The general lines of the script seem to obey a predetermined template for a sort of Western elegy, and the result seems a bit strained at crucial moments. Also, the protagonist seems to be a very good guy, his shady past being somewhat toned down. This seems also to be the case with his friend the town marshal. In both cases, I cannot say I buy that concept. In spite of those problems, the film somehow flows well and there is even room for some great sequences.
Rating: 65 (unchanged)
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