The Cowboys Blu-ray offers solid video and mediocre audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
A veteren rancher risks everything when he recruits schoolboys to man a dangerous cattle
drive. One of John Wayne's solid twilight hits, co-starring Bruce Dern and Colleen Dewhurst.
Every man wants his children to be better than he was. You are.
John Wayne's image has always been, and will always be, that of a rough and tumble American.
He's a man's man if there ever was one,
a
model of toughness, a man of simple, concise, yet pointed and unapologetic words, and a man of
stature
that
immediately commands the utmost respect. Wayne remains, arguably, the most recognized
actor in American
cinematic history and is the face of the Western, a genre that is originally American. In The
Cowboys, a 1972 Western directed by Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond), Wayne plays
an
aging cowboy in what would be one of his final roles before his death seven years later. The film
is
not only an excellent Western and a fitting model of the grace, power, and beauty of the genre,
not
to mention of the command Wayne brings to his roles, but its plot plays well against the aging
Wayne,
telling the story of an old ranch hand hiring a group of schoolboys to aid him in a 400 mile cattle
drive. The story seems symbolic of the passage of time, not only representing the changing
American landscape during the gold rush of the mid-to-late 1800s, but also representative of the
time the
film was made, a time when the Golden Age of the Western -- featuring the likes of John Ford,
Howard
Hawks, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, and Gene Autry behind and in front of the camera
had reached its zenith and was giving way to new territory with new styles and new stars (the
Spaghetti Westerns featuring Clint Eastwood, for example). The film is also representative of the
point in time it was made in Wayne's career -- the story of the rugged, old individual forced to
rely on a much younger generation of cowboys to help in his work couldn't have been more
timely.
You know, trail driving is not a Sunday school picnic. You got to figure you're dealing with the
dumbest, orneriest critter on God's green Earth. The cow is nothing but trouble tied up in a
leather bag -- and the horse ain't much better.
Rancher Wil Anderson (John Wayne, The Searchers) lives
in gold rush-era Montana, and all of the able-bodied men who can help him along in a 400-mile
cattle drive have disappeared in search of riches beyond what they would make as cowboys.
Desperate to move the herd, Anderson is receptive of local bartender Anse Peterson's (Slim
Pickens, Blazing Saddles)
suggestion that Anderson recruit the boys from the local one-room schoolhouse. Proving
themselves
handy on a horse, Anderson, the boys, and cook Jebediah Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne,
Logan's Run) embark on the long journey. However, they are trailed by a group of men
recently released from prison, whom Anderson denied work as cowboys for their fudging of the
truth during an off-the-cuff interview. During the journey, and shadowed by the team of
wrongdoers, the young cowboys first find themselves overly tired and not approving of Anderson's
harsh ways, but the journey creates a powerful bond between the cowboys that lasts a lifetime.
The Cowboys features excellent direction from veteran Mark Rydell. He captures the
tone and spirit of the film perfectly, from the most subtle of emotions and reactions to the
various dramatic and raw elements of the film. Two scenes that best convey the meaning of the
film are prime examples of his impressive direction. The first features one of the boys,
"Stuttering Bob," cursing out Mr. Anderson in chapter 18. It is a rebellious, heartfelt, and crucial
scene that sets the stage for the remainder of the film as Anderson becomes a father figure to
the boys through his tough love, heartfelt compassion, and honesty. Rydell's handling of the
film's emotionally charged finale also serves as an example of his honest and captivating
direction. It's difficult not to become one of the boys over the course of the film, and the anger,
despair, depression, and compassion of the film's climactic confrontation and later denouement is
brought to emotionally-charged life. The Cowboys is a deep film that is only superficially
about a cattle drive; Rydell's true gift to the film is his capturing of the essence of the deeper
messages and emotions of the film, such as honor, respect, duty, and most importantly, love.
The cinematography courtesy of Robert Surtees (PT 109) is also excellent, as is the case
with so many of the classic American
Westerns. Perhaps no other genre can claim such stunning imagery as often as the Western,
and combined with the fabulous music heard in so many, as well as the important themes of
respect, honor, and courage, it's no wonder that it is the quintessential American film genre.
As fantastic as Rydell's direction is, none of it would have mattered without the standout
performances of the cast. The boys are the true stars of the show, and their grasp of the
material -- not only the riding or the shooting -- but of the meaning of the dialogue, their
delivery, and most importantly, their mental, spiritual, and physical reactions to various situations
seen throughout the film, always shine through. Truly, they make the film, and anything less
than not only their best acting, but their understanding of the deeper themes of the film, would
have lessened the movie drastically. John Wayne, though receiving top billing, plays second fiddle
to the boys. His is a father figure that is consistently sure handed and astute, assertive yet
caring, and as the film progresses, the boys begin to see his true self, and change from mocking
him behind his back, or cursing him out to his face, to not only respecting him, but loving him as
a father. Wayne's steadfastness throughout the picture is the glue that holds it together; for as
important as the boys' performances are, it is Wayne's character, and his carrying of that
character, that is the foundation for the film's thematic arc. That said, Roscoe Lee Browne's
character may be the most well-rounded of them all. His character's dialogue is superb, and his
delivery is equally incredible, as is his portrayal of the character's kindheartedness and courage.
The Cowboys saddles up on Blu-ray with a solid 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. There is
noticeable banding in a few places, particularly during the film's first few moments. After the
opening credits, viewers are presented with a fairly grainy, scratchy scene, but the image
clears up significantly afterwards. Grain is retained in some scenes, and in others
is
not noticeable. The image is glossy and clear with nice detail in many scenes. An early interior
scene in chapter 4, where Anderson goes to the bar, appears a bit dimmer than the open, sunny
scenes that preceded it; but although the image looks slightly softer and offers less in the way of
solid detail, it still retains the clean look that the picture captures throughout. Detail is often very
nice. Look at the
corduroy jacket Anderson wears in chapter 7. It's not remarkable, but it still offers a nice texture
and depth that provides a bit of realism in the image, as do the old wooden posts the make up a
corral that reveals every knot, crack, and scar. While the film takes on a rather dusty, tan
colored palette, various additional colors seen in the film do look sharp. The purple shirt Wil
Anderson is often seen wearing is reproduced well, for example. Flesh tones appear a bit rosy,
and
black levels are solid but not completely inky in every dark scene. The Cowboys offers
pleasing visuals sure to
impress both newcomers to the film and established fans of the film, of Wayne, and of the genre.
The Cowboys presents listeners with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There is simply
nothing like a classic Western theme, and that's exactly what we have here: some good old,
down
home, rip-roaring cowboy movie music that sounds fine over the opening credits. If you thought
John Williams (Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull) only composed music for big budget, noisy epics, listen to his score
for The Cowboys to gain an entirely new perspective on the composer's range and talent.
It lacks
just a bit
of lifelike definition and fidelity that we would likely hear from a lossless reproduction, but it
provides
a solid few minutes of sonic entertainment nevertheless, and it screams "Western" through and
through. The guitar picking heard in chapter 19 is deep and pure, a fitting, simple theme to
a brief cattle drive montage that follows it. The soundtrack is mostly front-heavy, focusing on
dialogue in most scenes, and the dialogue is slightly muffled and too low in
volume
in select scenes. It's never unintelligible, but it could probably stand to be slightly more clear.
Various sound effects, such as the mooing of cattle on the drive or the beating of hooves into the
earth are reproduced to decent effect across the front. The Cowboys doesn't offer the
most
dynamic soundtrack, but is does provide a decent enough experience that flows well with the
film.
The Cowboys rides onto Blu-ray with a few fascinating supplemental features. For
starters, viewers are treated to an audio commentary with the film's director, Mark Rydell. Rydell
discusses the joy of working with Wayne and the amazing experience that was working with the
famed actor and shooting a vast, epic western. The director discusses Wayne's participation in
the film, his stunt work despite his various ailments, and his genuine, pleasing personality
off-camera. Rydell talks in further detail about the entirety of the primary cast, how they all
learned
to ride horses for the film, and the pointing out of various difficult-to-shoot scenes. Despite some
momentary gaps in the track, Rydell's analysis is laid back and very informative, a joy for
anyone who loves The Cowboys. The Cowboys: Together Again (480p, 28:39)
features actors Bruce Dern, Roscoe Lee Browne, Robert Carradine, A Martinez, Stephen Hudis,
and Norman Howell, Jr., along with director Mark Rydell as they share their memories of the
making of the film. Rydell begins the discussion by recounting how the film initially came about,
and the actors follow by reminiscing about the experience of working under Rydell. The piece
moves along with stories from the experience of working on The Cowboys, and the
participants seem genuinely excited for having the opportunity of making the film -- and
reuniting
years later. The Breaking of Boys and the Making of Men (480p, 8:50) is a vintage
featurette that further explores various aspects of the making of the film, focusing primarily on
the young men who worked on the film. Amongst them, six were expert riders and two
were city
boys who only knew how to act. This is a fine piece that shows its age but proves engaging
nevertheless. Finally, the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 3:07) concludes the supplemental
features.
The Cowboys is a classic Western with plenty of important themes, including human
bonding, trust, and respect. It is also a coming-of-age tale that works because the cast -- from the
youngest stars to Wayne and Browne -- understand and embrace the film's thinly veiled themes.
The more superficial aspects of the film -- the breathtaking cinematography, the rousing score, the
action choreography, the writing, and the pacing -- are all top-notch. The Cowboys is an
honest, down home film that explores deep themes while entertaining audiences, and is one of John
Wayne's finest hours in a career filled with awe-inspiring pictures and roles. Warner Brothers'
release of The Cowboys onto Blu-ray is most welcome. The disc features fine picture and
decent sound quality, but neither will excite audiences in search of the next high powered,
full-throttled
Blu-ray. With a few fine extra features to go along with it, however, The Cowboys is a hard
disc to say "no" to for fans of the film, Westerns, or The Duke. Recommended.
