Eastwood truly outdid himself with this movie. He attempted to do something that few other directors were willing to deal with during this period... he attempted to offer America closure... for Vietnam. The film was made in the final days of the American participation in the conflict and is a pastiche of types that we should be familiar with from American life during Vietnam. Wales is the bitter veteran, tired of war, who comes to protect this band of innocents from the savagery of war. However, he comes to the conclusion that, in the end, it is better to sue for peace and allow all sides to live together (something that is opposed by the American gov't in this film, who are more concerned with vengeance than justice). His symbolic marriage to the 'flower child' (Laura Turner, played by Sondra Locke) is the final signal that America MUST heal itself, the hawks and the doves are not, in the end, enemies, but must reconcile.
The Outlaw Josey Wales is, simply, a fantastic and beautiful movie, one that must be seen and experienced repeatedly by anyone who claims to be a fan of the genre. While it may have functioned as a symbolic closure for Vietnam, it continues to have meaning today... it continues to have validity in its comentary about America and and our way of life. In much the same manner that Fight Club comments on where America has gone wrong, TOLJW directs toward where America can go right.
Eastwood has tackled these issues before and since, but never so well and never so beautifully. The Outlaw Josey Wales is a film for the ages, and I hope that more people get a chance to watch it. I know that a lot of people my age have an aversion to watching older films, and I find that to be a great tragedy, so I hope that the fact that I, as a 28 year old male, can appreciate these films might possibly influence others to make an effort. There are a lot of great films, enjoy as many as you can.
The Outlaw Josey Wales is, simply, a fantastic and beautiful movie, one that must be seen and experienced repeatedly by anyone who claims to be a fan of the genre. While it may have functioned as a symbolic closure for Vietnam, it continues to have meaning today... it continues to have validity in its comentary about America and and our way of life. In much the same manner that Fight Club comments on where America has gone wrong, TOLJW directs toward where America can go right.
Eastwood has tackled these issues before and since, but never so well and never so beautifully. The Outlaw Josey Wales is a film for the ages, and I hope that more people get a chance to watch it. I know that a lot of people my age have an aversion to watching older films, and I find that to be a great tragedy, so I hope that the fact that I, as a 28 year old male, can appreciate these films might possibly influence others to make an effort. There are a lot of great films, enjoy as many as you can.