As long as Hollywood is producing Westerns it will keep telling and retelling to stories of the real-life outlaws whose stories have become the stuff of legends. The Long Riders is another rendition of the last ride of Jesse James and the Younger gang and the events before and after. In terms of story it’s nothing special, but the casting for The Long Riders is a thing of genius with three sets of brothers filling out the roles of the two Jameses, the three Youngers, and the two Millers brothers. Even though we’ve seen this story dozens of times Director Walter Hill makes this take his own and the amount of talent filling the screen makes for some great performances. Considering the quality of the Blu-ray transfer and the film itself, The Long Riders deserves to be picked up by fans of the Western genre.
We join the James-Younger gang in the middle of a heist going wrong after Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) shoots an innocent midway through and they ride off with the modest score. Ed’s mistake sees him kicked out of the bunch, as Clell Miller (Randy Quaid), Jesse James (James Keach), Frank James (Stacy Keach), Jim Younger (Keith Carradines), Bob Younger (Robert Carradine), and Cole Younger (David Carradine) go their own way. The gang goes on to rob a train and attracts the unwanted pursuit of the Pinkertons who earn the ire of both locals and the brothers in their bungling of the case and the accidental deaths of innocents. In between their crimes, the brothers make merry and plan for more stable lives all while leading up to the fateful ambush in Northfield, Minnesota.
That certain members of the gang were looking to settle down adds a badly needed dynamic to the film when it combines with its final resolution, lending credibility to the idea of no honor among thieves. When the game you play is about getting rich and making a name for yourself, the only way you get out alive is by retiring and stepping out of public view. The James brothers can attest to that, as in the end, it’s not a bank robbery or drunken fight that takes down Jesse James; it’s just two guys attempting to do what Jesse James did: gain notoriety and earn some money.
The two elder Carradine brothers stand out as the most magnetic and enthralling performances in the bunch, though James and Stacy Keach both made an impact. David’s swagger as Cole Younger stole every scene he was in and the great knife fight stands as a great Western scene. Keith Carradine, who starred in a considerably larger portion of the film than his two brothers, was the driving force of the film’s talent. He’s superb as the ever cool and calm Jim Younger and he’s an absolutely terrific antihero. The Keach brothers, who also helped write and produce, also make up a considerable portion of the narrative’s heft and the subplot of their desire for different things is well played by both. It should also be noted that Randy Quaid plays one of his most straightforward roles here instead of being the kooky comic relief and he does it well.
To the credit of the film’s four screenwriters, the dialogue never comes across as stiff or hokey as can happen when frontier lingo is used. Scenes move smoothly with some great banter, and the pacing from one scene to the next makes it flow seamlessly from great bar fights to the exciting robberies. The Long Riders is a good example of an overused story getting some fresh legs courtesy of strong performances and writing.
The film looks terrific in high-definition and the depth adds a lot to the various scenes in bars and out racing across the wilderness. Walter Hill did a fine job of creating a visually interesting film and the more action-packed sequences benefit from the HD enhancement. Audio, on the other hand, doesn’t see much of a bump, but either way, the shootout in Northfield makes the resolution bump a great asset.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Regrettably there are none, but can you imagine if they’d had the foresight to record an audio commentary featuring James Keach, Stacy Keach, Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, and David Carradine before David died in 2009? Throw in Christopher Guest and Nicholas Guest, who played Charlie and Bob Ford, respectively, and you’d have an incredible commentary. It’s a missed opportunity.
"The Long Riders" is on sale June 7, 2011 and is rated R. Western. Directed by Walter Hill. Written by Bill Bryden, Steven Phillip Smith, Stacy & James Keach. Starring Christopher Guest, David Carradine, Dennis Quaid, Keith Carradine, Randy Quaid, Stacy Keach, James Keach, Nicholas Guest, Robert Carradine.
