The Long Riders (1980)

Gimmicky, but it works -- just don't expect a classic

Walter Hill's 1980 Western The Long Riders (his first film after the 1979 cult classic The Warriors) starts out with a gimmick -- the casting of famous Hollywood brothers as famous outlaw brothers -- but ends up as a fair addition to the genre (and it reportedly began its life as a musical!).

The main reason most people will get curious about The Long Riders is the cast. But look at that cast! It is likely to be the only place you'll see such a parade of prominent Hollywood families all together in one film.

Here's the lineup: David Carradine as Cole Younger, Keith Carradine as Jim Younger, Robert Carradine as Bob Younger; Stacy Keach as Frank James, James Keach as Jesse James; Dennis Quaid as Ed Miller, Randy Quaid as Clell Miller; Christopher Guest as Charlie Ford, Nicholas Guest as Robert Ford. (Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges were originally offered the Ford roles but were reportedly unable to clear their schedules.)

Among this band of brothers, I was pleasantly surprised that James Keach -- whose work I was only passingly familiar with thus far and had found mostly unmemorable -- was the real standout. He draws the eye every time he is on the screen, not least because his face seems to have been carved out of rock. There's hardly a rounded surface to be seen, which just serves to make every emotion more intensely expressed.

In retrospect, this should not have been too surprising, given that the film was originally conceived by the brothers Keach as a vehicle for themselves. The familial aspect does serve to make the interrelations of the characters more palpable (unless that was just my own projection), and it's certainly worth at least one viewing, but The Long Riders is unlikely to be seen historically as anything more than a minor contribution to Western film. April 12, 2008

Probably the best of the James Gang movies...

This 1980 release shows, fictionally yet creditably, the history of Frank and Jesse's career as bank and train robbers. There are lots of scenes with only the Younger brothers or the Miller brothers, much like the recent "Assassination of Jesse James" bomb with Brat Pitt spent much of its time with lesser and later gang members. The difference in the two films is astounding: in "Long Riders" there is coherent dialogue, enunciated clearly, and many daytime events, so the viewer can really see what's happening. The newest James movie concentrates on the decay of the gang after the botched Northfield, Minnesota bank job, when the Youngers and Millers are no more. It builds up so slowly to the killing of Jesse by Bob Ford that one gets bored early on, and while the climax of that movie is done well, by the time it arrives one does not care. "The Long Riders" however, is long on action. Many are shot, some are killed, and during the Northfield disaster, bloody wounds are depicted graphically. The musical score by Ry Cooder is excellent, the cinematography is nice, the performances, by using the gimmick of real brothers playing brothers, are all good. If you were disappointed by the Brad Pitt film, rent this one. Better yet, watch this one FIRST, then consider the "Assassination" movie to be an overly long sequel. April 4, 2008

Great, realistic atmospheric Western

"The Long Riders" is one of the best Westerns ever made. It concerns one specific facet of the West treated now in only three other films, all of which concern the post-Civil War careers of the Missouri riders: those men and boys who threw in their hands with Bloody Bill Anderson, William Quantrill, Archie Clements and other guerrilla leaders in response to the horrific depredations of the murderers and rapists from Kansas styling themselves "Jayhawkers" and "Redleggers" (the union militia from Kansas, known for their red gaiters). The other three films are "The Outlaw Josey Wales", "Ride with the Devil", and most recently, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford".

Each of these films takes its measure of literary license, but each succeeds in recreating the historical reality of that era for modern viewers. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is truest to the Western genre, while the other three all compete for historical accuracy in their own ways. "The Long Riders" is probably the best in its depiction of these men as continuing the Civil War in their own way, employing military-style tactics learned from their Missouri guerrilla leaders to rob trains and banks, and always wearing their distinctive, long grey dusters, which gave them the name "The Long Riders" (a name continued by Bill Doolin, Bill Dalton and the rest of the Oklahoma Long Riders).

The casting of the Keach, Carradine, and Quaid brothers as the James, Younger, and Miller (Ed and Clell) boys is a great touch, and Ry Cooder's arrangement of the music sets the period atmospherics perfectly (so much so that even "The Assassination of Jesse James" has to include a bit of "The Unreconstructed Rebel" with its defiant addendum from the Missouri riders: "I don't want no pardon, for anything I done.").

This film treats a piece of history that has been clouded and tarnished by dozens of traditional western portrayals employing all kinds of bad, stock stereotypes--none of which has any relationship to history or even reality. This film has the distinction of being the first to get at least a good part of the historical background, characterization, and period details right. David, Keith and Robert Carradine provide exceptional performances as the seldom-treated Younger brothers, and Stacey Keach is outstanding as Frank James. The weakest performance is that of James Keach as Jesse James, but it seems to have been a director's or screenwriter's choice to focus a minimum amount of time on Jesse James so as to highlight the rest of the gang. David Carradine's portrayal of Cole Younger is probably the strongest in the film, down to the capture of the shot-up Younger brothers after the botched Northfield raid and their dialogue with reporters and the authorities, which closely tracks the actual accounts. Despite the overdone development of the affair between Cole Younger and Belle Starr, the affair was real, and produced a daughter (an oft-overlooked historical fact; see Paul Wellman, A Dynasty of Western Outlaws).

I recommend this film to anyone interested in what these men were really like. No better film treatment exists, although "The Assassination of Jesse James" comes close with its periodicity. February 15, 2008

One Of Many Jesse James Movies.

I have seen almost all of the various movies concerning
the life of Jesse. This one is good entertainment
with about 50% of the material factual.
Even Bob Hope made a flick, called Alias Jesse James,
which is excellent entertainment.
The Long Riders rates five stars with me because
of the unusual casting of brothers to play the
parts. Ry Cooder's soundtrack rates another five
stars. I believe most of you will enjoy this movie. September 20, 2007

One of two best westerns ever made!

If you want to have a well rounded library of movies and want to include westerns The Long Riders, as well as, Tombstone, are two of the best ever made. With the direction of Walter Hill, music by Ry Cooder, and siblings in the starring roles you can't beat this fictional account of the exploits of the gang of Jesse James. Keith Carridine, as Val Kilmer did in Tombstone, nearly steals the show, but is balanced out by a talented group of real life acting brothers. This brilliant idea pits the true emotion of a young Dennis and Randy Quaid. Add this to your library you won't be disappointed. April 15, 2007

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