Chisum (1970)

Director: Andrew V McLaglen
Starring: John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George

Synopsis:
Cattle baron John Chisum gets into a bloody feud with a rival landowner.

Impressions:
This fictionalized account of the Lincoln County War would otherwise be a fairly stock Western if it didn't happen to be one of the last of the classic Westerns. It's a solid movie and if you're a fan of old school Westerns and/or John Wayne, you'll want to give it a watch. If you're not, this won't do anything to change your mind. I suppose as a matter of dramatic necessity, Billy the Kid is given a more heroic portrayal than historical accounts would warrant (at least as far as I know). I did enjoy the back-and-forth between Chisum and his right-hand man Pepper and Christopher George was rather good as the ruthless bounty hunter Dan Nodeen (much as George impressed in El Dorado). As I'd said earlier, I think it's worth a watch and would only say otherwise if you're dead-set against Westerns.

Rating:
Watch It