In one of the great revisionist westerns of the 1970s, Clint Eastwood is The Outlaw Josey Wales, a simple Missouri farmer unable to reconcile the grief of losing his wife and son to coldblooded murder – by pro-Union militants. After refusing to surrender with his Captain (JohnVernon) after the Civil War has ended, Wales sees his men massacred after laying down their arms, and exacts revenge on the “Redlegs” with a Gatling gun, igniting a manhunt for Josey Wales by the U.S. Cavalry and bounty hunters alike. Directed by Eastwood (after taking over for Philip Kaufman), “the man with no name” persona gives way to a man in need of human interaction, as Wales joins up with traveling companions Laura Lee (Sondra Locke), her gritty Grandmother (Paula Trueman), and Chief Dan George as the deadpanned line delivering Cherokee Lone Watie. But as the group attempts to settle down and live in peace, Josey Wales is tracked down by Red Leg soldier Terrill (Bill McKinney) and his men, with bad intentions for the elusive outlaw.
“A truly great Western from Clint that is bleakly atmospheric and charming in turns.” – Ian Nathan, Empire
“Eastwood is such a taciturn and action-oriented performer that it’s easy to overlook the fact that he directs many of his movies – and many of the best, most intelligent ones. Here, with the moody, gloomily beautiful, photography of Bruce Surtees, he creates a magnificent Western feeling.” – Roger Ebert
