Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Cowboys Blu-ray Movie Review

One of John Wayne's finest films turns Blu.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 1, 2008

Every man wants his children to be better than he was. You are.

John Wayne's image has always been, and will always be, that of a rough and tumble American. He's a man's man if there ever was one, a model of toughness, a man of simple, concise, yet pointed and unapologetic words, and a man of stature that immediately commands the utmost respect. Wayne remains, arguably, the most recognized actor in American cinematic history and is the face of the Western, a genre that is originally American. In The Cowboys, a 1972 Western directed by Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond), Wayne plays an aging cowboy in what would be one of his final roles before his death seven years later. The film is not only an excellent Western and a fitting model of the grace, power, and beauty of the genre, not to mention of the command Wayne brings to his roles, but its plot plays well against the aging Wayne, telling the story of an old ranch hand hiring a group of schoolboys to aid him in a 400 mile cattle drive. The story seems symbolic of the passage of time, not only representing the changing American landscape during the gold rush of the mid-to-late 1800s, but also representative of the time the film was made, a time when the Golden Age of the Western -- featuring the likes of John Ford, Howard Hawks, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, and Gene Autry behind and in front of the camera had reached its zenith and was giving way to new territory with new styles and new stars (the Spaghetti Westerns featuring Clint Eastwood, for example). The film is also representative of the point in time it was made in Wayne's career -- the story of the rugged, old individual forced to rely on a much younger generation of cowboys to help in his work couldn't have been more timely.

You know, trail driving is not a Sunday school picnic. You got to figure you're dealing with the dumbest, orneriest critter on God's green Earth. The cow is nothing but trouble tied up in a leather bag -- and the horse ain't much better.

Rancher Wil Anderson (John Wayne, The Searchers) lives in gold rush-era Montana, and all of the able-bodied men who can help him along in a 400-mile cattle drive have disappeared in search of riches beyond what they would make as cowboys. Desperate to move the herd, Anderson is receptive of local bartender Anse Peterson's (Slim Pickens, Blazing Saddles) suggestion that Anderson recruit the boys from the local one-room schoolhouse. Proving themselves handy on a horse, Anderson, the boys, and cook Jebediah Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne, Logan's Run) embark on the long journey. However, they are trailed by a group of men recently released from prison, whom Anderson denied work as cowboys for their fudging of the truth during an off-the-cuff interview. During the journey, and shadowed by the team of wrongdoers, the young cowboys first find themselves overly tired and not approving of Anderson's harsh ways, but the journey creates a powerful bond between the cowboys that lasts a lifetime.

The Cowboys features excellent direction from veteran Mark Rydell. He captures the tone and spirit of the film perfectly, from the most subtle of emotions and reactions to the various dramatic and raw elements of the film. Two scenes that best convey the meaning of the film are prime examples of his impressive direction. The first features one of the boys, "Stuttering Bob," cursing out Mr. Anderson in chapter 18. It is a rebellious, heartfelt, and crucial scene that sets the stage for the remainder of the film as Anderson becomes a father figure to the boys through his tough love, heartfelt compassion, and honesty. Rydell's handling of the film's emotionally charged finale also serves as an example of his honest and captivating direction. It's difficult not to become one of the boys over the course of the film, and the anger, despair, depression, and compassion of the film's climactic confrontation and later denouement is brought to emotionally-charged life. The Cowboys is a deep film that is only superficially about a cattle drive; Rydell's true gift to the film is his capturing of the essence of the deeper messages and emotions of the film, such as honor, respect, duty, and most importantly, love. The cinematography courtesy of Robert Surtees (PT 109) is also excellent, as is the case with so many of the classic American Westerns. Perhaps no other genre can claim such stunning imagery as often as the Western, and combined with the fabulous music heard in so many, as well as the important themes of respect, honor, and courage, it's no wonder that it is the quintessential American film genre.

As fantastic as Rydell's direction is, none of it would have mattered without the standout performances of the cast. The boys are the true stars of the show, and their grasp of the material -- not only the riding or the shooting -- but of the meaning of the dialogue, their delivery, and most importantly, their mental, spiritual, and physical reactions to various situations seen throughout the film, always shine through. Truly, they make the film, and anything less than not only their best acting, but their understanding of the deeper themes of the film, would have lessened the movie drastically. John Wayne, though receiving top billing, plays second fiddle to the boys. His is a father figure that is consistently sure handed and astute, assertive yet caring, and as the film progresses, the boys begin to see his true self, and change from mocking him behind his back, or cursing him out to his face, to not only respecting him, but loving him as a father. Wayne's steadfastness throughout the picture is the glue that holds it together; for as important as the boys' performances are, it is Wayne's character, and his carrying of that character, that is the foundation for the film's thematic arc. That said, Roscoe Lee Browne's character may be the most well-rounded of them all. His character's dialogue is superb, and his delivery is equally incredible, as is his portrayal of the character's kindheartedness and courage.

The Cowboys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Cowboys saddles up on Blu-ray with a solid 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. There is noticeable banding in a few places, particularly during the film's first few moments. After the opening credits, viewers are presented with a fairly grainy, scratchy scene, but the image clears up significantly afterwards. Grain is retained in some scenes, and in others is not noticeable. The image is glossy and clear with nice detail in many scenes. An early interior scene in chapter 4, where Anderson goes to the bar, appears a bit dimmer than the open, sunny scenes that preceded it; but although the image looks slightly softer and offers less in the way of solid detail, it still retains the clean look that the picture captures throughout. Detail is often very nice. Look at the corduroy jacket Anderson wears in chapter 7. It's not remarkable, but it still offers a nice texture and depth that provides a bit of realism in the image, as do the old wooden posts the make up a corral that reveals every knot, crack, and scar. While the film takes on a rather dusty, tan colored palette, various additional colors seen in the film do look sharp. The purple shirt Wil Anderson is often seen wearing is reproduced well, for example. Flesh tones appear a bit rosy, and black levels are solid but not completely inky in every dark scene. The Cowboys offers pleasing visuals sure to impress both newcomers to the film and established fans of the film, of Wayne, and of the genre.

The Cowboys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Cowboys presents listeners with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There is simply nothing like a classic Western theme, and that's exactly what we have here: some good old, down home, rip-roaring cowboy movie music that sounds fine over the opening credits. If you thought John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) only composed music for big budget, noisy epics, listen to his score for The Cowboys to gain an entirely new perspective on the composer's range and talent. It lacks just a bit of lifelike definition and fidelity that we would likely hear from a lossless reproduction, but it provides a solid few minutes of sonic entertainment nevertheless, and it screams "Western" through and through. The guitar picking heard in chapter 19 is deep and pure, a fitting, simple theme to a brief cattle drive montage that follows it. The soundtrack is mostly front-heavy, focusing on dialogue in most scenes, and the dialogue is slightly muffled and too low in volume in select scenes. It's never unintelligible, but it could probably stand to be slightly more clear. Various sound effects, such as the mooing of cattle on the drive or the beating of hooves into the earth are reproduced to decent effect across the front. The Cowboys doesn't offer the most dynamic soundtrack, but is does provide a decent enough experience that flows well with the film.

The Cowboys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Cowboys rides onto Blu-ray with a few fascinating supplemental features. For starters, viewers are treated to an audio commentary with the film's director, Mark Rydell. Rydell discusses the joy of working with Wayne and the amazing experience that was working with the famed actor and shooting a vast, epic western. The director discusses Wayne's participation in the film, his stunt work despite his various ailments, and his genuine, pleasing personality off-camera. Rydell talks in further detail about the entirety of the primary cast, how they all learned to ride horses for the film, and the pointing out of various difficult-to-shoot scenes. Despite some momentary gaps in the track, Rydell's analysis is laid back and very informative, a joy for anyone who loves The Cowboys. The Cowboys: Together Again (480p, 28:39) features actors Bruce Dern, Roscoe Lee Browne, Robert Carradine, A Martinez, Stephen Hudis, and Norman Howell, Jr., along with director Mark Rydell as they share their memories of the making of the film. Rydell begins the discussion by recounting how the film initially came about, and the actors follow by reminiscing about the experience of working under Rydell. The piece moves along with stories from the experience of working on The Cowboys, and the participants seem genuinely excited for having the opportunity of making the film -- and reuniting years later. The Breaking of Boys and the Making of Men (480p, 8:50) is a vintage featurette that further explores various aspects of the making of the film, focusing primarily on the young men who worked on the film. Amongst them, six were expert riders and two were city boys who only knew how to act. This is a fine piece that shows its age but proves engaging nevertheless. Finally, the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 3:07) concludes the supplemental features.

The Cowboys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Cowboys is a classic Western with plenty of important themes, including human bonding, trust, and respect. It is also a coming-of-age tale that works because the cast -- from the youngest stars to Wayne and Browne -- understand and embrace the film's thinly veiled themes. The more superficial aspects of the film -- the breathtaking cinematography, the rousing score, the action choreography, the writing, and the pacing -- are all top-notch. The Cowboys is an honest, down home film that explores deep themes while entertaining audiences, and is one of John Wayne's finest hours in a career filled with awe-inspiring pictures and roles. Warner Brothers' release of The Cowboys onto Blu-ray is most welcome. The disc features fine picture and decent sound quality, but neither will excite audiences in search of the next high powered, full-throttled Blu-ray. With a few fine extra features to go along with it, however, The Cowboys is a hard disc to say "no" to for fans of the film, Westerns, or The Duke. Recommended.