The Long Riders

Deadwood director Walter Hill knows how to put a western together, and he gives a good band of brothers flick in this story of the James-Younger gang. It doesn't hurt that the film features the original music of Ry Cooder, who gave us the great Buena Vista Social Club, As to the brothers; the Younger brothers were David, and Robert Carradine; the James Brothers were Stacey and James Keach, who also did some of the script; The Ford brothers were Christopher and Nickolas Guest. It also featured John Wayne favorite Harry Carey Jr. Great adult western showing the impact of the gang's life on the families, the failed efforts of the Pinkertons, and the eventual break-up in the Great Northfield Missesote Raid, and the murder of Jesse James by the Fords.

Bravo! Great fun. The idea of actual brothers portraying the James', Youngers, Millers and the Fords was fabulous - but then the Keachs, Carradines and Quades are so outstanding they really took it all the way. It felt like a genuine moment out of an American West history book. And Pamela Reed as Belle Star - what a tough, sexy "*". Loved it.

In the Missouri, after the civil war, the James & Younger gang steals banks and trains, and are chased by the Pinkertons. This movie is a very different western, showing the outlaws as human beings, having families, raising children. Walter Hill uses the Carredine, Quaid and Keach brothers in real life to perform the former bandits and it is a great attraction in this film. The music, arranged and composed by Ry Cooder, fits perfectly to the story. However, the characters are not well developed, maybe because of the quantity of lead actors versus the running time, and the story loses the explanation of the motives for the behavior of the bandits, being cruel while robbing and very close to their families, being good sons, husbands and friends. Anyway, the performance of the cast is excellent and the movie does not disappoint. My vote is seven. Title ('Brazil'): 'Cavalgada dos Proscritos' (Ride of the Proscribes')