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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Four Rode Out (1970)

Odd, bleak little western directed by John Peyser was filmed in Spain. A U.S. marshal (Pernell Roberts) is hunting down a bank robber (Julian Mateos) along with a Pinkerton detective (Leslie Nielsen). Their only lead is the bandit’s girlfriend (Sue Lyon) who denies knowing where he is but when the two men head out into the desert looking for him, she follows. But what starts out as a routine western turns almost existential as the characters come to a point where nothing else matters but surviving. It’s a grim film with suicide, rape, betrayal and even a forced marriage at gunpoint and when it’s over, there’s a nasty taste in the mouth. Singer/songwriter Janis Ian provides the minimalist score.

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