I caught this movie on TV last week---seems like I have not seen it for at least the last ten years. It doesn't seem to be run much. However, it's a western worth watching.
I note that many of the posters here pay tribute to it's "realistic" qualities----- It does come from a bit of a different angle than the traditional Hollywood western. But it was made in the early seventies --so some change was due by that late date.
I especially like Green Bush as Culpepper. A fine natural performance---he almost had to be playing himself up to a point. I also liked Patrick Campbell who played the otherworldly Brother Ephraim. I have to agree with one other of the previous posters that the end of the movie was a bit contrived ----I mean how many gunfights in the old west between at least a dozen participants end with every single man (except the kid) on both sides dead at the scene?----Just a bit too bloody for purposes of realism.
The ending is in effect an echo of TheSeven Samurai--with the warriors charging in to defend the weak and helpless----the only thing is that at least Kurasawa had enough sense to leave a few guys standing at the end of his pic. All in all--CCC is first rate and holds up well even after 30 years.
I note that many of the posters here pay tribute to it's "realistic" qualities----- It does come from a bit of a different angle than the traditional Hollywood western. But it was made in the early seventies --so some change was due by that late date.
I especially like Green Bush as Culpepper. A fine natural performance---he almost had to be playing himself up to a point. I also liked Patrick Campbell who played the otherworldly Brother Ephraim. I have to agree with one other of the previous posters that the end of the movie was a bit contrived ----I mean how many gunfights in the old west between at least a dozen participants end with every single man (except the kid) on both sides dead at the scene?----Just a bit too bloody for purposes of realism.
The ending is in effect an echo of TheSeven Samurai--with the warriors charging in to defend the weak and helpless----the only thing is that at least Kurasawa had enough sense to leave a few guys standing at the end of his pic. All in all--CCC is first rate and holds up well even after 30 years.