A kindly cowboy takes a woman and her young son under his wing, only to be stalked by her murderous captor/mate all the way. The first half I found quite enjoyable, however, when the hammer comes down in the third act and the stalker wreaks havoc, I knew exactly who would live and who would die. I found the mother and her son a bit unlikeable after a while.
I could never understand what the son (who by the way is never named, even when they try to give him a name) kept wanting to go back to his murderous father, even after he attempted to kill his mother for no reason. The chemistry between Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint was nonexistent. I figured they would show no more chemistry than platonic friends and I was right.
The stalker kills the dog of an old man Peck is partners with and for some idiotic reason the man runs out into the woods with no weapons. I knew he was a goner the moment he was introduced, but I had no idea he would be so foolish about it.
A likeable character resurfaces in the film to aid the protagonist and I knew he would not make it to the end credits. I was right.
The only thing I could not predict was how unsatisfied I was with the climax. Isn't the scene where the good guy blows away the bad guy supposed to be satisfying?
Despite my nit-picks, I did enjoy most of the film. I liked the music, which was humble, adventurous, and frightening when it needed to be. I loved the cinematography and sweeping landscapes, specifically the surroundings in the third act. The final battle is grueling and brutal, which kept me on the edge of my seat until the final part. I just wish the film weren't so predictable.
I could never understand what the son (who by the way is never named, even when they try to give him a name) kept wanting to go back to his murderous father, even after he attempted to kill his mother for no reason. The chemistry between Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint was nonexistent. I figured they would show no more chemistry than platonic friends and I was right.
The stalker kills the dog of an old man Peck is partners with and for some idiotic reason the man runs out into the woods with no weapons. I knew he was a goner the moment he was introduced, but I had no idea he would be so foolish about it.
A likeable character resurfaces in the film to aid the protagonist and I knew he would not make it to the end credits. I was right.
The only thing I could not predict was how unsatisfied I was with the climax. Isn't the scene where the good guy blows away the bad guy supposed to be satisfying?
Despite my nit-picks, I did enjoy most of the film. I liked the music, which was humble, adventurous, and frightening when it needed to be. I loved the cinematography and sweeping landscapes, specifically the surroundings in the third act. The final battle is grueling and brutal, which kept me on the edge of my seat until the final part. I just wish the film weren't so predictable.