The Last Sunset

source: The Last Sunset

Brendan O'Malley (Kirk Douglas) arrives at a small Mexican ranch owned by John Breckenridge (Joseph Cotten) ready to work a cattle drive to Texas. Brendan's actual goal is to get back his former love John's wife Belle (Dorothy Malone). Belle and John have 15 year old daughter Missy (Carol Lynley). Sheriff Dana Stribling (Rock Hudson) has a warrant for Brendan's arrest from Texas for his brother-in-law's murder. He joins the cattle drive intent on arresting him upon crossing the Rio Grande. There are lots of crazy stuff going on in this movie. Kirk Douglas is choking out a dog with his bare hands. There is Carol Lynley with her puppy love that is awkward with possible incest. It's not something hidden and seems obvious with that possibility from the very start. Brendan should do better arithmetic. I'm fine with all the cowboy soaps but the Greek tragedy incest bothered me a bit too much.

Brendan O'Malley (Kirk Douglas) is a wanted man in Texas--that's why he's in Mexico when the film begins. A sheriff, Dana Stribling (Rock Hudson) has come from Texas looking to bring O'Malley back to face justice. It's not just because he's a lawman but because the man O'Malley shot was Stribling's brother-in-law. O'Malley comes upon a ranch run by the Breckinridges. Mrs. Breckinridge (Dorothy Malone) is a woman O'Malley loved many, many years ago. Now here is where the plot gets rather goofy--O'Malley agrees to help Mr. Breckinridge (Joseph Cotten) take his cattle to market...in Texas! This would mean exposing himself to arrest! But the plot only gets weirder-- Stribling soon arrives and signs on to help in this cattle drive!! And it's assumed when they get to Texas, Stribling will see O'Malley hang. So why does O'Malley continue with the drive?!?! Sure, he wants Mrs. Breckinridge--but why can't he just stop in Mexico and stay there?! Later, the film does get interesting. Over time, Stribling and O'Malley grow to like each other and you really don't know what they will do in Texas. Additionally, when Mrs. Breckinridge rejects O'Malley, the Breckingridge daughter, Missy (Carole Lynley) proclaims her love for O'Malley--even though he's old enough to be her father. In fact, that IS what happens--he learns that he's her father. Now this made the ending confusing--why would O'Malley deliberately goad Stribling into killing him?! Now IF O'Malley has had sex with Missy, then this would have made a lot more sense--a rare case where I wish that an older film had been a lot more explicit and creepy. This twist would have made the ending make a lot more sense. As it is, however, it just doesn't make a lot of sense.

Here's a perfect example of why the villain has to be the best actor you can find, Kirk Douglas filling the bill perfectly, and the 'hero' should be at least passable, Rock Hudson unfortunately failing here. The great punchline to the movie delivered by Dorothy Malone at the end, makes this otherwise 'standard' movie worth watching. I strongly believe that his movie was very important in some unknown way to his son Michael, who was just 17 when this was filmed. WHY?-well, look at the casting of Dorothy Malone in "Basic Instinct" and the ultimate denouement of Michael Douglas in "Falling Down", arguably Michael's best work ever, Michael's Oscar's (which Kirk should have received many of) notwithstanding.

"The Last Sunset" (1961) rates in the top 30-40% among Hollywood's Westerns. The No.1 reason is Kirk Douglas' altogether credible, nuanced acting as the villain you both love to hate and almost love. Douglas' Brendan 'Bren' O'Malley is a man who practically makes black grey. This is all the more surprising when one catches the ongoing, disturbing incestuous subtext between the O'Malley character and his daughter/lover. The No.2 reason that makes "The Last Sunset" a good film is the sulfurous Dorothy Malone. Her powerful, on screen sexuality is thoroughly charismatic and satisfying – without the need to show off feminine flesh or unduly flirt. The film's directing is surprisingly mundane. Joseph Cotten's character of John Breckinbridge shows that Cotten at this stage in his career couldn't act his way out of the paper bag his bad booze comes in. While Rock Hudson is his usual big, lumpy self. He's a statue that talks and "no rock" -- to paraphrase both James Dean & Doris Day on this embarrassingly awful actor. In spite of the film's standard cattle drive story, ordinary setting, and almost ordinary story line – it rises above its limitations, carried there on the artful shoulders of two fine actors (K. Douglas and D. Malone); and, not forgetting, a use of photography that lingers just a satisfying moment too long on their disturbing, penetrating features.

A lawman (Hudson) and an outlaw (Douglas) join a trail drive where they meet rivalry, romance and danger. Looks like Douglas' production company Brynaprod was aiming for an epic western on the order of Red River (1948). In terms of cinematic sweep and star-studded cast, they got it. The trail herd and surrounding vistas suggest a grand scale western. The problem is the rest of the film fails to equal that impressive dimension. Now director Aldrich can do epic westerns better than most, as his estimable Vera Cruz (1954) shows. Here, however, he's saddled with four marquee performers, each of whom requires screen time equal to his or her status. That means the pacing gets disrupted by lengthy cameo scenes, especially the drawn-out romantic scenes. Thus the film tends to lumber rather than unfold. Then too, scripter Trumbo can do screenplays with the best. Here, however, he's faced with the same problem and what we get is a meandering story, more contrived than most. The four main adults perform well enough; however, an 18-year old Lynley, even if she does bring in a younger audience, appears distinctly out of place on a trail drive, especially since she looks and acts like a malt shop refugee. It also looks like the main force behind the on-screen results is Douglas himself. Hudson may get top billing, but the dramatics belong to O'Malley (Douglas). All in all, the movie boils down to a showcase for Douglas' many moods, including that overblown repose-in-death scene, lacking only a violin accompaniment. Also looks to me like most any Hollywood actor could have handled Hudson's rather one- dimensional role as the straight shooting Stribling. It's a rather odd career choice for Hudson then at the peak of his box-office. (And what's with wasting such first-rate baddies as Brand and Elam, who may build up the supporting cast, but get little dialog or screen time. Ditto for the abandoned Regis Toomey, except I'm not sure who he's supposed to be.) Moreover, I'm still puzzled over how the script's one interesting idea, the incest angle, is supposed to play out. Specifically, why is there a romantic haystack scene (Douglas & Lynley) following O'Malley's discovery about Missy. Now, one way of looking at that scene is to view O' Malley as in a predicament. On one hand, he's been "intimate" with Missy, while on the other, he's likely her father. His predicament is that he can't tell her the facts since it might well ruin her life. At the same time, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings by suddenly ending the romance. So he tries to ease out of the relationship in the haystack scene. That may help her situation, but he's left with the grim knowledge for which there's only one solution, which he takes, thus providing motivation for throwing the shootout. I don't know if this is what Trumbo had in mind. After all, I may have missed something. But it is one interpretation for an otherwise puzzling scene. The movie does have one unusual and really riveting scene. The courtly John Breckenridge (Cotton) is challenged by saloon room thugs to drop his pants in order to show a war wound and avoid a shootout. It's humiliating for the southern gentleman, to say the least, and is unlike any other saloon dust-up that I've seen. Too bad that Cotten, a fine actor and character here, drops out so soon. Nonetheless, considering all the talent involved, the film adds up to a disappointing two hours of lumbering horse opera. Frankly, I'm not surprised this was Brynaprod's final production. (In passing—I can't help noticing that the Colorado-born Trumbo works two obscure Colorado towns into his script— Breckenridge and Julesburg. Such, I guess, are perquisites of screen writing.)

I thought the movie was done relatively well, with a strong cast of characters. The plot was interesting as well. Big Rock Hudson trying to bring tough guy Kirk Douglas to justice. Beautiful and talented Dorothy Malone and daughter Carol Lynley falling in love with Rock and Kirk. Malone is married though and when her husband is killed, the tension mounts even further between Rock and Kirk. A little too much like a soap opera though. You know from the beginning of the movie that Rock and Kirk are going to have one hell of a physical conflict at some point. It was inevitable. You could cut the tension with a knife. And a good fight scene did develop in the middle of the movie. I was very curious as to who the winner would be. Two superstars duking it out. I couldn't see either guy winning decisively. Both had such macho images. Right before the fight, the guys were standing side by side. Rock was massive. So much taller and bigger than Kirk, yet Kirk looked like one tough guy. Realistically, it looked like Rock could break Kirk in half. Dorothy Malone broke up the fight in the middle, so it wasn't as if either guy was totally humiliated. It looked like a real fight, even though it was a movie. Or maybe Rock and Kirk really were going at it. You could actually see Rock using his tremendous height and superior size to his advantage, keeping Kirk in check. I'd have to say Rock had the upper hand and pretty much manhandled Kirk throughout most of the fight, although it wasn't totally one sided. The rest of the movie sort of dragged on and had a somewhat predictable ending.

Notices for the editors: I don't know how to write in English language. This text was translated by electronic translator of the Portuguese for English. Western class A the one that deserved to be evaluated better by the specialized critic. Valued by the great cast and for Dalton Trumbo's written (1905-1976), I fell in love with this western since the first time that saw it (and that already makes a long time), and that passion didn't decrease even today. Actually, this is a rare film example that never get tired of reviewing. Be increased that the fact of me it to be fan of the gender, what only helps the fascination that I feel for this western produced by Kirk Douglas to increase. Still in the beginning, when nor all the characters were introduced, repair as it is pretty the music whistled by O'Malley when he approaches of the ranch of Breckenridge. And in that same mentioned space, perhaps until more important than the whistle, attempt as they are beautiful the chosen camera angles for managing Robert Aldrich—mine to see this it is its best film; as good as this, with equivalent qualities, I only see three others in the director's filmography: "Vera Cruz"/1954, "The Big Knife"/1955 and "The Emperor of the North Pole"/1973. Other camera angle that deserves to be mentioned is seen in the end: the camera is positioned in the ground and in first plan we see the giant wheel of a coach, and there in the fund we see, very small, Belle that crosses the street running. A pretty taking that pass unperceived for the common public. Other beautiful moments deserve to be outstanding: O'Malley and Stribling try, in the first time that meet, to leave the sun to contemplate in the face one of the another; O'Malley dialing with ingenuous Missy, at night, after dinner; O'Malley and Stribling rescuing drunk Breckenridge inside of a bar full of thieves; the thieves' action during the storm of sand; Missy, blinding with its yellow dress during the fiesta; the last encounter of Missy with O'Malley; and the final duel. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but it observes that the sheriff is always dressed with clear clothes, while the gunman is always of black. As if Stribling went a symbolic representation of the good, of the virtue, and O'Malley it embodied the evil, the dishonor. If it doesn't fail me the memory there is just a moment of humor: Stribling reveals for O'Malley that the agreement done with the Indians is that they would receive the belonging part of the floated O'Malley. Dorothy Malone, same already very mature (she was 35 years old) at that time, it is very pretty and good actress, overflowing sensuality. She came from a Oscar of better helping actress, I win in 1956 for "Written on the Wind". Carol Lynley, that never got to prove to be good actress, is radiant in its youth and angelical air. Very convincing in drunk John Breckenridge's paper, I believe not to be exaggeration to affirm that this perhaps is veteran Joseph Cotten's best interpretation (1905-1994). Same liking the film a lot, there is a serious mistake that I cannot forgive the director for having been so negligent: in the final duel, when O'Malley and Stribling approach one of the other, there is the two actors' several takings, and all time their shade it moves of size. In an it is longer, in the other, well below the feet (it was probably rotated at noon); when actually they should have very long shades for being a duel to the sunset. I believe even in the hypothesis that so much managing Aldrich, as producing Douglas has noticed the mistake, but for economy (of time or money) they decided to leave even so. An extraordinary western that is worthwhile to know. My vote (1 to 5): 5

An unpretentious Western told in an honest, straightforward manner. Robert Aldrich does a very controlled job directing a story straddling the Texas Mexico border, a story told at a steady pace but rarely reaching memorable highs. The film has many elements of the classic Western including a chase, cattle drive and gunfight but it also tries to add some melodramatic, pure story based elements - though one major plot point was so well signposted, it might as well have been included in the opening credits. Kirk Douglas, as Brendan O'Malley, provides the barely controlled dynamism at the centre of the film. Unfortunately, not all parts of the film are to this standard. Rock Hudson has difficulties with the role of the upstanding sheriff. A strong supporting cast, from Joseph Cotton to Jack Elam, provides a wide, interesting range of characters. Overall, a solid if unspectacular film, recommended for Western and Kirk Douglas fans. 6.75.

As always an incredible performance by Kirk Douglas as an outlaw/ drifter on a quest to meet his great love. He's being chased by a Texas lawman played by Rock Hudson. Despite the venue, horses, cattle drive and Mexicans this isn't really a western IMHO. It's a love story draped with western gear. Jack Elam & Neville Brand are essentially wasted. Joseph Cotten as the husband of Douglas' lost love is a sympathetic drunk who gets the kind of back draw justice you might in a Mexican bar. Carol Lynley is beautiful as Dorothy Malone's daughter and Kirk's replacement love interest. The tale feels like it has Biblical elements to it on it's most important level. Ultimately it's worth watching for Kirk's performance whether angry, charming or in love. The crime of which he is accused is clearly just a plot device to get everybody together. I just kept wondering how hot it must be dressed in black in Mexico on a cattle drive?