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An icon of western cinema like Clint Eastwood and one of the most famous directors of the genre, that is John Sturges ("Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", "The Day of the Outlaw", "The Magnificent Seven"). This could summarize Joe Kidd, yet another film by Sturges, fourth to last of his career.
A "classic" western dated 1972 in which the rancher Joe Kidd (Clint Eastwood) is hired by Frank Harlan (Robert Duvall) to capture the local rebels unwilling to surrender their lands. The leader of these, the one sought by the company set up by Harlan, is Louis Chama (John Saxon).
Scripted by a legendary figure of 20th-century American literature like Elmore Leonard, Joe Kidd brings to the big screen the tough decisions of the charming Clint: to take the money and do the dirty work, or to be the "good guy" in the situation? A choice that is not easy for him but at least correct. Just as correct is the cinematography and the technical aspect of the film, heavily influenced by the western reinterpretations of Sam Peckinpah.
Memorable is the scene in which Kidd disposes of a guard with a water-filled amphora and equally well-shot are the sequences inside the church, with the building almost symbolizing divine presence, salvation.
As for the rest, actors in shape, precise direction. Everything in its right place.
Nothing else. Give it a look.
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