The Outlaw Josey Wales - It's all in the name; the notorious outlaw Josey Wales.
The Outlaw Josey Wales was released in 1976 and stars Clint Eastwood as the infamous outlaw Josey Wales and takes place during the Civil War. On the surface one may be tempted to think of this as just another spaghetti western, however, there are a few things that standout and separate it from the rest. Like the infamy of the name Josey Wales (more on this later), and the volume of cool one liners, like, “Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining” and “Dying ain’t much of a living, boy.” Just to name a few.
The movie begins with Joses Wales working in Missouri with his boy. His wife calls their boy in supper, or something along those lines. After a bit, Josey Wales hears guns shots and sees smoke. He rushes to his home only to see it being pillaged by a bunch Union soldiers. His wife being dragged off to be raped and murdered, while his son is stuck in his house that is burning down. Josey tries to save them, but is knocked unconscious. He awakes to the remains…
After burying his wife and child, he digs out his revolver from the ashes. I tell what, nobody makes shooting 30 rounds out of a six-shooter look as cool as Clint Eastwood, I mean, Josey Wales.
While Josey mourns at the graves of his wife and child, some pro-confederate bushwhackers. Fast forward a few years-ish and Josey is now a certified badass, known by all. At the end of the war, Fletcher, Josey’s superior, tells the men that it’s time to lay down their arms and that the Union has promised them amnesty if they do. All the men agree, except for the outlaw Josey Wales.
As the men are surrendering, Josey Wales rides up on the Union men with nothing but his horse and a couple six-shooters…these are the most amazing guns, because he never has to reload them. All of Josey’s pro-confederate troop is gunned down with the exception of Jamie, who got shot in the gun fight. Josey Wales and Jamie are able to escape after Josey Wales wipes about a bunch of the Union Army with a Gatling gun.
The guy in charge of the Union forces, tells Fletcher that he is going to assist generic bad guy (who, just so happened to be involved in the burning down of Josey Wales’ home and the murder of his wife and boy), in the tracking down of Josey Wales, and puts a $5000 bounty on the outlaw Josey Wales, thus attracting the attention of the Union Soldiers and all the bounty hunters in the area. But Fletcher reminds them, it’s the outlaw Josey Wales and they will never caught him.
The chase is on…the outlaw Josey Wales and Jamie try and make their way to Indian territory where they can hide out for a bit and Jamie can get treated for his gun shot wound. However, Jamie dies on the way. The outlaw Josey Wales keeps running and accumulating people on the way, beginning with an old Cherokee guy. And then a young Navajo woman and Josey Wales saves from being raped…and also a stray dog that follows them around. Not only is Josey Wales an amazing shot with his six-shooters that hold thirty rounds, but he is equally accurate with spitting out his chewing tobacco…which is exercised regularly on his victims and the stray dog.
Josey Wales and his companions stop through a small town to get some supplies. While in a store, they run into an elderly couple from Kansas and their daughter. They are traveling to Santo Rio to with their son. As Outlaw Josey Wales and the old Indian walk through the town a snake oil salesman recognizes him and calls out his name – a shootout ensues and Josey Wales wins – of course, but he, and the old Indian are forced to run out of town.
A bit later, they come upon a wagon being pillaged by some raiders…it was the old couple and their daughter from Kansas. The old man is dead and the daughter is about to raped by the gang…Josey Wales and the old Indian save her, but the old Indian gets captured, but then outlaw Josey Wales rides up on them waving a white flag but then kills the whole gang because he is outlaw Josey Wales and again – he never needs to reload.
He is now traveling with the old lady and her daughter to Santo Rio. We find out the old Lady’s son died, but they decide to stay in his abandoned ranch…but then some Indians capture a couple of men that friends with the old lady’s son and showed them where his ranch was. Josey Wales, is like, all the Indians are going to come kill us in the morning…and then as he is preparing the old lady, her daughter and the old Indian guy to fight tells them, “Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win.” Which is the best motivational speech ever!
But then in the morning Josey Wales rides alone to the Indian Chief, and is like, I’m Josey
Wales, and even the Indian Chief is like, “I know.” And then Josey Wales is like, “we don’t
need to fight – we could be friends”. And the Indian chief is like, “OK” because he is Josey Wales. So then, Josey Wales rides back the ranch with the two men.
After sleeping with the old lady’s daughter, he decides to ride away in the morning, because he is outlaw Josey Wales, and he doesn’t want the old lady’s daughter to get hurt on account of him. But as he is riding off, the bad Union guy, find him and a shootout ensues – and Josey Wales’ crew start firing off rounds from inside the house which is enough for them to take out fifty soldiers.
The main generic, Union bad guy gets shot but is able to get away. Josey Wales cases him into the town and find him. Just as he is about to shoot the bad guy, he is out of ammo, he grabs another gun – same thing, and another - same thing, and another same thing. Bad Union then pulls a sword on Josey Wales – and Josey Wales is like, not on my watch – and kills bad Union guy with his own sword – Boom – the end…there is a little dialogue, but who cares.
Man Test
Does this movie pass the man test – that is, can I watch this movie without feeling moderately gay. Answer, yes, you almost have to watch this this movie to not be gay.
Christian Worldview
What about Christian worldview? Are there any major themes that stand out in this film, that are different from any other western? The one thing that stands out for me is the notoriety and renown that the name Josey Wales invokes. Wherever he goes, his name invokes a response, but no one is neutral to it. People are either immediately intrigued, curious and are drawn to him, or want to kill him.
It's not just that there is some power in his name, but the power comes from the one the name represents – people are either drawn or repelled because of who he is and what he has done.
So too, the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His name is above every name. In fact, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Jesus Christ, is highly exalted above all others as the last Adam, our New Covenant head because of who He is and what He has done. Namely, the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world…by living the life that we could not live and dying the death that we should have died.
His name is powerful, in fact, His name is the most powerful in the cosmos because He is Lord of all…death could not hold Him and the grave could not keep Him and the mention of His name always invokes a response.
Despite the fact, that it’s pretty old now, this movie is still pretty cool.
All things considered, I give this movie a B+
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