Plot: What’s it about?
John Bernard Books (John Wayne) has lived as a gunfighter and a great one at that, but those days are over and soon, his life will end. He learns he has stomach cancer and within two months, he will have breathed his final breath. As his time begins to fade, he decides to venture to a small town and there, live his final days in peace and with his dignity intact. His residence will now be Carson City and there, his old friend Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart) can keep an eye on him and of course, make his last days a little better. Books ends up inside a boarding house run by a widow named Bond (Lauren Bacall), whose young son Gillom (Ron Howard) also lives there. Can Books live out these remaining days in peace, or will he find himself involved in yet another battle, as he did so often in his younger days?
This is a very good movie and while I wouldn’t watch it often, I think it does deserve a place in any western fan’s collection. I think The Shootist is a moving, often sad picture, but it has some great moments and in the end, proves to uplifting in many ways. Of course, this was John Wayne’s final film and since his character was so like his real self, perhaps that was with reason. It is a shame he was taken so soon, but Wayne turns in a splendid final performance, without a doubt. He is joined by an all star cast also, with such names as James Stewart, Ron Howard, Lauren Bacall, Scatman Crothers, Harry Morgan, and many others.
A staple of American cinema, John Wayne made a lot of memorable movies, but The Shootist was his curtain call. His role was close to his own real life situation, which adds even more emotion and realism, which led to a very powerful performance. Wayne was a true legend of the movie business and continues to be held in such regard, with good reason. In this final effort, Wayne was suffering in real life and it shows at times, but he still pushed through and delivered a great performance, from start to finish. Other films with Wayne include Rio Lobo, El Dorado, The Quiet Man, and Sands of Iwo Jima. The cast also includes James Stewart (Vertigo, It’s A Wonderful Life), Lauren Bacall (Written on the Wind, The Big Sleep), Ron Howard (American Graffiti, Grand Theft Auto), and Scatman Crothers (The Shining, Friday Foster).
Video: How does it look?
The Shootist is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a clean, but unremarkable visual transfer, which seems to be enough. Paramount can do great work when they take the extra steps, but this one wasn’t offered the deluxe treatment. The print shows flecks and wear signs, but not too extreme, which is good news. The colors are solid and show little fading, while contrast is stable, but not as stark as I’d like. I wish Paramount would have done a little more work here, as this might be a good transfer, but this movie deserves a great one.
Audio: How does it sound?
I don’t have much to say about the included mono option, as it handles the material, but offers little to praise too much. I didn’t hear much in terms of dated audio, but as expected of a 1970s mono track, this isn’t a pristine option. Elmer Bernstein’s music sounds decent enough, while the sound effects are clean also, no real complaints there. No problems with dialogue either, as vocals sound crisp and are free from distortion & such. This disc also includes a French language option, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a selection of cast & crew interviews, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
