Howard Hawks, United States, 1958, Warner Bros Picture France
Comment
Hawks splits the film’s opening sequence over two situations, which take place in two separate saloons in less than 4 minutes. The drama of the situations unfold at a swift pace. Where most films spend their opening scenes setting up location, characters and the dramatic interplay to come, here there the scenario swiftly leaps into action before dramatically changing direction. What most films take 20 minutes to set up, Hawks condenses into 4 minutes at the very start of the film. This swift and unanticipated series of situations sets us up to enter into the world that the film proposes.
When Dude, played by Dean Martin, enters the scene we know absolutely nothing about neither him nor the situation. His staggering gate, sweaty complexion and desperate gestures allow us to see that he’s an alcoholic who is in desperate need of a drink. The tin star on his chest tells us that he is a deputy to the local sheriff.
The situations come together very quickly. The first situation is where Dude is humiliated by Joe Burdettte, who is clearly shown to be a bad guy, sitting at the bar, who deliberately tosses a coin, the cost of a drink for him to pick up into the spittoon. Dude goes down to pick the coin up. The situation twists as the sheriff, John Wayne, enters the saloon and stops him. There is another sudden twist in the situation as Dude gets up and knocks his friend and boss down and out with one punch. He then changes his mind and goes for Joe. Another customer at the bar tries to break them up and is shot in cold blood by Joe, who then leaves.
In the second saloon we see Joe, who we’ve followed through the familiar western style street, sat at the bar. The sheriff enters, clearly shaken and with a messed up face, and tells Joe that he’s under arrest for murder. Another sudden twist happens as one of Joe’s henchmen turns his pistol on the sheriff. Then a further twist within the twist occurs as Dude appears from behind the henchman and wrestles his gun from him. The sheriff and Dude then take Joe to prison.
These twists and turns are not the only kinks in the story. They serve to set up the central relationship in the film, that between the sheriff and his deputy: Will Dude ever regain his dignity? How will their friendship fare in the path of Dude’s redemption?
Comment
Hawks splits the film’s opening sequence over two situations, which take place in two separate saloons in less than 4 minutes. The drama of the situations unfold at a swift pace. Where most films spend their opening scenes setting up location, characters and the dramatic interplay to come, here there the scenario swiftly leaps into action before dramatically changing direction. What most films take 20 minutes to set up, Hawks condenses into 4 minutes at the very start of the film. This swift and unanticipated series of situations sets us up to enter into the world that the film proposes.
When Dude, played by Dean Martin, enters the scene we know absolutely nothing about neither him nor the situation. His staggering gate, sweaty complexion and desperate gestures allow us to see that he’s an alcoholic who is in desperate need of a drink. The tin star on his chest tells us that he is a deputy to the local sheriff.
The situations come together very quickly. The first situation is where Dude is humiliated by Joe Burdettte, who is clearly shown to be a bad guy, sitting at the bar, who deliberately tosses a coin, the cost of a drink for him to pick up into the spittoon. Dude goes down to pick the coin up. The situation twists as the sheriff, John Wayne, enters the saloon and stops him. There is another sudden twist in the situation as Dude gets up and knocks his friend and boss down and out with one punch. He then changes his mind and goes for Joe. Another customer at the bar tries to break them up and is shot in cold blood by Joe, who then leaves.
In the second saloon we see Joe, who we’ve followed through the familiar western style street, sat at the bar.
The sheriff enters, clearly shaken and with a messed up face, and tells Joe that he’s under arrest for murder.
Another sudden twist happens as one of Joe’s henchmen turns his pistol on the sheriff. Then a further twist within the twist occurs as Dude appears from behind the henchman and wrestles his gun from him. The sheriff and Dude then take Joe to prison.
These twists and turns are not the only kinks in the story. They serve to set up the central relationship in the film, that between the sheriff and his deputy: Will Dude ever regain his dignity? How will their friendship fare in the path of Dude’s redemption?