Aldrich's penultimate film is an odd and mildly interesting Western which, given its unlikely alliance between Polish rabbi Gene Wilder and young robber Harrison Ford, actually ties in nicely with the various buddy-buddy Spaghetti Westerns I've been going through this past week or so!
Still, the two-hour running-time is too great to sustain its rambling but, ultimately, pointless narrative (Wilder goes through many a misadventure, including being mistaken for Ford's accomplice and then having to depend on him for survival, on his long voyage) and few elements of the typical Western fare are utilized in any significant way (despite trains, banks, shoot-outs, posses, Indians, etc.) - though the landscapes are pleasant enough. Wilder's characteristically energetic performance helps a lot; Ford, however, is both too young and too modern for this type of role (according to Wilder's autobiography, it was originally intended for John Wayne!).
Still, the two-hour running-time is too great to sustain its rambling but, ultimately, pointless narrative (Wilder goes through many a misadventure, including being mistaken for Ford's accomplice and then having to depend on him for survival, on his long voyage) and few elements of the typical Western fare are utilized in any significant way (despite trains, banks, shoot-outs, posses, Indians, etc.) - though the landscapes are pleasant enough. Wilder's characteristically energetic performance helps a lot; Ford, however, is both too young and too modern for this type of role (according to Wilder's autobiography, it was originally intended for John Wayne!).