Comes a Horseman (1978)

Directed by Alan J. Pakula. Starring Jane Fonda, James Caan, Jason Robards, Richard Farnsworth, George Grizzard, Jim Davis, Clifford A. Pellow, Mason McCalman. [PG]

Unduly sedate semi-contemporary Western will test the patience of some viewers, especially since the primary characters tend to play it so close to vest. Set in 1940s Colorado, the self-conscious narrative depicts Caan’s war vet cowboy and Fonda’s weathered gamine landowner gradually coming together to defend their ranch from the threats of unscrupulous land baron Robards. Some majestic scenery and a performance of gentle warmth from Farnsworth as an aging cowhand stave off the doldrums, but the film has nothing new to say, and the old-hat themes are restricted by the revisionist re-telling of a familiar Western good vs. evil premise. Until the final act, the only energy is generated by montages of roping cattle, but they have all the dramatic heft of filler; as for that final act, it’s unintentionally silly, with awkward staging and sullen gamesmanship taking the place of dramatic fireworks. Stuntman Jim Sheppard died during production, with the fatal stunt ending up in the final print (edited to cut away just before the tragic blow). Mark Harmon appears briefly in his first feature film.

47/100