A
textbook example of movie-star ego riding roughshod over a potentially
engrossing storyline, this latter-day John Wayne Western puts the Duke’s character
at the center of a notorious real-life feud that involved dueling ranchers,
out-of-control capitalism, and frenemies Billy the Kid and
Pat Garrett. Chisum has so many story
elements that it feels like a highlight reel from a miniseries, but the
centrality of a typical Wayne protagonist bludgeons interesting nuances,
transforming Chisum into a flat story
of he-man heroism. Making matters worse are such painfully old-fashioned flourishes as the corny songs that play over tedious montages. Chisum has many watchable passages, thanks to abundant action scenes,
vibrantly colorful location photography, and zesty supporting performances, but
the picture is something of a mess.
Set in New Mexico circa the late 1870s,
the movie revolves around a rivalry between noble cattleman John Chisum (Wayne)
and his disreputable competitor, Lawrence Murphy (Forrest Tucker). Chisum owns
huge tracts of land but treats people fairly, whereas Murphy is an avaricious creep
willing to cheat, lie, and steal in order to expand his holdings. As Murphy’s
greed becomes more rapacious, Chisum gathers colleagues including crusty
sidekick Pepper (Ben Johnson), fellow gentleman rancher Henry Tunstall (Patric
Knowles), and principled nomad Pat Garrett (Glenn Corbett). Also drawn into the
good guys’ armada is semi-reformed outlaw William “Billy the Kid” Bonney
(Geoffrey Dueul), who works for Tunstall but romances Chisum’s niece.
Meanwhile, Murphy gathers a horde of snarling henchmen, played in cartoonish
fashion by lively actors including Robert Donner, Christopher George, and
Richard Jaeckel. The cast of Chisum
is huge, and as a result, most of the actors get shortchanged in terms of character
development and screen time.
Written and produced by Andrew J. Fenady, Chisum attempts to tackle an epic story
within the confines of a standard feature, which makes everything seem rushed and superficial.
Plus, whenever the movie slows down for something pointless, such as
Chisum’s meeting with an Indian chief—a scene that communicates nothing except
the lead character’s principles, which have already been described ad nauseum—narrative momentum suffers. As
for the performances, Wayne is Wayne, still quite virile and not yet inhabiting
the late-life gravitas that made some of his subsequent ’70s Westerns elegiac,
while old hands from Johnson to Tucker sprinkle their one-dimensional roles
with charm. Unfortunately, the younger players incarnating the star-crossed
lovers (any sensible viewer knows it won’t go well for Billy and Chisum’s
niece) are bland, and the actors portraying secondary villains have nothing to
do except strut around in filthy clothes and shoot likable people.
Chisum: FUNKY
