Walter Hill is as Frontier Partisan as they come. He is of the same tribe as John Milius, who wrote Geronimo: An American Legend, which Hill directed. Sam Elliott’s assessment of Milius holds for Hill, too:
He doesn’t write for pussies and he doesn’t write for women. He writes for men, because he’s a man.
(Just to be clear — writing for men does not preclude women enjoying the work. Exhibit A: Lady Marilyn. She tends to enjoy things that are “written for men.” Because she’s a woman who likes men).
Anyway… Walter Hill. He’s plundering The Professionals for the plot of a new Western that will ride onto the screen September 30. From Collider:
Dead For A Dollar takes place in 1897 and follows the story of Max Borlund, played by Christoph Waltz, a storied bounty hunter that finds himself heading far past the Mexico border. He has been hired to track down Rachel Kidd (Rachel Brosnahan), the kidnapped wife of a wealthy businessman, who has been abducted by Buffalo Soldier Elijah Jones (Brandon Scott). He discovers during the journey south that the woman and her alleged captor are actually lovers who fled from her abusive husband. Along the way, he comes across part-time outlaw and full-time gambler Joe Cribbens, (Willem Dafoe), who is Borlund’s sworn enemy after the bounty hunter sent Cribbens to jail years ago. How their meeting will play into his journey to find Rachel is still unknown.
Wayne says
Ah, The Professionals! One of my all time favorite Westerns. Great cast, authentic feel, excellent plot, couldn’t ask for more in an action flic. Like it so much I tracked down a paperback copy of the book it was based on. I’ll definitely watch for Dead for a Dollar.
J.F. Bell says
If you’re going to steal, it’s always worthwhile to steal from the best.
As an aside it’s worth pointing out that while this is hardly the only means of rooting a story, anything based on:
– a competent man
– in a dangerous place
– doing difficult work
…more often than not yields a pretty good telling.
JimC says
X-ring all the way. And it ain’t stealing… it’s the folk process. Hah!
Patrick McGowan says
Just Watched The Professionals about a month ago and loved it. Robert Ryan is always good. The rest of the cast was on their game. As a writer, some very interesting playing around with structure.
JimC says
And one of the best bits of dialogue ever:
Wade says
I absolutely agree! The ending exchange between Grant and Fardan is a perfect ending of a perfect film. My favorite film of all time.
For many years, I’ve been hoping someone will call me a bastard so I can pop that line on them with all the world weariness of Fardan.
Wayne says
The film is full of great lines, as in Lee Marvin describing Burt Lancaster’s character as, “The whirlingest Dervish of them all.” I watch it once a year.
Jean says
I’ve been reading books written for men all my life. They are usually about things I enjoy much more than the books written for women. And … I’ve always liked men. Which does not mean I don’t like women!
Ugly Hombre says
“Where did the bullet bite you?”
“Ah mamasita!”
Top three western films ever- those guys esp Marvin when they picked up a weapon you knew they knew wth they were doing.
Nowadays- the fops picking up guns in film look like they are picking up a cow chip and don’t have a clue. Lucky if they don’t shot someone for real.
There are a thousand or more Mexican revolution stories that could be told made into great movies.
Hope we get lucky with the new Walt Hill movie he was a pard of Bloody Sam iirc.
We got a chance.
Matthew says
writing for men does not preclude women enjoying the work. Exhibit A: Lady Marilyn. She tends to enjoy things that are “written for men.” Because she’s a woman who likes men—
That’s the reason I always found the guys on certain men’s sites who complain about women not being feminine weird. (Well that and the fact most women are feminine.) The girly girls are the ones who role their eyes at masculine things. Of course, I don’t think most of the guys on those sites are really as masculine as they like to think they are.
JimC says
A lot of people are confused about a lot of fundamental things these days. I continue to assert that anybody who spends any time at all contemplating their “alpha” status and all that other online crap needs to overhaul their way of life.
Matthew says
Yeah, there’s a lot wrong with most of those sites. There are a few good ones like The Art of Manliness, but it’s amazing how much is just bitching about a women. Very little about courage or toughness or particularly personal responsibility. You know the traits that make you a Real Man in Real Life and not just in the minds of narcissists.