This strikes me as having three indistinct parts, namely, in ascending order of interest to me, Freudian psychodrama, McCarthyism allegory, and nutty western. Regarding the psychology, I think there's a lot worth saying but it's mostly been covered; suffice it to say the web of relationships that binds the cast together is maybe the most intricate in all of old Hollywood. One character I don't hear much about but who's one of my favorite anti-heroes it the Dancing Kid, whose icy-Hawks relationship with Johnny brings a lot of the scenes to life. The witchhunt stuff lends the film its intensity. I'm pretty terrified of that kind of thing as it is, and it's particularly well-handled here; I especially like how everyone's interest just kind of peters out at the end. The western elements are just magical -- a lair hidden behind a waterfall, a saloon built into a cliff face, a secret underground passageway, exploding mountains, a beautifully rendered forest stream -- it's all so ridiculously up my alley. Seeing it on 35 definitely increased my appreciation for the color process too. Altman's 70s output has a similar muddiness, but without the clarity of primary colors showcased here. Ray brings all this to life in that particular way of his -- I don't think there can be anything like it, even vibe-wise, again. I really love this movie.
Haha, yeah that's the good stuff. It's basically exactly what I imagined, but it's no less cool that they made such a movie. I don't know, imagine a cross between Poison and Anatahan. Up there with Fassbinder's best.
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