The Tall T

Pat Brennan owns a small ranch; he goes to town to buy a bull and loses it on a bet. Left without a horse he takes a stagecoach. On board are a newly married couple: a wealthy woman and a man who married her for money. Three bandits stop the coach on the road. The man tries to save himself by saying his wife will bring a ransom. Brennan is left behind and starts talking to Usher, who leads them. Budd Boetticher directs. Randolph Scott plays Brennan and Richard Boone plays Usher. Burt Kennedy wrote the screenplay from a story by Elmore Leonard. It is among the most cited of the westerns Boetticher and Scott made together. At the centre is a conversation between two men. Usher is the villain and not a fool; he describes his own life and says he wants a ranch. The two understand each other, which hardens the conflict further. The film does not leave the woman as a victim; after her husband sells her, her own decision becomes part of the narrative. It runs seventy eight minutes and takes place in a single valley; the space is tight and there is no way out. The violence is short and sudden; Boetticher does not extend a fight. Who it is for: viewers who like classical westerns and plainly built genre films. Who it is not for: there are few characters, the plot is simple, and there are few scenes for anyone wanting action.