Cowboys (Blu-ray) (1972)

"One of John Wayne's better latter-day westerns...  At-A-Glance Film Reviews
"An engaging late John Wayne Western...  Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
"...Wayne is in top form.  Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
"Old Dusty Britches can act.  Rex Reed, The Observer
"Offbeat and intriguing. Well performed and beautifully shot.  Time Out Film Guide

Editor's Note After his cowhands desert him for a nearby gold rush, aging, leather-tough rancher Will Anderson (John Wayne) resorts to hiring 11 schoolboys to help him on a 400-mile cattle run. Setting off with the boys and an eloquent but equally tough black cook (Roscoe Lee Browne), Anderson must get his cattle to their destination while contending with the wilderness and a psychotic, vengeful ex-con (Bruce Dern) who is out to get him. With an amazingly natural performance by Wayne, this stylized, action-packed Western is exquisitely filmed, emotionally sensitive, and highly entertaining. Director Mark Rydell gets solid performances out of not just Wayne (in one of his later screen roles) and Browne, but the group of youngsters accompanying them on the journey, as well as actors like Slim Pickens and Colleen Dewhurst who play smaller supporting roles. Close attention is also paid to the natural beauty of the mountains, wild mustangs, and other often overlooked standard Western fare.

	Alfred Barker, Jr.
	Bruce Dern
	Colleen Dewhurst
	John Wayne
	Robert Carradine
	Roscoe Lee Browne
	Sarah Cunningham
	Slim Pickens
	Irving Ravetch, et. al. - Screenplay
	John Williams - Original Music By
	Mark Rydell - Producer
	Mark Rydell - Director
	Neil Travis - Editor
	Philip M. Jefferies - Production Designer
	Robert Surtees - Cinematographer
	Tim Zinnemann - Producer
	William Dale Jennings - Based On Novel By

In director Mark Rydell's THE COWBOYS, a veteran rancher hires a group of young boys to drive his cattle to market after his regular hands desert him. The length of the trip and the unwieldly herd of cattle make for an impromptu classroom on the range, complete with attacking outlaws. Sight and Sound
"[T]he real subject here often seems to be Wayne's persona....Rydell is able to hint at a vulnerability not found in many of the star's other performances." 12/01/2004 p.75

ePinions.com 10 of 10
The Cowboys is with out a doubt, one of the best westerns ever made. The film is very likable to most viewers. The reason is the superb character development and acting...The young boys all do an outstanding job of acting in the film. Then, there is John Wayne. For fans of western films, It just don't get any better than John Wayne...He is a natural in this movie. He plays an excellent father figure to the boys...The acting by the entire cast was splendid! The character development was just excellent!...The cinematography was shot well. When combined with the scenery, it turned out very good...The script in this film was great. It is intelligent and keeps the viewer intrigued throughout the movie. The score and the directing are a step above the rest. John Wayne & The Cowboys is one that almost any viewer would like. I give this film five of five stars. It is simply one of the best westerns ever made. - Joe McMaster

DVD Times 7 of 10
The Cowboys raises a significant question for any critic. Can a film which is ideologically and morally repugnant to the viewer also be entertaining and even moving? Basically, it's Death Wish with Western trappings but even less subtlety...Yet it's also constantly enjoyable, exciting, sometimes genuinely affecting and beautifully acted...Ultimately, the whole film works despite its decided shortcomings. It looks fantastic, courtesy of Robert Surtees' rich and evocative lighting - anachronistically but perhaps appropriately inspired by the work of Norman Rockwell - and the glorious location work, and sounds even better thanks to John Williams whose work on this movie is among his very finest...Wayne's character is given tolerance for other colours and religions in a clear attempt by filmmakers who were, elsewhere in their career, impeccably liberal to dilute the ugliness of the overall message. - Mike Sutton