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The Outlaw Josey Wales (Widescreen)

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Although Clint Eastwood gained his greatest critical acclaim as a director for 1992's "Unforgiven" and 2003's "Mystic River" -- both of which are incredible pieces of American cinema -- his best film remains this perennially popular Western from 1976. Here's Eastwood's own take on it: "I do believe that if I'd made that picture in 1992, in place of 'Unforgiven,' it might have received the same amount of attention, because I think it's equally as good a film. I think the subject matter of 'Josey Wales' is timeless." Orson Welles himself named it one of his favorite movies!

Yet critics at the time completely dismissed it as just another Clint Eastwood Western-Revenge flick. On the surface, the plot might give you that illusion: Missouri farmer Josey Wales loses his family to marauding Union cutthroats during the civil war. In retaliation, he joins Qunatrill's raiders in the guerrilla warfare that flames across Missouri. When the war ends, Wales refuses to surrender. He flies west across the country, chased by his former leader Fletcher (John Vernon in a great, sympathetic performance) and Terrill, the Union captain who murdered his family (Eastwood regular Bill McKinney). It seems Wales has no future except to stay alive long enough to get his revenge.

But...that's not at all what movie ends up being about. Gradually, Wales finds himself at the center of a growing community of outcasts from many different backgrounds: an old Cherokee named Lone Watie (Chief Dan George, in the film's most unforgettable performance), a band of Northern settlers (including Sondra Locke in her first role with Clint), a girl from another Native American tribe, the residents of a dying Texas town, and a red bone hound. Gradually, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turns into a story about forgetting revenge and a fixation on death, and instead about embracing life and rebuilding a community. "Dying is easy for men like you and me," Wales says to a Comanche chief (Will Sampson) in one scene. "It's living that's hard." It's one of the most unexpectedly uplifting and moving films ever made. And, let's make no mistake about it, it's also an action-packed, tough, and exciting film.

Strangely, the film came out of extremely difficult circumstances and rough beginnings. Eastwood purchased the rights to Forrest Carter's novel "Gone to Texas," only to discover that the author was actually Asa (Ace) Carter, who had worked as a speech writer for George Wallace supporting racial segregation and had once created a subgroup of the Ku Klux Klan. Upon meeting Carter, Eastwood and his producer Robert Daley found the man to be a borderline sociopath (he drew a knife on one of Daley's secretaries at a restaurant). Regardless, Eastwood loved the beautiful story too much and pushed on with making the film. He hired Philip Kaufman to both write and direct the movie, now re-named "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Kaufman (along with Sonia Chernus) wrote a stunning script, but after only a few days on the set, it became obvious he wasn't working out as a director; his style clashed with Eastwood's. Eastwood quietly removed him as director and took over the job himself. As Eastwood's biographer notes, "Kaufman was to a degree the victim of Clint's growing confidence in his own abilities."

Despite this confused beginning, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turned into a magical piece of Western cinema and a huge hit with audiences. It gets better and better with each viewing: a thrilling adventure when you first see it, its many layers of beautiful subtlety emerge each time you go back to it. Bruce Surtees's photography is astonishing, Jerry Fielding's music exciting and unusual for a Western, and every performance top-notch. Few films are as all-around well done as this American classic.

The DVD offers the film in a glorious widescreen transfer with a new 5.1 sound mix, but there are no extras. Considering the history behind the making of the film, this disc really ought to sport some fascinating commentaries and documentaries, but alas, nothing. Still, I can recommend few films higher than "The Outlaw Josey Wales."

You know when you sit down to watch an Eastwood film, you are in for a treat. This is no less true for Josey. Set in civil war times and with great protagonists, scenery and of course the always aloof character that Eastwood owns, this film takes you through a story that seems too real not to be true with the deception and corruption of "the American way". Strap on your popcorn, fire up the beer bong and glue your eyes to the telly.

Hi Guys,
I bought The Outlaw Josey Wales blu-ray from amazon canada during the Postal industrial action,so my delivery was a bit late,nobody,s fault,jeez was it worth waiting for.I,m not going to give a review of the film itself,everybody know,s Josey Wales,one of thee very best western,s ever,great entertainment,IMO.
The blu-ray transfer is nothing short of MAGNIFICENT!!!!!!!! Picture Quality AND Audio,Josey Wales on blu-ray is a sight to see,absolutely stunning,HIGHLY RECOMMENDED,it,s almost a reference disc for the blu-ray format,Warners have done a brilliant job with this transfer,now lets go for Jeremiah Johnson!!!!
The Outlaw Josey Wales blu-ray is a MUST-BUY!!!!!!!
Thanks Warners,
Davy Cairns,Scotland.

Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles.

Some 16 years before the Oscar laden and equally brilliant "Unforgiven", this movie is seen by many as one of Clint Eastwoods finest movies, particularly in the Western genre. Playing the title role himself, we meet Josey Wales, a quiet farmer, abruptly thrown into the civil war after his land and family are attacked by Union soldiers, who joins up with the confederate fight in an almost guerilla / mercenary way. The civil War aspect of the story is little more than an opening skirmish however, as it is the subsequent fugitive aspect of the character that moves us through most of the picture. I have to disagree with those that think this is just a revenge movie, or that a single viewing is all one can manage, as the story unfolds in a multi faceted way with each succesive viewing, despite the viewer knowing the ending. Wales comes to be the guiding scout and protector to an unlikely and very mixed bag of characters (all played with sound realism)as he is continually and almost reluctantly hounded by his former ally Fletcher. Charged with hunting him down, Fletcher (played with a salty almost poetic grace by John Vernon) must accompany a band of "red leg" Union soldiers, with more than questionable morality, to the border and this long pursuit helps the picture move at an even pace. Add some interesting subplots, commancheros, some imaginative and lively characters (with many of Eastwoods regular screen stars in various roles)and the overall effect is just right, without trying to be moralistic. Often brutal in it's depiction of the "wild" west, and at times graphically violent keeps the deserved R rating, but some moments of comedy and pathos bring an unmistakable Eastwood handprint of direction, without overtaking the excellent story or script. Already widely received as a classic piece of filmaking, it has stood the test of time extremely well, and has become one of the movies that have benchmarked the genre since it's release almost thirty years ago. Extremely enjoyable movie.

Eastwood's best movie and my favorite by him. A must see. I particularly like the beginning of the movie which is loosely based on what really happened to Jesse James. James, too, was bushwacked by the "honorable" yanks after surrendering on the promise of amnesty. I was particularly glad to see that Eastwood didn't PC the truth about the Redlegs and other such "honorable" Union troops (i.e., Sherman). Sorry if the truth touched a nerve, Ironyvalue...the movie tells a lot of truth and is entertaining in the process.

This moving film directed by Clint Eastwood is one of the best westerns ever made. The movie has the right balance of action, drama, and sarcasm, to make it an enjoyable viewing experience. Yes, some of the haircuts and mannerisms remind us more of the 1970s as opposed to the 1870s but those are small details.

The characters are well developed and the movie moves at a smooth pace. The film touches on various themes particular to American history and the West; the travesty of the Civil War and how the Union was as much a monster as the Confederacy (i.e. the red legs, reconstruction, carpetbaggers and opportunists.) Chief Dan George delivers on of the best performances as a displaced Cherokee who tags along with Josey Wales. A great movie to own.

Well not a classic for me, as this was the first time I watched it. But why it took me so long to get around to doing that, I'll never know! This was a great film, one of Clint Eastwood's best. You won't be disappointed.

In recent years, Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales" has been elevated to a higher plain than it occupied when released in summer 1976. Praised by a handful of critics, the film did well at the box-office but really acquired a following through no less than six highly rated airings on NBC, ABC, and CBS. Now it's often considered Eastwood's finest hour as director and star, even surpassing his Oscar winning "Unforgiven" in some eyes. Among its fans was the late Orson Welles who praised it as one of the finest Westerns ever made, and praised Eastwood as a director worthy of notice long before it was fashionable to do so. In 1996, Eastwood's fifth film as a director was even recognized by the Library of Congress when it was added to the National Film Registry, that collection of films deemed historically, artistically, and/or sociologically important and deserving of protection from tampering by anyone but the original director.

At first glance, I found it overlong and meandering, enlivened only occasionally by some trademark Eastwood gunplay. But if it's a little short on the action for which Eastwood made his name, repeated viewings make it clear that there is much more happening beneath the surface. The Outlaw Josey Wales is very much a film about community and trying to find a place in one. Josey Wales is an outlaw only because he avenged the death of his family at the hands of murderous Union soldiers. Now a hunted man, this peaceful farmer is an Angel of Death wandering the west in search of vengeance but also a place to call home. Its scope is much bigger than the revenge tale at its center, and the film represents an important step in Eastwood's maturation as a director.

Beautifully photographed, splendidly acted (especially by John Vernon), and capably directed, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of Eastwood's finest hours (although "Unforgiven" is superior in my book), and one of the finest hours for the western, as well.