Karl Westover, an inexperienced farm boy, runs away after unintentionally killing a neighbor, whose family pursues him for vengeance. He meets Barbarosa, a gunman of near-mythical proportions, who is himself in danger from his father-in-law Don Braulio, a wealthy Mexican rancher. Don Braulio wants Barbarosa dead for marrying his daughter against the father's will. Barbarosa reluctantly takes the clumsy Karl on as a partner, as both of them look to survive the forces lining up against them.
Acting
Willie Nelson's quiet, lived-in gravitas—he's not acting, he *is* the legend.
Cinematography
Harsh Texas and Mexico landscapes shot like ancient mythological paintings.
Writing
Sparse, dry dialogue that lets silence and stares do the heavy lifting.
Director
Fred Schepisi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Willie Nelson took the role because he loved the script's poetry—he reportedly barely rehearsed, trusting his own mythic presence.
A box office bomb that found its audience on cable TV, it's now considered one of the most original Westerns of the 1980s—Sam Peckinpah reportedly loved it.
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