The Shootist

Loosely based on gunslinger John Wesley Harding, the character of John Books (John Wayne in his final film) is The Shootist in Don Siegel's 1976 "thinking man's" western, adapted from Glendon Swarthout's novel. Suffering from terminal cancer, Books takes a room in a Carson City boarding house run by the widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her hotheaded son Gillom (Ron Howard). Not surprisingly, the Duke is not left to die in peace, but is actively sought out by local ruffians hoping for a trophy kill. While generally highly regarded, I found The Shootist to be a fairly superficial film (Swarthout's original ending was significantly changed) with--all respects to the Duke--a borderline obnoxious central character. Maintaining that he "won't be wronged, insulted or laid a hand on," Books is the worst kind of self-righteous hypocrite, going so far in one revolting scene as to force a reporter to suck on the business end of a pistol and then demanding that he bend over so that Books (with some difficulty and no credibility) can get a leg up to kick him in the butt--effectively breaking all three criteria of his own golden rule. Paramount's DVD transfer is characteristically handsome, with a serviceable Dolby Digital mono track, and the disc includes a relatively bland and fawning "making of." Optional. (R. Pitman)