Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Universal's burn-on-demand DVD of TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE (released in cinemas December 1969) is a clean, sharp transfer, superior in quality to the laser disc, with excellent color balance and saturation, and bright punchy sound. The opening titles are windowboxed, but the film unfolds widescreen and anamorphic. The film is written and directed with diamond-hard brilliance by Abraham Polonsky, the auteur who was blacklisted after making the film noir classic FORCE OF EVIL twenty-two years earlier. He must have had a lot to say in those lost years when he was denied work, because he packs it all in here. Tragically this was only his second film, but the same preoccupation with injustice -- one might say the same force of evil -- is still at work, with a vengeance.This is a confrontational western. Polonsky is fearless in raising controversy and provoking audience reaction. Willie Boy and Lola want to be together, but the Superintendent of the Morongo Indian Reservation objects, and her family refuses at the point of a gun. Forced to kill in self-defense, Willie Boy and Lola run off with the law on their heels. This premise enables Polonsky to depict the transitional west of 1909 as a place where prejudice and discrimination are everywhere and in everyone, between the races, within the races, among the sexes, and especially in the well-intentioned. No character is all evil. The most racist Anglo and the most racist Indian has a decent side even as they compound hypocrisy upon hypocrisy like a desert variation of INHERIT THE WIND. Hypocrisy manifests in ways that are obvious and subtle -- note Susan Clark's self-loathing social worker who thinks she has the right to protect "my Indians" from themselves. Every order she gives to control the situation only serves to escalate the violence out of control. A young Robert Blake portrays Willie Boy with physical agility and a deeply felt sense of futility. We feel his despair. Understandably he hates white people, but surprisingly he refrains from killing them each time the opportunity arises. Blake's performance is one of the most under-rated in the history of movies. Sheriff Coop is the only character aware of his own hypocrisy, but don't look for him to save the day. As played by Robert Redford, the sheriff is not a noble Will Kane or Matt Dillon type, but he is not corrupt either. Sheriff Coop doesn't want to become a manhunter like his famous father before him, although everyone assumes he is and expects him to be. In the end, he is unable to avoid it. Manhunting comes naturally to him, and he finds himself. Redford's ambivalence may not be merely acting. All these characters are the sons and daughters of an earlier generation of pioneers who fought Indians and sacrificed for their children. In case they forget, oldtimer Barry Sullivan is around to remind them. He brags about the violent past while lamenting its passing in the same breath. All the actors are fearless in playing up the contradictions of their richly complex characters.A hunter throws himself down to the ground to drink from a stream, his hand slipping into the handprint of his prey who had been there and done the same. Later, the Sheriff cleans blood off his hands by rubbing them in the soil. The camera pushes in on a funeral pyre as scavengers try to pull the body out for souvenirs. Rich in visual metaphor, TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE is that rarity among Hollywood studio westerns -- it is historically intelligent and historically well-informed, faithful to the actual circumstances and events it depicts. Perhaps the best testament to its authenticity is the fact that several tribes cooperated in making the film; they are identified during the opening titles. The film is based on the biography of Willie Boy written by Harry Lawton, which Polonsky obviously read and understood. He doesn't try to schmaltz it up or tack on a happy ending. The only other western that compares to it, that I can think of, is the independently made THE BALLAD OF GREGORIO CORTEZ (1983). But you don't need to know the history to enjoy the high-calibre drama and suspenseful action on display. Structured on the chase formula, TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE is a manhunt thriller without peer. Expect a standard of craftsmanship in story telling and in technical execution that you just don't see anymore.TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE is one of the best-photographed westerns you'll ever see. The burnished landscape and stoic portraiture is by photographer Conrad Hall, who carved out a signature style on THE PROFESSIONALS(1966), HELL IN THE PACIFIC (1967), and BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969). Shooting desert landscapes in morning light and at the golden hour Hall manipulated exposure to tone down the intensity of dye-transfer Technicolor to an earthy, realistic pallet. Those films deserved all the accolades they received, but his work here on the high deserts of inland California surpasses prior achievements, and that's saying a lot.Studio and network execs winnow out this level of sophistication today. They stop it before it starts. TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE could only have been made in the 1960s. I consider it one of the great cinematic achievements of that decade and one of the all-time great westerns. Perhaps this remarkable western will become better known and appreciated, and more widely discussed, now that it is finally available on DVD.Don't hesitate.Buy It Now.

One of the all-time great films - great story, great cast, great cinematography. This DVD has been hard to find and I was glad it finally became available at an affordable price. Although there are no menus or special features, the quality of the image and the audio is excellent. I loved the film when it was first released, and read the book as well. Of course certain events were changed in the movie because it is Hollywood after all, but the gist of the drama remained the same. It was Robert Blake at one of his best performances, and Robert Redford was outstanding, as was Katherine Ross. I was really impressed with Susan Clark as the physician on the reservation. She is definitely an underrated actress. I would recommend this film to anyone that enjoys historical drama, wants to know about the lives of Native American Indians in the U.S. at the time (early 1900s), and just plain good movie-making. It keeps your interest throughout, well-paced and all the threads are connected. A perfect cinematic experience! Y Attar.

Arrived in good condition. Disappointed movie has no subtitles. Wanted more of the side story (sheriff cooper and dr. Liz) than the main story (Willie boy and Lola)! Last scenes were tense and entertaining to watch!

Loved this movie, although I feel that Katharine Ross was miscast, not because of a lack of acting ability (she's actually quite good in this movie) but because her "native American" makeup was just too distracting. Robert Blake shines as the title's namesake, on the run for having killed the father of his one true love, Lola, played by the aforementioned Ross. Robert Redford's Deputy Sheriff Cooper chases Willie Boy & Lola across an early 1900's Southern California in an attempt to bring him to justice and return her to the reservation. The cinematography in this film is breathtaking in its barren ruggedness and reminds one of a classic John Ford western. This movie is a gem, well worth checking out. Five stars, in spite of the miscasting mentioned above.

Love it very much

When I played this the audio soundtrack was a bit out of sink, so I did like it

Kudos to MGM for the transfer. This was very well done. The movie runs semi-slow, but, after it's over, you realize it was a worthwhile journey rather than a pure shoot 'em up, fast-paced western. It's a real good character study, and each of the characters acts with professionalism and offers an interesting depth. Nobody is a hero. Redford, Blake, Susan Clark and several character actors are each very finely tuned for their parts. Katherine Ross was exceptional as well, but, her skin color makeup was probably the biggest flaw in the entire movie. Let's get some more westerns out there now MGM, you've certainly earned my repeat biz.

Probably the best least known Redford movie. It's right up there with Brubaker in social commentary drama and was ahead of it's time in Redford was not necessarily the only lead actor but was made up of a great cast sharing the limelight with him like Robert Blake, Robert Vaughn, Catherine Ross, and Susan Clark. Originally released in 69 it was re-released around 77 as Willie Boy with a string of Redford films released in the 70's and at the time of Robert Blake's TV detective show Baretta. Would love to see a follow up/remake of this someday, because there is a popular story by the Paiute that Willie actually did'nt die with the manhunt but survived to be an elderly fellow!?