CINEMA
Splits in the Western Shaw's Prefer Invitation to a Gunfighter. (London Pavilio disguis 'U' certificate.) was a WESTERNS were once thought as lowly 3.11e see comics, as cosy and undemanding The ri buttered toast; the highbrow's relaxation, little 1 sophisticate's way of playing milkmaid, the pe knife feet birthday treat for anyone over six. Rig tory u was on one side, wrong on the other, rest airead: came in the nick of time and bad men war. ences dark shirts. The world was a simple, innoce the be place where a man, a horse, an horizon and: read a gun were plenty to hang a tale on, town 10 It was meant the familiar dusty street, and depravO Matter the local saloon. But modern life has cattO that h up with the western, which isn't to say it has pi • Whe on modern dress, but just that we look at it of the modern eyes. And we question man, horse, go! ord
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and even horizon and wonder what they're up Take invitation to a Gunfighter (directo 4esiral taXth-f Richard Wilson), a western that's basically abo0 Mgarel race and colour, about divided loyalties and pet iktlfihr war bitterness, and about a town where a rtr, J:ation; who has fought and can still see with both el IP/41, use both arms and stand on both legs is an Ovokc viable rarity: a long way from Hopalong Cava the ra it all seems. Home from the Civil War exactly a met! wiry. ago comes the only man to fight for the SO! Mgres in a New Mexican town that, while wholly'- /4tioci the Union and slave-freeing, still treats its Milt; d; can population as sub-human and is still fittir Ithder; daily enslaved to the bullying town bc01 he %a Brewster. Matt, jeeringly known as The Reb, fiar Brewster has taken over his farm as rebel p0, make perty. In spite of this he sets himself up there, 011! he sta Brewster persuades the town to hire a prof Thi sional gunman to kill him. Paradox piles 00 Of em paradox: Matt is the only man the Mexico!! his lil love, yet he fought on the racialist side; the b," of its he was to marry, disgusted by his attitude, 0, lake married a Unionist who lost an arm on the 're' for t side but is a weakling and a drunkard; and dl 111ethi professional killer with the New Orleans nab hut t, of Jules d'Estaing turns out to be the son 01; hY hi, Frenchman and a slave he sold off in a p1 leentt when she tried to press her son's claims. and e Yul Brynner is the gunman, darkly made of treat and exotically mannered in a cunning way at1°. out it makes him 'pass for white until you know II; had background, and then makes you say, 'Why.4 bligi, course.' And the villain is no one recognisou'i 'hop villainous, but the stout Pat Hingle, who 0 tried look benevolent enough when he wants to.,' pulling villain easily discomforted and landed! lever at the humiliating operations like carrying the guntro° bags. A compact, well-composed and intellige, Drog,. tende film, it arouses sympathies that are anything brd a (tat clear-cut : for a good man who backed a N cause (question: can a man be politicallY, o What ,s Navin racialist and privately not?), for another who k; hope' cold-bloodedly for money because his bad' ground fitted him for nothing else (question: hoA quite our far does background justify what happens' late Etc. etc.). Hopalong Cassidy would rub his erl 1)1'
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