Captivating movie !

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

I've never understood the cloud of negativity surrounding Paint Your Wagon, a terminally eccentric, raucously bawdy musical western epic in which old school tough guys Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood get to sing, or at least do their best. Sure it's a giant unwieldy spectacle, not all of the songs make a three point landing and it runs on far too long, but it's such an interesting piece from many perspectives, it doesn't deserve even half the shade thrown on it by critics over the years. I like it specifically because of how odd and random it is at times, how it meanders and lingers across the gold rush frontier town it takes place in, following the paths of it's strange characters diligently. Marvin is the life of the party as Ben Rumson, a booze soaked, misanthropic prospector idling his way through the west in a haze of hangovers and hijinks. Eastwood is Pardner, a soft spoken stoic type whose life is saved by Ben, and the two strike a bond that's eventually tested by Elizabeth (Jean Seberg), the beauty who loves them both. The trio makes the best of life in a rough n' tumble settlement called No Name City, a feverish shantytown on the precipice of nowhere, populated by scoundrels, miscreants and hooligans. And that's pretty much it, the story punctuated by a whole gallery of songs, some brilliant and others excruciating. The best is a haunting, melancholy melody by Marvin called 'Wandering Star', which is so good it could be listened to on repeat. 'They Call The Wind Mariah' is a gorgeous tune belted out by a young looking Harve Presnell as Rotten Luck Willie, a slick kingpin who basically runs the township. 'There's a Coach Comin In' rouses spirits, and the titular theme is well staged too. Unfortunately all of the songs sung solely by Eastwood are a slog through the mud, as he bleats like a goat and gets saddled with the most boring tracks like 'I Talk To The Trees', the sappy 'Elisa' and 'Gold Fever', a musical sleeping pill. Whenever Marvin is around it's a banger of a party, he goes the extra mile to keep the energy levels unbridled, while Eastwood is a little sleepier. There's no way the film deserves the dodgy reputation it's been slapped with though, a lot of it is fun as all hell, the big budget is spent well on fantastic production design, epic sets and big names who earn their keep, Marvin in particular.

Released toward the end of the era of big-budget musicals, "Paint Your Wagon," with a tuneful score by Lerner and Lowe, was maligned by critics for its bloated production, non-singing leads, and clunky direction. However, more than four decades later, the film remains a guilty pleasure for many and offers enough entertainment to please most. However, while director Joshua Logan may have shown genius directing stage musicals, his work on film falls flat. His screen musical adaptations, "Camelot," "South Pacific," and this film were all directed with a heavy hand that failed to capture the stage magic in their transition to the screen. Vastly revised by Alan Jay Lerner and Paddy Chayefsky from the original Broadway production, "Paint Your Wagon" is set during the California Gold Rush, where two unlikely men partner up and share everything, eventually even a wife. Although most of the bawdy aspects are suggested rather than shown, the menage-a-trois at the core of the film may have been too adult for family audiences in the late 1960's, and extolling the virtues of prostitution for a virtually all male town is also quite adult.Although cast largely with non-singers in the tradition of such other screen adaptations as "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," there is little damage to the songs, because many are choral numbers, and the show's best song, "They Call the Wind Maria," is sung by an accomplished Broadway musical star, Harve Presnell. Clint Eastwood has modest singing skills; his voice is not bad, his rendition of "I Talk to the Trees" is acceptable, and, to be fair, he did record an album of western songs at one point. Jean Seberg's voice was dubbed, but she is colorless in the lead female role; a Shirley Jones would have been stronger both vocally and dramatically. For a woman supposedly in love with two men, Seberg generates little heat or chemistry with her co-stars. Lee Marvin is appropriately colorful, although his voice is gravelly and rough, and he seems to be reprising his "Cat Ballou" performance. While the choreography has also been criticized, the sight of a group of scruffy miners breaking into perfectly synchronized dance steps like "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," would look ludicrous.Admittedly "Paint Your Wagon" is over long and over produced; a silly prolonged climax that consists of endless special effects may have been intended for laughs, but it falls flat. However, despite much to justifiably criticize, the music is captivating, most of the performances are fun to watch, and the movie is often just plain fun.

Just watched this movie for the first time since the 70's. What a light hearted and wonderful blast from the past. I have always been a massive Clint Eastwood fan, and a big Lee Marvin fan, so this was a double treat. Clint was good in this, but Lee Marvin was brilliant! All round great movie for me and my wife, and her parents love this movie also!The songs were original and entertaining, but Lee Marvin's " Wandering Star" is a classic, and probably the main reason why i decided to purchase the DVD for a second viewing. So glad I did. The laughs were frequent and often subtle. The theme was slightly irreligious,but isn't that a treat? Another Clint Eastwood classic to add to my collection!

I love musicals, but I honestly didn't know what to make of this film. Out of the Joshua Logan-directed musical movies, this film is my least favourite. It does have some nice photography, costumes and sets, and the score and songs are very pleasant and hummable. Out of the cast, Ray Walston and Harve Presnell(who actually has the best songs) come off best, and the chorale work directed by Roger Wagner is some of the finest ever heard in a musical. However, Joshua Logan's direction didn't work, I personally found it too stage-bound and smug. Also the dialogue doesn't convince, the film is too long and the story is forgettable and has one too many silly moments. The acting is nothing special, and while the singing isn't amazing it was passable. Lee Marvin's rendition of Wandrin' Star is listenable, and some of his comedy is a nice touch. Wasn't sure about Clint Eastwood though, I was perplexed at his casting initially and after hearing his singing my opinion hasn't changed. In conclusion, if I had to make an honest summary of this film, I would say worth watching for the music, chorale work and production values if little else. 5/10 Bethany Cox