Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

You might know by now that I'm not the biggest western fan. I picked up The Last Sunset for the cast, expecting to groan at the end and complain about my wasted time. What I mistakenly judged to be a boring western turned out to be a very touching, well-acted drama! It just happened to take place in the land of cowboys and horses.Kirk Douglas comes back into the life of old-flame Dorothy Malone, but it's been nearly twenty years since they've seen each other and she's moved on. She's married to Joseph Cotton and has a daughter, Carol Lynley, but the sparks still fly between her and her old beau. Rock Hudson shows up and lines up for Dorothy's attention-and that's just the beginning!So often in love triangles, there are clear good and bad guys, and the characters are one-dimensional, so the audience can mentally check out and blindly root for the man in the white hat. Dalton Trumbo's script, based off of Howard Rigsby's novel, features wonderfully three-dimensional characters, each with strengths and weaknesses so the audience understands why Dorothy Malone can't make up her mind. It's a truly riveting story, sure to capture even more of your emotions when Carol Lynley enters the romantic arena. She and Kirk Douglas share a very different romance from Dorothy and Kirk; it's sweet, pure, and truly lovely, but is it sustainable? He's seen so much more of the world, and their scenes together are very moving. While everyone in the film gives great performances, Carol and Kirk steal the show. She's so incredibly sweet, and his unspoken emotions radiate off the screen. You might not find yourself reaching for your Kleenexes, but I certainly did! I won't spoil anything, but the last few scenes have stayed with me long after I watched them. I wish I could elaborate on how wonderful Kirk Douglas's performance is, but that would involve major spoilers. Just rent it; you'll be in for a real treat.If you like your romances heavy with drama, or you like the idea of having to choose between Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson, or if you've ever seen beyond forever in someone's eyes, rent The Last Sunset! And if you invite me over for a movie night, I'll bring the tissues.

Kirk Douglas travels to Mexico on horseback to locate the woman he loved years ago. But a lawman (Rock Hudson) is on his trail, vowing to bring him back to Texas for hanging. Dorothy Malone plays the woman who is central to the story. Her husband, Joseph Cotton, plans to drive his cattle to Texas for sale, but he needs some cowhands. As a result, Douglas and Hudson become unlikely trailmates.Along the perilous journey, there are revelations, demonstrations of bravery, and conflict resolution. The plot is clever and it contains some surprises. "The Last Sunset" is directed by Robert Aldrich--a talented director, for sure. But the excellent script is the product of Dalton Trumbo, adapting from a novel.Though it contains the trappings of many western, this film goes beyond the usual caricatures. It is a rich story about complex characters.

A lawman (Hudson) and an outlaw (Douglas) join a trail drive where they meet rivalry, romance and danger.Looks like Douglas' production company Brynaprod was aiming for an epic western on the order of Red River (1948). In terms of cinematic sweep and star-studded cast, they got it. The trail herd and surrounding vistas suggest a grand scale western. The problem is the rest of the film fails to equal that impressive dimension.Now director Aldrich can do epic westerns better than most, as his estimable Vera Cruz (1954) shows. Here, however, he's saddled with four marquee performers, each of whom requires screen time equal to his or her status. That means the pacing gets disrupted by lengthy cameo scenes, especially the drawn-out romantic scenes. Thus the film tends to lumber rather than unfold. Then too, scripter Trumbo can do screenplays with the best. Here, however, he's faced with the same problem and what we get is a meandering story, more contrived than most. The four main adults perform well enough; however, an 18-year old Lynley, even if she does bring in a younger audience, appears distinctly out of place on a trail drive, especially since she looks and acts like a malt shop refugee.It also looks like the main force behind the on-screen results is Douglas himself. Hudson may get top billing, but the dramatics belong to O'Malley (Douglas). All in all, the movie boils down to a showcase for Douglas' many moods, including that overblown repose-in-death scene, lacking only a violin accompaniment. Also looks to me like most any Hollywood actor could have handled Hudson's rather one- dimensional role as the straight shooting Stribling. It's a rather odd career choice for Hudson then at the peak of his box-office. (And what's with wasting such first-rate baddies as Brand and Elam, who may build up the supporting cast, but get little dialog or screen time. Ditto for the abandoned Regis Toomey, except I'm not sure who he's supposed to be.)Moreover, I'm still puzzled over how the script's one interesting idea, the incest angle, is supposed to play out. Specifically, why is there a romantic haystack scene (Douglas & Lynley) following O'Malley's discovery about Missy. Now, one way of looking at that scene is to view O' Malley as in a predicament. On one hand, he's been "intimate" with Missy, while on the other, he's likely her father. His predicament is that he can't tell her the facts since it might well ruin her life. At the same time, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings by suddenly ending the romance. So he tries to ease out of the relationship in the haystack scene. That may help her situation, but he's left with the grim knowledge for which there's only one solution, which he takes, thus providing motivation for throwing the shootout.I don't know if this is what Trumbo had in mind. After all, I may have missed something. But it is one interpretation for an otherwise puzzling scene.The movie does have one unusual and really riveting scene. The courtly John Breckenridge (Cotton) is challenged by saloon room thugs to drop his pants in order to show a war wound and avoid a shootout. It's humiliating for the southern gentleman, to say the least, and is unlike any other saloon dust-up that I've seen. Too bad that Cotten, a fine actor and character here, drops out so soon. Nonetheless, considering all the talent involved, the film adds up to a disappointing two hours of lumbering horse opera. Frankly, I'm not surprised this was Brynaprod's final production.(In passing—I can't help noticing that the Colorado-born Trumbo works two obscure Colorado towns into his script— Breckenridge and Julesburg. Such, I guess, are perquisites of screen writing.)

The gunman Brendan O'Malley (Kirk Douglas) crosses the border riding to Mexico and arrives at the ranch of Belle Breckenridge (Dorothy Malone). He asks to spend the night in the place and meets her daughter Melissa (Carol Lynley). Belle was his sweetheart and now is married with the drunkard and coward John Breckenridge (Joseph Cotton), but O'Malley still has a crush on her. John hires O'Malley to lead his herd to Texas; however, Sheriff Dana Stribling (Rock Hudson) is hunting O'Malley to serve a warrant for the death of his brother-in-law and also arrives in the farm, where he does not have jurisdiction to arrest O'Malley. Stribling also accepts to work for John, bringing the cattle to Texas, and promises to deliver O'Malley to the law in the arrival. Along their journey, John dies and the travelers face Indians and outlaws; Stribling woos and is flirted by Belle, increasing the tension between the two men. Nevertheless, Missy falls in love for O'Malley and seduces him, but Belle discloses a secret that leads O'Malley to an ultimate decision in the last sunset in the borderland."The Last Sunset" is an unforgettable western with a mature romance and a plot point with a subtle incestuous relationship that leads to a tragic conclusion. The cinematography and the camera work are impressive with amazing sequences in the desert with actors, actresses and stunts riding horses and conducting cattle in the sandy soil. Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone and Carol Lynley have remarkable performances, and the beauty of Carol Lynley is something awesome with her doll face. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "O Último Pôr-do-Sol" ("The Last Sunset")