Great Film overall

Absolutely Fantastic

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The definition of the "elegiac western", The Hired Hand was the directorial debut of the ubiquitous Peter Fonda. Fonda also stars, as Harry, a world-weary wanderer finally planning to move back to his ranch and make good on his marriage to his wife Hannah (Verna Bloom) and their daughter. Tagging along is his BFF Arch (Warren Oates) – although at some point he too will move on, and Harry will have to up his game as a family man. Meanwhile, the ghosts of the past are stirring. It seems like there's some bad blood in Harry's home town, and – to mix in yet another metaphor – the chickens are coming home to roost. If it sounds like I'm being vague, that's because the plot of The Hired Hand is looser than a half-tied lasso. Remember, this came hot on the heels of another Fonda vehicle, Easy Rider, and as such you'll regard its laid-back tempo and mannered editing either as richly layered or a load of hippie nonsense. Personally, I found the mix of Bruce Langhorne's eerie music and the mournful rhythm quite hypnotic.This is a slow and moody western where the dramatic beats come from the exchanges between characters rather than exchanges of gunfire. Bloom is exceptional in the role of Hannah, a woman who is at once rebuked for sharing her bed with other men in Harry's absence, but then who in one withering speech entirely justifies her behaviour. Her presence, as a fully-fleshed out female character in a male- swamped genre, is most welcome. Thematically it's tempting – as with all American New Wave cinema of the decade – to position The Hired Hand in the context of the Vietnam War. It's a link that can be overstated, but there are undoubtedly parallels: the gunman yearning to return home from a long journey; his struggle to adapt to civilian existence in a place where life has continued without him; the breaking of brotherhood in favour of fatherhood; and the violence of his past returning to haunt him.So, a deep sorrow hangs over the film. Fonda was only 31 when he made this, and it's questionable whether, with his slight frame and young eyes, he can beard himself up to achieve sufficient world- weariness. Oates, however, nails it, that permanent grimace of his both warm and worn in equal measure. Capturing them exquisitely is the peerless Vilmos Zsigmond (the first casualty of this year's terrible roster of obituaries), who virtually takes us back in time with the preciseness and depth of his framing. The desperately sad final shot is worth the (relatively brief) running time alone. One reason The Hired Hand isn't better-remembered is because it is by its nature low-key; quiet and sombre. Consider as well that at the time the western genre was in decline – the real classic, McCabe and Mrs Miller, also came out in 1971, and Robert Altman's film (also shot by Zsigmond) is the superior of the two. Still, there is much to admire about The Hired Hand – and I use that verb carefully because it's as much a film to sink into for its mood as it is to conventionally enjoy.

Beautiful music signed Bruce Langhorne. Otherwise, the film does not say much. Because it's not happen much. And what is happening, is not at all justified. Why is shot Dan Griffen (Robert Pratt), the young companion of Harry Collings (Peter Fonda) and Arch Harris (Warren Oates)? Nobody knows. Then, why is taken prisoner Arch Harris? I wonder if the writer Alan Sharp knew. I doubt it. Warren Oates is a very good actor. But here he does not have much to do. Peter Fonda is just the son of his father(Henry Fonda, for those who don't know) and the brother of his sister(Jane Fonda). I think he wanted to look like Clint Eastwood in those movies with dollars, but without being a Western. All the fault of the same Sergio Leone. But, how many people know or realize that?

THE PLOT: A cowboy (Fonda) decides to go back and work for the wife that he left several years before.THE POSITIVE: The cinematography and camera work is outstanding as well as the editing. There are a few angles and shots here that I haven't seen done anywhere else. The soundtrack is also excellent and helps create a real nice moody feel to a presentation that has a very good gritty and realistic look. The shootouts and especially the death scenes stand out the most and raise this up a few notches from the standard western. Verna Bloom is a great choice for the hard living and vanquished wife. Her plain face and weathered complexion looks like something one would realistically find in that environment and time period.THE NEGATIVE: The impressive camera work and elaborate presentation belie the fact that the story really isn't much. The plot is very thin and filled with a lot of elements that you can find in any western. The characters needed to be fleshed out a lot more and the pace is too leisurely. It is great to see eccentric character actor Severn Darden cast as the bad guy, but he needed to be given a lot more screen time.THE LOWDOWN: The production as a whole is excellent with a nice evocative style that draws you in and really holds your attention. Unfortunately the story is too routine and not profound enough to allow the movie to stand out anymore than it does.THE RATING: 6 out of 10.

There has never been a score for a motion-picture so spare, so haunting, so unforgettably disquieting as this one. Amazingly, it was composed and performed by one man, Bruce Langhorne, who recorded and layered the tracks in his home studio, playing every instrument himself: a 1920 Martin guitar; an Appalachian dulcimer; a fiddle; a five-string banjo; a wooden soprano recorder; a Honer Marine Band harmonica, along with a Farfisa organ and the nearly-forgotten Echoplex.At this writing, August 23, 2007, Langhorne is very ill from a stroke and Diabetes complications and without medical insurance. Director Jonathan Demme has an online site for donations to help defray Langhorne's medical expenses: a Google search for "Demme"+"Langhorne" will guide you there. I am neither a friend nor family member, only a fan of the incredibly talented musician Bob Dylan dubbed "Mr. Tambourine Man".