The Last Hunt (1956)

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The Last Hunt is a wonderful piece of Western film making. Richard Brook's script and direction are top notch. Robert Taylor gives one of the best performances of his career as Charlie, a man who seems to be in love with killing and hatred, yet has a tender side to him brought out by the Indian girl he takes captive. The film is a wonderful character study of two men who are totally opposite in the way they feel about killing. And so much of the conflict within the picture results from the differences in their characters.The supporting cast is great with Lloyd Nolan and Russ Tamblyn being the standouts. The Last Hunt is hardly ever mentioned in the great westerns, but I feel it should be. It is a great film that has been overlooked way too long. Any western fan or Robert Taylor definitely need to check it out.

NOTES: Locations in Custer State Park in South Dakota and the United States National Monument at Badlands. The producers express their deep appreciation to the officials and to Governor Joe Foss of South Dakota.COMMENT: A grim and unsavory tale which, though well acted, is often horrifying to watch. Taylor gives his best performance ever as the sadistic bad guy. Lloyd Nolan makes the most of his dramatic opportunities too, but the unusually colorless Stewart Granger is poorly treated by Richard Brooks in both his capacities as writer and director, aside from one good scene in which he stymies Constance Ford's saloon girl, manhandles Fred Graham's barman and generally takes on all comers at the Golden Ace saloon (or whatever it is).Debra Paget makes a rather subdued Indian widow, while Russ Tamblyn does what he can with the somewhat unrewarding role of the conventional juvenile. But it's Taylor's film and he doesn't let anyone — not even the scenery or the buffaloes — forget it!

"The Last Hunt" has a pretty dark story; it isn't a run of the mill western that's for sure. It's surprising that so much actually got past the 1956 censors.After losing his herd of cattle, ex-buffalo hunter Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) reluctantly agrees to team up for one last buffalo hunt with Charlie Gilson (Robert Taylor), a gunfighter and man of few scruples. They are joined by a part Indian youth, Jimmy (Russ Tamblyn), and an old, one-legged skinner named Woodfoot (Lloyd Nolan), who foretells doom for those hunting the buffalo.When Indians steal their horses, Charlie hunts them down, sparing only the life of a woman and a baby. The woman (Debra Paget) is known simply as the Indian Girl throughout the movie. Taylor has only one thing in mind for her; a bit of stress release after a full day's hunting – mind you, this is a mid-fifties MGM movie.The buffalo hunt produces a wealth of hides, but Sandy and Charlie fall out over the treatment of the woman. Sandy tries to protect her, but Charlie does not take kindly to losing his prize of war. The finale produces one of those memorable screen moments as Charlie relentlessly pursues Sandy and the woman.The film's grittiness is down to Richard Brooks. A writer as well as a director, he usually wrote his own screenplays including this one from Milton Lott's novel. He was the complete storyteller, much like John Huston who had actually been a mentor earlier in Brooks' film career. A difficult man, he was also tough – he was reputed to have sat the formidable Burt Lancaster on his backside during a heated dispute.It was Brooks' idea to film an actual cull of one of the few surviving buffalo herds and incorporate it into the movie – a lot of people didn't like it including Stewart Granger, who thought Brooks revelled in the carnage a little too much.Robert Taylor gives the standout performance in the film. Referred to as 'beautiful Robert Taylor' in movies before the war, as he aged, his features hardened, although still handsome, he developed a slightly roguish look, which suited his role in this film perfectly. Charlie believes killing is the only emotion that makes him feel alive. It could have been a one-dimensional performance, but Taylor gives the character bi-polar highs and lows, making Charlie seem even more dangerous."The Last Hunt" was overshadowed by another western released in 1956, which also explored the themes of hatred and relentless pursuit, John Ford's "The Searchers". However, any film of Richard Brooks is worth a look and "The Last Hunt" is anything but a traditional western.

A mediocre "Civil Rights" Western that uses the historical setting to negatively portray racism. Added into the mix here is an animal rights message. It's quaint to see how politically incorrect liberals were in the mid-50's. Not only is a white woman used to play the squaw lead, but many live buffalo are killed on screen during the movie. Even though it is revealed during the initial credits that it was filmed during a federally mandated herd thinning, it would be very controversial to portray this images today.This movie's probably a little overrated because it was written and directed by Richard Brooks, who made a bunch of movies that were much better than this (The Blackboard Jungle, Elmer Gantry, In Cold Blood among others).Here's what was good about the movie:This is a really nice performance by Robert Taylor as an unrepentant racist and killer driven mad by his sins.The main theme of the relationship between killing, hate and insanity is interesting and sophisticated.Nice scenes with buffalo, even if it is a little disturbing to see them shot down for real.Kind of "cool" ending.Here's some of things that brought it down:Overall the plot and script were ragged. The movie does not flow well and has awkward transitions.I didn't buy Stuart Granger as a frontiersman. Looked like he was hanging out in a gay Manhattan piano bar to me.Much of the film takes place in very phony looking sound stage/campsites.The movie just beats you over the head with it racism and animal rights themes. There is no attempt to obfuscate or embed the themes in the plot or characterizations.A little too maudlin in its depiction of the Indians.