A cowboy, whose guns, horses, and water depend on his survival, is taken by force. How will he interpret a legend in the desert? The beginning of this story is reminiscent of the famous sentence of Yuan pronoun Ma Zhiyuan, "The heartbroken man is in the end of the world". In the Gobi, the hungry and drought-stricken old cowboy Houg is preying on lizards, but he does not want to become the prey of two rascals-Tagot and Bouwin. All his belongings were robbed and humiliated, his vicissitudes of life were full of anger and helplessness. Under the scorching sun, Hu Ge's lonely figure drifted away, behind him was barren dust and boundless yellow sand. Walking at sunrise, sunset resting on the spot, he finally discovered the source of life-water miraculously on the fourth day. Hu Ge registered the small piece of land with the payment of passers-by for drinking water, and successfully persuaded the bank to take a loan, building a well-known desert post station brick by brick.
For traditional Western films, the image of cowboys is always closely related to the characteristics of "guns and bullets, fast horses, and peace of mind". The protagonist of the film, Huge, is uncharacteristically and belongs to an atypical cowboy. In terms of appearance, unlike the handsome, tall and mighty Sheriff John in [Red Courage], Hu Gefu is ragged and full of ditches as soon as he appears; he does not have the skill of the Link boy in [关山飞渡]. So chic and neat, he has been snatched before the trigger gun is pulled; he does not possess the cynical and silent personality of the "unsung hero" played by Clint Eastwood. But Hu Ge is a real western pioneer, his greatest wealth lies not in the outside, but in the inside. He knows that for a property owner, ownership registration is necessary, even if it is only $2.50, it can make the best use of it. He can tolerate sarcasm and disdain, and exchanges his confidence and aura for the banker's admiration. He has the wisdom and patience to judge the situation, so in the face of Tagot and Bouwin's provocation, he would rather endure the humiliation for the time being and consider the long-term. Even if it is revenge, he will not use the gunfight duel in [Noon]. In his unique way, he avoids the cycle of revenge, not only physically destroying the enemy, but also completely buying the enemy spiritually. Hu Ge is the master of this desert. He is familiar with the soil under his feet and looked up at the boundless night sky. This puzzled question of where to go from is settled as the Stars and Stripes slowly rise from the sky above the "Hu Ge Spring". In the smoke lingering, everyone took off their hats and stood solemnly, and Huge's own desert kingdom was finally built.
Of course, women's charisma is also an indispensable factor in western films. Their kindness and warmth maintain the balance and morality of this chaotic world. Although the heroine of the film Xidi is a call girl, she also has the temperament of hardworking and healing. Xidi and Hu Ge spent a good time at the station of men farming and women weaving. Xidi was bathed in the sun, her blond hair exuded a warm light, Huge sang a touching love song and looked at each other. They found each other and indulged in each other. However, unlike those women who yearn for stability, Xidi's dream is not only to be the hostess of the station, she yearns for a more prosperous city and a more prosperous life. In this dream, Huge was restricted by his inner mission of revenge, unable to make his dream come true. So Xidi left, leaving him alone. Another important person who witnessed the transformation of Huguet was a priest, James. Unlike those decent priests, he seems to have the blood of cowboys flowing on him, wandering around and making his home in all directions. He even used his identity as a pastor to seduce the women of good families, and he also fashionably rode a motorcycle to and fro. When preaching, James wears the Roman collar on his chest. When he is having fun, the Roman collar is turned over to be the bow tie of the suit. The depiction of this detail fully shows the contradictory unity of people. People can become upright and sacred by putting on the cloak of professionalism. If they take off their disguise, they can liberate their true self.
Unlike the fast editing and violent aesthetics that often appear in director Sam Pekin’s films, this film adopts a soothing shooting method. The simple narrative structure spreads out the character and plot development rhythmically, clean and not. Lose interest. The soundtrack is even more icing on the cake. For example, the film begins with Huge walking in the desert, and the vigorous bass singing "tomorrow is the song I sing" slowly sounds, reflecting the helplessness and desolation of the lone traveler. The song "butterfly mornings" sang by Huge and Xidi vividly highlights the deep love between the two. From the perspective of character characteristics and performance techniques, this film is not a standard western film, but its spirit and story background may restore the audience a real western film.
When talking about the westward movement, people are always inspired by its pioneering spirit, and they don't consciously ignore that the pursuit of wealth is the original. The pragmatism embodied in Hu Ge is actually the epitome of the pioneers in the west. Although the director added a little mythology to his deeds, it is indeed organic. The Westward Movement in the United States began at the end of the 18th century and ended in the end of the 19th century. The "Desert Land Act" promulgated by the US government in 1877 stipulates that the government sells land at a low price to those who are willing to build partial irrigation ditches on dry land. According to the scene of the land sales by the staff of the China Land Bureau in the movie, it can be inferred that the climax of the Westward Movement was about to end at that time. Therefore, the director of the film arranged an extremely funny and sentimental home for the late hero. After Hu Ge's revenge succeeded, Xidi returned by car. Hu Ge has planned the future and is ready to take his lover to a broader world. When everyone was full of curiosity and horror about the new thing about the car, the car suddenly slid down, and Hu Ge stepped forward and tried to block it with his hands. But this man who knew everything about the desert failed to stop the runaway car, was overwhelmed and died. Hu Ge listened to James' prayers and passed away with a smile. Even a second before he died, he persisted in his usual optimism and self-confidence. The ending of the film is like an absurd and serious metaphor. The "Theseus"-like figures who once lifted the boulder can not keep up with the wheels of history, but are drowned in the turbulent tide of the civilized world.
On the other hand, director Sam Pekin’s experience also has a certain self-evident fit with Huge, the protagonist of the film. He was trapped by alcohol and drugs all his life in the 60s and 70s of the last century. Classic Westerns such as Huang Sha] and [Billy Kid]. Sam Pekin Law used this film to express deep concern and pessimism about the future of western films, and the cruel market also confirmed this expectation. At that time, it was in the "New Hollywood" era, and distinctive author movies and special effects movies began to gradually dominate the mainstream market. The "cowboys" are facing an unprecedented crisis, and the golden age of westerns is a thing of the past. André Bazin once said that the essence of Western films is a myth, a myth of the development of the West, and the myth will eventually be broken by the real world. Since then, the life history of the romantic hero has come to an abrupt end, resting in the desert he is familiar with. In this way, an era and a film that reflects this era brought their style to a clean curtain call.
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