The Ballad of Lefty Brown [DVD]

Blu-ray arrived quickly and in great condition. Wide-screen, 112 minutes, English and Spanish subtitles, several special features, newer(2017) Western with grit, grins and a twist or two. Well done, great acting and action from a great cast, I enjoyed it.

This is a story of four friends in 1889 Montana. The protagonist, Lefty, is unusual in that he has few of the virtues of traditional western heroes. He isn't fast with a gun. He isn't very smart or highly competent as a cowboy. In fact, his partner has taken care of him for many years. HIs main skills seem to be in friendship, healing, and in making do. When his partner is killed in an ambush, however, he resolves to find the murderer. Bill Pullman does an excellent job as Lefty, and the movie has a good, old school pace except for a short period when a boy is introduced into the plot. There it slows down some before picking back up again. There's also some clunkiness. And there's a conclusion that defies belief if you think about it, but, while not unmixed, the ending is an emotionally satisfying. All this makes the story a revisionist western in the tradition of Unforgiven, but without the superstar power of Clint Eastwood or as tight of a script. The latter is the bigger problem and why I give it 4 stars.

This movie had the quality of the old John Wayne movies. It reminded me of the Searchers. Had many interesting characters just like that classic did. They even referred to a account from some pulp fiction book that sounded like the Searchers. Only difference was they weren't able to rescue the girl. In fact Peter Fonda sounded like John Wayne. It was great seeing him in this movie. Sad his part was short lived. Pullman did a great job. All the actors did great. Hats off to Frank and Jeremiah. They made the story real. Tom was a classic character. I just couldn't figure out why Harrah didn't tell everybody who the real killer was before he was shot down. As for the reviewers that said the movie was to slow... don't believe them. The moments that I think they thought were slow was there to meditate on the real emotion and heartbreak these characters were facing. They kept going against impossible odds to bring the truth out. Any normal person would just have ran and gone to Mexico. Lefty just kept running towards the truth no matter how dangerous it was. Sad to say in real life the killers would have gotten away with it and lived a long life. It is just a movie so we hope Lefty finally found peace somewhere in Mexico. I think this movie deserves more accolades than it probably will ever get.

I could not finish this movie. The basic plot was almost plausible but the execution of the storyline was so sadly cliche and having old friends turn against each other leading to murder is just not believable. Bill Pullman, who I truly admire in many of his other roles, was so overdramatic in his portrayal of the 'anti-hero' hero that it was clownish. He reminded me of "Festus" in the old Gun Smoke shows. I guess Hollywood has picked up on the fact that Westerns are back in vogue so they are just cranking out crap by grabbing hack writers off the street.It would have been better if Pullman could have played a 'grizzled' old lawman who pieced together bits along the way to figure out who had his old friend killed. And the railroad guy, who supposedly was at the root of the initial murder, could have been brought into the picture more fully to have a true villain in the story. Waste your time if you like, but I'd pass on this one.

Underdog with character comes out on top but not a Disney type ending. I like westerns that focus on character and grit rather than amazing gun skills and machismo. This fits that bill perfectly

I miss the old days when they actually knew how things might have really been. There is a scene at about 56:30 where lefty rides off against a sunset sky and there's a big old Jet Trail across the sky. Earlier in the movie there are 4 ranch hands about to brand a calf and the ranchers wife steps in to show this young hand how to do it. Keep in mind there is not another cow or calf around for miles but she hands him back the branding iron and tells him to get another calf branded because night fall is coming soon. Well why did these guys start branding at nearly the end of the day? Where are all the other cattle????You have to overlook a hellovalot to watch one of todays westerns. But at least they are still making some that are worth a watch. I think I've seen every single western from the 50's to today at least a couple of times. They didn't have jets back then... just saying.

This movie has heart, its not one of the best westerns out there but it offers a unique story to the genre that's well written with a solid cast.Bill Pullman is excellent as Lefty Brown, a perceived fool with a reputation of cowardice who, without knowing it, embarks on an unexpected journey of redemption and revenge. A 60 year old man of seemingly no significance, Lefty Brown's only saving grace is being the long time best friend and partner to a rancher who later becomes the Senator of Montana. In the midst of tracking down a part of their heard that mysteriously goes missing, things quickly take a turn for the worst for Lefty and the Senator, leaving Lefty faced with questions he can't answer. As Lefty rides to discover the truth, he's forced to find his courage or die like the coward he's believed to be.9/10 western, would watch again.

A good show, enjoyed it.

Great DVD would highly recommend this movie many thanks

This movie was extremely slow. The other 2 people watching with me left after 40 minutes. I just paid $22 for it so I watched it. Slow, boring, disappointing. to be relegated to the next yard sale.

The DVD Cover claims "The Best Western of the Past Two Decades". Well all I can say is that the critic of the 'Hollywood Outsider', has obviously not watch many movies in the past two decades!No, the truth is that this film is really pretty poor. At best the acting is barely adequate, and the storyline is weak, poorly thought out and is inadequately envisaged by the director, which is not helped by, so so editing; though one suspects that the editor probably had little to work with.Bill Pullman, never a great actor, is totally miscast in the very sketchily drawn main character, and this may be the most significant failure of the film.Peter Fonda gives by far the best performance of the whole cast but unfortunately his is a very brief bit part.If you appreciate a good western, then do not bother to buy this one.

I sat down really looking forward to watching this dvd,and i really triedSadly all I could see was Bill Pullman in a beard playing an over the top old man.The film did not have the best editing ,the action was just about ok but to call it the best western in two decades was pushing it Open Range has that title for me.When i bought it i thought it was a fair price but having seen it i think it was over priced ,it arrived on time and well packaged .So to sum up a fairly average western watch once is more than enough,though having seen other reviews i appear to be the exception of not enjoying it