Bad Company (1972 film)
| Bad Company | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Robert Benton |
| Produced by | Stanley R. Jaffe |
| Written by | Robert Benton David Newman |
| Starring |
Barry Brown Jeff Bridges |
| Music by | Harvey Schmidt |
| Cinematography | Gordon Willis |
| Edited by | Ron Kalish Ralph Rosenblum |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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October 8, 1972 |
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bad Company is a 1972 American Western film directed by Robert Benton, who also co-wrote the film with David Newman. It stars Barry Brown and Jeff Bridges as two of a group of young men who flee the draft during the American Civil War to seek their fortune and freedom on the unforgiving American frontier.
This acid western attempts in many ways to demythologize the American West in its portrayal of young men forced by circumstance and drawn by romanticized accounts to forge new lives for themselves on the wrong side of the law. Their initial eagerness to be outlaws soon abates, however, when the boys are confronted with the realities of preying on others in a nation ravaged by war and exploitation.
A group of soldiers pulls up to a modest white house and goes inside. Moments later, they exit, dragging a boy in a dress who is frantically resisting them. The soldiers throw the boy in a wagon with other boys, one of whom is also dressed as a woman to avoid conscription. At the Dixon home, the soldiers search for Drew (Barry Brown) despite his mother's protest. She explains that she has already lost one son to the war. When the soldiers leave, Drew emerges from his hiding place. His parents give him $100 and urge him to go West, giving him their picture and his brother's watch as mementos.
In St. Joseph, Missouri, Drew is approached by Jake Rumsey (Jeff Bridges) who pistol-whips him and takes his money in an alley. Jake runs a gang of petty thieves who steal purses and rob children of their pocket change. While Drew is recovering at a minister's house, Jake arrives to return the purse that one of his gang stole from the minister's wife, hoping to collect a reward. Once inside, he purloins various household items until Drew sees him and attacks, demanding his money back. After a long struggle, Jake finally bests Drew and convinces him that he has no choice but to join his gang, as the Army will catch him if he tries to board a wagon train as is his plan.
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Wikipedia