サム・ペキンパー監督が、古き良き開拓時代への惜別を込めて描く異色の西部劇。時代の流れに取り残された一人の男の風変わりな復讐譚がセンチメンタルに綴られてゆく。仲間に裏切られて砂漠の真ん中で一人取り残された主人公ケーブル・ホーグ。着の身着のままのケーブルは4日間歩き続けてついに水を掘り当て命拾いした。近くに駅馬車の通り道があると知ったケーブルはそこに給水所を作り、裏切り者が現われるのを待伏せるため、たった一人で砂漠生活を始めるのだった…。
AIが作品の魅力を深く読み解いています
製作費: $3,716,946 (6億円)
興行収入: $5,000,000 (8億円)
推定収支: $1,283,054 (2億円)
※製作費・興行収入はTMDBのデータを参照しています。収支は(興行収入 - 製作費)で算出したFindKey独自の推定値であり、広告宣伝費や諸経費は含まれません (1ドル=150円換算)。
監督: Sam Peckinpah
脚本: Edmund Penney / John Crawford / Gordon T. Dawson
音楽: ジェリー・ゴールドスミス
制作: Sam Peckinpah / Phil Feldman
撮影監督: Lucien Ballard
制作会社: Warner Bros. Pictures
Peckinpah's lyrical vision of the West provides humour and comfort to director and viewer alike. The Ballad Of Cable Hogue sees Sam Peckinpah in jolly form. There is nothing here to trouble the censors, a bit of violence here and there - and some nasty human traits seam through the story, but this is purely a funny and touching movie that again deals with a Peckinpah fave theme of the Old West passing. Only difference is here he has his tongue firmly in cheek as he observes the thirst for finance sweeping across the country. Cable Hogue is a prospector left for dead in the desert by his two double-crossing partners Bowen & Taggart. Wandering across the desert talking to god, Hogue collapses during a sandstorm and finds mud on his boot, after digging down for a while he finds the miracle of water (though Hogue badly misspells this on his advertisement). An encounter with preacher Joshua convinces Hogue to go patent his spring and make a killing selling water to the passing stagecoach trail that runs by his newly found oasis. After striking a deal in the town of Dead Dog, Hogue is set up nicely while into the bargain he falls for gorgeous prostitute Hildy. The film cheekily (just like Hogue) has established itself as a fine piece by the time it takes it's dark turn. It seems that revenge is the new found recipe on the Cable Springs Menu. This was Sam Peckinpah's favourite film from his own CV, it's his most personal, he apparently saw a lot of himself in Cable Hogue, and with that in mind the film does gain a bit more emotional heart. But strikingly, it's the humour in there that shouldn't be understated, this was the director at one with himself, and the result is lyrical deftness. The cast are great, Jason Robards is wonderful in the title role, Stella Stevens as Hildy shows a fine actress at work. So much so it only makes me lament that she didn't have a great and industrious career post Cable Hogue. Peckinpah faves Strother Martin, L.Q. Jones & Slim Pickens reward their loyal director with impacting shows, while David Warner as the confused sexual predator preacher Joshua practically steals the film with his hedonistic leanings. Don't go into this film expecting a blood and thunder Western and you will be pleasantly surprised at its thematic heartbeat. Different sort of Peckinpah, but it's also essential Peckinpah. 9/10
