BEFORE: I could have easily followed up "Rob Roy" with a couple of "Robin Hood" films - but that's almost too easy, and then I wouldn't get to send Birthday SHOUT-out #45 to Gene Wilder (last seen in "Another You"), born June 11, 1933.
Almost forgot the linking - Liam Neeson was in "Star Wars: Episode I" with Anthony Daniels, who of course was in "Star Wars" Episodes 4-6 with Harrison Ford.
THE PLOT: A Polish rabbi wanders through the Old West on his way to lead a synagogue in San Francisco.
AFTER: At first glance this seems like a simple film, something of a quest film, mixed with a typical "fish out of water" story. But there's a little more to it, since it's an honest, non-cynical look at a religious character who sticks to his beliefs, no matter what. Plus it works as a portrait of America, a true melting pot from the Amish to the Indians, the honest pioneers to the thieves and con artists.
It also works as a buddy film, since Wilder's rabbi forms a bond with a train robber, played by Harrison Ford (last seen in "Presumed Innocent"). The two are like a frontier Odd Couple, the aggressive take-what-you-need thief paired with the more passive religious man, who believes that the Lord will (somehow) provide.
This was filmed after the first "Star Wars" film, and if it seems like Harrison Ford is an odd fit, it's worth noting that before he was a movie star, he appeared in a few TV westerns like "Gunsmoke" and "The Virginian".
What rings true about the rabbi character is that every experience he has, good or bad, on the journey becomes a little bit of a teaching moment, or perhaps a learning moment, since he's also a student learning the culture of America. It's only when he reaches San Francisco that he has a crisis of faith, and for a short time it looks like the experience has changed him for the worse. I appreciate classic Hollywood six-act structure when I see it - the 5th turning point should come at a time when things look completely hopeless.
But ultimately it's a film about following through and completing one's personal journey, something I need to be reminded about occasionally. Funny coincidence, both this film and "Rob Roy" start with a swindle and end with a duel (sure, one's with swords and one's with guns, but same principle).
While it's no "Blazing Saddles", the presence of Gene Wilder and the Jewish themes do give it an air of a Mel Brooks-style comedy, but without the cheap laughs.
With cameos from Clyde Kusatsu (last seen in "Rising Sun") and Vincent Schiavelli (also last seen in "Another You").
RATING: 6 out of 10 raccoons
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