Warren Oates is Willett Gashade, who returns to his small mine to find one partner dead, his brother on the run and his other partner (Will Hutchins as Coley) so spooked he’ll shoot at anything.
Seems the dead partner and Willett’s brother went into town to have a good time. The brother accidentally ran down someone with his horse and has taken off. The partner who didn’t run off had his face blown off while drinking coffee the next morning.
Next, a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) shows up, with a dead horse, insisting that Willett and Coley lead her into the desert to the town of Kingsley.
Soon, an equally mysterious gunman (Jack Nicholson as Billy Spear) joins the party.
But just who is Gashade helping the twosome track down?
Warren Oates as Willett, sensing something’s wrong at his mining camp in The Shooting (1966)
Millie Perkins as the woman looking for guides in The Shooting (1966).
Review:
Intriguing little Western that’s all the more impressive because of what was obviously a shoestring budget. Of course, having Nicholson (convincing as a cold-blooded killer) and Oates as part of the cast doesn’t hurt.
But Hellman also gets a solid performance from Hutchins in the role of the not-so-bright friend who’s taken with the pretty woman, would do just about anything for her, but pays a high price for his loyalty and kindness.
This film was shot back to back with “Ride the Whirlwind.” Hellman and Oates would team up for another slightly off-kilter, yet memorable Western in 1978 — “China 9, Liberty 37” — co-starring Fabio Testi and Jenny Agutter.
Will Hutchins as Coley, telling Willett how the trouble began in The Shooting (1966)
Jack Nicholson as Billy Spear, a man with an empty canteen in The Shooting (1966)
Directed by:
Monte Hellman
Cast:
Will Hutchins … Coley Boyard
Millie Perkins … Woman
Jack Nicholson … Billy Spear
Warren Oates … Willett Gashade
Charles Eastman … Bearded man
B.J. Merholz … Leland Drum
Guy El Tsosie … Indian
Runtime: 82 min.
Warren Oates as Willett, upset about leaving a friend behind in The Shooting (1966)
Millie Perkins as the woman, exhausted from a long trip through desolate country in The Shooting (1966)
Memorable lines:
Gashade, after the mystery woman complains about the drinking water: “Some types of snakes are known to breed in that water.”
Woman: “In this water?”
Gashade: “Yeah, and people been known to swallow one of their little eggs and it’ll hatch out inside and them and they won’t know it until it’s too late.”
Woman: “What do you mean, too late?”
Gashade: “Well, suppose it was a poison snake and it hatch out hungry as they do. What’s it going to eat, cept the nearest thing to it, and that’s you.”
Coley: “You’re goin’ along with her cause she’s pretty.”
Gashade: “Hell, pretty ain’t nothin’. It’ll pleasure you nothin’ but the eye. Why a coral snake is ringed prettier than a rainbow, but it’s got a real mean way of painin’, it’s a fact.”
Gashade, to the woman, about why she’s playing up to his partner: “He may go pantin’ after you like a little doggie, but he can’t lead you no where.”
Billy: “”Did I tell you to do something?”
Coley: “I don’t give a curly-hair, yellow-bear, double dog damn if you did”
Jack Nicholson as Billy Spear, ready to enforce his will at the point of a gun in The Shooting (1966)
Will Hutchins as Coley, spooked by a killing at the mining camp in The Shooting (1966)
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Arthouse types and critics hail this film as existential with deep meaning and call it the first “acid western”. Theories and opinions abound as to the depth of message and meaning involved. I think its exactly what it looks like- a slow story, poorly edited with a weak soundtrack and a lot of unanswered questions. Oates was strong, Hutchins ok, Perkins bland, but for some reason Nicholson gets praise heaped on him as “menacing” . Credit that to his reputation and later performances- just seemed like he was reading his lines and playing it lean and somber. At the end there was a sudden slow-mo scene and pause ending with a slight surprise but… who lives? Who dies? Who cares? The only character that warranted any sympathy whatsoever was dead by then. There was never enough character development for the viewer to really give a hoot about those still around. Reviewers heap praise on this-many referring to it as best western they’ve ever seen ! Considering it was filmed in 12 days with the involvement of Roger Corman my opinion is if you dont overthink it or try to find then ponder hidden meanings it is what it looks like-a low budget oater with plenty of holes-not bullet holes-story holes.