The Outlaw Josey Wales is viewed by many as one of Eastwood’s best films, and I can understand why in some regard. This is a story of revenge and Eastwood is an actor who is more than capable of getting that point across without uttering a word – and the words he does utter often sound quite cool in their gruff, yet calm delivery. The film takes place during the Civil War and begins with pro-Union paramilitaries (aka Jayhawkers/Red Legs) attacking Wales’ farm and killing his wife and son, while leaving Wales for dead. Wales was a simple farmer who didn’t take part in the war, but this action drives him into it as he joins up with a group of Confederate Bushwackers who are looking to head north and hunt down those who have been terrorizing the locals.
If you’re not familiar with the film (which I actually wasn’t prior to this watch) you may stop yourself right there and go, “Wait, is this movie pro-Confederate?” and the answer is no, not exactly. The novel it’s based off of was written by Asa Earl “Forrest” Carter, who was a segregationist and Ku Klux Klan organizer, and while I’m not familiar with the book I’d wager that’s a lot more blunt in the sides it takes. The Outlaw Josey Wales somewhat walks the line in the way that Wales never joins the army, so he’s not officially a Confederate soldier at any point, and his vengeance is against a group known during that time as Red Legs, who were basically guerrilla warfare types who didn’t abide by the rules of law and clashed with pro-slavery groups.
Okay, again, that doesn’t sound great either, but I believe the adaptation here at least aims to give the perspective of a regular person who is swept up in the waves of war through revenge and not politics. One area where they don’t really walk the wire is how corrupt the Union characters in the film are portrayed, but in terms of how large scale the war was – and the fact that this isn’t a serious and factual war picture to begin with – it’s not hard to believe that there may have been some units where the Union soldiers weren’t on the up and up. Sure, they’re depicted as complete Bond villains here, but the more you try to ignore the politics of the movie and simply focus on Wales and his quest for revenge – or at least quest to go back to living an ordinary life, the better.
Yes, Wales’ revenge is actually taken care of entirely in the minutes after his family is massacred thanks to a montage. It basically shows this group of Bushwackers charging north, taking out Red Legs and Union sympathizers, until finally the war is over and the group’s leader, Fletcher (John Vernon), tells his men that the Union has won and the senator is offering amnesty if they surrender and pledge allegiance to the Union. All but Wales agrees and they head down to the Union camp to surrender. Wales watches on as the Union betrays and guns down his comrades in cold blood. Wales tries to stop it, taking out half the camp while doing so, but is only able to escape with the youngest one of his group, Jamie (Sam Bottoms), before they’re overrun.
The senator tells Fletcher, who didn’t know what was going to happen, that he now has to hunt down Josey Wales and kill him. Fletcher hesitantly agrees and rides out with the evil Captain Terrill (who is actually the one led the group at the start of the film who killed Wales’ family) in order to do so. Like I said, they’re Bond villains without any real depth. Wales, now on the run from this group, looks to head to Texas, all while the bounty on his head grows and the legend of his name travels across the country quicker than he can move.
When you take politics and sides out of the equation and just look at this as a man looking for revenge against a group who killed his family and friends then The Outlaw Josey Wales is a bit easier to take in. There have been a number of films that have looked at the Civil War from the Southern perspective in a serious manner, but this isn’t one of them. This is a western revenge flick that throws any real sense of realism out the window, and while I get that the source material may turn off some right from the start, I found it easier to watch from the viewpoint of Wales being a guy thrown into a bad situation against corrupt people who are looking to take him out.
If you’re a fan of Eastwood and love all his filmography then picking up this movie to add to your collection is a no-brainer, as it has never looked better than it has in its 4K restoration. If you only dabble in things Eastwood or enjoy westerns and are looking for classic films made in the genre then it’s also worth checking this out and deciding for yourself how you look at it. I think that the adaptation picks up a lot more in the second half and has a stronger sense of story about family and finding peace after your life was torn apart; however, getting to that point does take some time, and again, given the source material, some may not want to give it the time required to get there.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
Much like I talked about in my review of Pale Rider, which was released alongside this 4K release, The Outlaw Josey Wales is a gorgeous 2160p/HDR10 transfer that has never looked better in home theatre release. The Bruce Surtees once again serves as cinematographer and Eastwood’s signature filmmaking style and feel that he and Surtees perfected over the years is on clear display here, with lighting and shadows elevating the world in which the film takes place.
On the audio side of things we once again have a superb Dolby Atmos mix that surrounds the viewer from all angles and places them in the midst of the action from start to finish. The score hammers out alongside bullets flying, voices come from all angles in busier scenes helping flesh out the room, while the character dialogue is clean and clear, front and center. Overall this is another winner of a 4K restoration from Warner Bros. that fans will love.
Special Features:
An Outlaw and An Antihero – Here we’ve got a small featurette that comes in at just over 7-minutes and focuses on the character of Josey Wales and his characterization as an anti-hero. There are plenty of experts who talk about the film here, and while some don’t agree with the exact messages of the film like I mentioned in my review, the character of Wales is a standout one.
The Cinematography of an Outlaw: Crafting Josey Wales – This featurette comes in at just under 8-minutes in length and focuses on Surtees and Eastwood’s relationship and Surtees’ work on lighting and building their signature style.
Reinventing Westerns – This almost 18-minute feature is also found on the Pale Rider 4K release and sees colleagues and fellow members of Hollywood talk about Eastwood’s work in the industry.
Legacy Features:
Audio Commentary – This track features film critic Richard Schickel.
Clint Eastwood’s West – We’ve also got an almost 30-minute feature about Eastwood and his work in the western genre.
Eastwood in Action – This 8-minute feature focuses on Eastwood’s characters and their way of dealing with business.
Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales – Lastly we’ve got an almost 30-minute making-of feature for the film that fans will enjoy if they’ve yet to see it.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents The Outlaw Josey Wales. Directed by: Clint Eastwood. Written by: Philip Kaufman, Sonia Chernus. Starring: Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, John Vernon, Paula Trueman, Sam Bottoms, Geraldine Keams. Running time: 136 Minutes. Rating: PG. Released on 4K Blu-ray: April 29, 2025.
