'The Long Riders,' 1980

'The Long Riders,' 1980
(Handout)
It's no surprise to learn that Johnny Cash became obsessed with this folk Western. Director Walter Hill brings the Jesse James-Cole Younger saga back to roaring life in the manner of a thumping Ozarks ballad. Hill depicts the members of the James-Younger gang as good-ole-boy gangsters. They've learned a rough trade in the guerrilla troops of the Confederacy, and they continue to put their military skills to use against Union banks and trains. Hill captures their feeling of embattled fraternity. And his moviemaking is exhilarating: during a train robbery he takes you for a wild ride without wasting a motion. The film also boasts a brothers-playing-brothers casting gimmick that pays off big-time. The Carradines portray the Younger brothers and the Keaches the James boys, with Randy and Dennis Quaid as the Millers and Nicholas and Christopher Guest as the Fords. David Carradine (pictured in 2004) is the standout: he plays Cole Younger as a 19th century hippie. He exudes a casual charisma.