Big Jake: Difference between revisions

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A 1971 [[The Western|Western]] movie starring [[John Wayne]], Richard Boone, and Maureen O'Hara. In 1909, a gang of brutal ruffians led by John Fain (Boone) violently kidnaps the grandson of Martha McCandles (O'Hara), who runs a large and lucrative cattle ranching operation. When the thugs demand a ransom, Mrs. McCandles decides it is time to call in her long-lost husband, Jacob McCandles (Wayne)- a [[Badass Grandpa|rough and unpleasant man]], to do a rough and unpleasant job.

Set in [[The Edwardian Era|1909]], rather than the 19th century, like most Westerns, ''Big Jake'' deals tangentially with the closing of the American West and the ''end'' of the age of cowboy heroes like those played by John Wayne throughout his career. Automobiles, motorcycles, oil wells, and semi-automatic pistols all make appearances, and Jacob McCandles (as well as his Indian companion, Sam) are both old and grey, worn out by years of hard living.

 

* [[Affably Evil]]: A rare example that manages to combine this with [[Complete Monster]]. Richard Boone's character is happy to have a nice, polite, friendly conversation with you... right before pulling out a gun and murdering your [[Children Are Innocent|children]] in cold blood without even flinching.

* [[Ape Shall Never Kill Ape]]: When Sam asks Jake what they were hunting, Jake says "men". Sam then explains that he refuses to kill ''Apache'' (he has no problem killing other kinds of men if need be). Upon hearing the situation Sam is willing to jump aboard. He does not ask if any of the kidnappers are Apache; perhaps he thinks any who might be have [[Moral Event Horizon|disqualified]] [[No True Scotsman|themselves.]]