Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay Clint Eastwood has undeniably left an indelible mark on modern American cinema, both as an actor and director. From his work on Westerns like High Plains Drifter and Unforgiven to his Oscar-winning dramas Million Dollar Baby and Letters from Iwo Jima. But what about lesser-known, underrated flicks? One of Eastwood’s hidden gems, which he both directed and starred in, is his 1980 Western dramedy Bronco Billy.
Why is this movie worth your time? Keep reading to find out. 😊 What’s It About [NOTE: This section contains minor spoilers for “Bronco Billy.” If you’d rather see the film for yourself, skip to the next section.] The story of Bronco Billy follows a rundown traveling circus with “the fastest gun in the West,” Billy McCoy (Clint Eastwood), as its grand finale. The show is hemorrhaging money (causing its stars to essentially be working for free), and Billy’s female assistant quits after being nicked in the leg by his throwing knife during the finale. Upon arriving in a new town, Billy encounters soon-to-be newlyweds Antoinette Lily (Sondra Locke) and John Arlington (Geoffrey Lewis) while trying to get a permit for his circus. Soon, Billy and Antoinette’s fates become intertwined as she evades marrying Arlington (whom she despises) by joining the circus as Billy’s new assistant. Despite her inclination to improvise, she helps the show attract more viewers and start becoming successful. However, the show continues facing obstacles in the form of some of the performers being arrested or their tent burning down and thus leaving the show in ruins. In a desperate attempt to keep it all afloat, Billy proposes some wacky schemes to try and salvage the show and ends up enduring humiliation for the sake of the show. Furthermore, while Billy confronts his inner demons via alcoholism, Antoinette (whom Billy affectionately refers to as “Miss Lily”) reflects on whether or not she should return to her luxurious lifestyle or stick with the new family she has found with Billy’s traveling circus. Why It’s Worth Watching Honestly, I have little to say about Bronco Billy but not because it isn’t good. Quite the opposite; its strengths, while singular in nature, are potent enough to warrant your time watching it. In general, this film is Clint Eastwood effectively parodying both the Western genre as a whole and his career as a Western movie star specifically. By playing this specific protagonist, Eastwood (both in his performance and direction) pulls off self-parody that not only effectively lampoons his image in Hollywood but also never steps into the pitfalls identifiable of an artist trying to say something through such self-parody. Instead, he’s simply having fun bringing this character that he’s played to a comedy that actually has layers (unlike the enigmatic gunslingers that Eastwood played in films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, High Plains Drifter, or Pale Rider). His ability to self-assuredly make fun of himself sufficiently adds to the overall lighthearted tone of the movie’s screenplay and atmosphere. Simply put, it’s not trying to be anything more than a fun, breezy comedy about a bunch of ne’er-do-wells and miscreants barely getting by in life. In this sense, watching their misadventures go awry is entertainment enough because the film isn’t asking you to accept it for anything more than a good, old-fashioned, fun time. While some cinephiles may prefer the darker Westerns of Eastwood’s career (Unforgiven comes to mind), I personally enjoy that he was able to pull off this kind of story in that genre that, for so long, relied on for the sake of higher drama. Sometimes that works, but (in my humble opinion) Eastwood’s career is overstuffed with such takes on Westerns. To that extent, Bronco Billy stands out from the crowd by living up to its potential as a fun romp. To be fair, this probably would not have worked if not for how much the premise of the film’s story balances silliness with grounded realism. By telling a story of down-on-their-luck traveling circus performers trying (and failing) to pull off cowboy schemes in the 1970s that has genuine moments of human emotion, Eastwood injects several funny moments, character interactions, and antics without ever undermining the more dramatic moments. To the contrary, Bronco Billy balances the silly with the sardonic to a thoroughly enjoyable effect. And there you have it. If I haven’t convinced you to check out Bronco Billy than I’m not sure that it’s the movie for you. But if anything I’ve described above in terms of a surprisingly enjoyable comedy that invokes Western imagery and themes for the sake of parody, than I am confident that it’s a movie more than worth your time. Have I convinced you to check out Clint Eastwood’s Bronco Billy? What’s a movie that you feel is underappreciated? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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