Don't read this if you haven't seen the movie!
Robert Ryan is always great. Burt Lancaster was too. For being such an athletic actor, Burt is not afraid to show some thickening around the middle here.
But I'm not going to mess around - what about that ending? And last chance - see the movie first before reading further.
I watched it alone on Amazon Prime. This is my substitute for a discussion.
Why'd he do it? Why'd he shoot the poor guy in the back? Was he jealous? He asked Duvall if there was good land still available around there. He talked to Ryan about retiring. Did he still think he could get the old sweety and settle down? But then realized it would never work? Was he so disgusted with all the killing, he just wanted to shoot the guy like the running rabbit he was? He seemed to have a high moral code right up until he took that shot. Something snapped in him? Did he not want Ms North to think upon him kindly? "I can't have her, but I don't want her to miss me. Remember me as a real SOB." Couldn't he have shot him in the leg? (Not realistically, but cinematically since pistols are not very accurate at long distances.) Or did they just want to give the audience something to talk about leaving the theatre? Unexpectedly thought provoking either way.
Why'd he do it? Why'd he shoot the poor guy in the back? Was he jealous? He asked Duvall if there was good land still available around there. He talked to Ryan about retiring. Did he still think he could get the old sweety and settle down? But then realized it would never work? Was he so disgusted with all the killing, he just wanted to shoot the guy like the running rabbit he was? He seemed to have a high moral code right up until he took that shot. Something snapped in him? Did he not want Ms North to think upon him kindly? "I can't have her, but I don't want her to miss me. Remember me as a real SOB." Couldn't he have shot him in the leg? (Not realistically, but cinematically since pistols are not very accurate at long distances.) Or did they just want to give the audience something to talk about leaving the theatre? Unexpectedly thought provoking either way.