In all the Westerns i've seen in 55 years or so,this is one of the greatest climaxes that i have experienced.
...because with the combination of Herrmann's music(one of the gr.scores ever for a Western !)and the Cinematography,we have a poignant,moving and heroic conclusion ever literally going off in the Sunset !
mby
ps Add,also,Coop's dialogue at the end when he finally addresses Hayward : someone(kismet)sees that it gets done(paraphrase)...
In Sum : the beauty lies in the combination of Visual & Dialogue confluence which results in the Stunning ending effect >>>
shareI'm with you 100%. The redemption and sacrifice of Richard Widmark's character was a dramatic and inspiring thing to see unfold, especially because it was something that was being set in motion from the very beginning of the story (he was initially made out to be the one who seemed to have the least motivation for going on the journey, and also the one with the least to offer anybody).
The contrast and commonality between his and Cooper's character at the end was great, and of course, Cooper's final line about people and society was so true and relevant. Everything Cooper had witnessed in the 'garden of evil' --- including the heroics of Widmark's character --- made him a better man for all the wear. And his riding off along the sunset with Susan Hayward was quiet and muted, but satisfying all at once.
For me, the best part of the movie was the end when Widmark lies dying & watching the sunset he says "there it goes. Every day it goes. And somebody always goes with it...today it's me." There was something so sad & poignant about that scene - I guess it's the fact that he not only knew he was at death's door, but the fact that he seemed to accept it so readily. I also liked Coop's line "If the earth was made of gold, I guess men would die for a handful of dirt." The backdrops were spectacular! The ending made the movie for me - to be honest, I found the rest of the movie to be rather mediocre and I just didn't get the appeal of Susan Hayward.
"Are you going to your grave with unlived lives in your veins?" ~ The Good Girl