MovieChat Forums > Ride the High Country (1962) Discussion > The Hammond brothers, prospective evil?

The Hammond brothers, prospective evil?

posted 9 years ago by drystyx
3 replies | jump to latest

The "Gray" area between the good guys and the bad guys, I believe is just a "surface gray".

I get this because McCrea goes into the speech that he lost a fight because he knew the other man was "right".

Certainly, Hector Long Tree comes very close to at least a date rape, and we wonder how different is this from what the Hammond brothers do?

I think it's something beneath the surface, like when Steve Judd says "you just know".

Which brings me to the Hammond Brothers. Six miners were killed on the trail before Steve Judd is commissioned to transport Gold. I think we're led to believe that the Hammonds are really responsible for at least some of those killings.

Are they really "mining" on their claim? I kind of doubt it. I think they're trying to steal other people's Gold, and just doing enough "mining" to look like they're getting Gold legal.

I think this is implied at least.

I'd be surprised if they weren't bushwhackers. Their lack of skill in doing this might explain why only six miners had been successfully killed, probably one or two at a time, and probably by Hammond brothers pretending to be friends and killing them in their sleep.

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

[–] MuleDeer 9 years ago

That's a good point about the Hammonds being the bushwhackers. I never really considered that before but it's a great theory. They would be perfect suspects, that's for sure. When Billy said Henry was their "banker" he did seem to be implying something. And regardless of what he says, they ain't got no family honor.

[–] Rinec 9 years ago

Billy Hammond did have some semblance of honour, otherwise he would have ambushed Judd's party in the mountains without giving then the chance to defend themselves, or kept them pinned down with rifles at the end until they were eventually picked off. Those aren't exactly the actions of the leader of a gang of bushwhackers, who'd be likely to ambush and kill without warning.

[–] drystyx 7 years ago

That's the first thing that came to my mind, but as predators are rarely what they seem, there is also a method to the madness.

They obviously weren't crack shots, as we saw, and the girl was a prize they didn't want tarnished too much, at least not till they had the chance to be the ones to tarnish her. They didn't want stray bullets hitting her, at least not till after they had her.

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!