Guys Like Me Last Forever

 

Nicholas Ray is known for going against the Hollywood grain. Although he was steeped in the Hollywood environment, and something like an “independent director” didn’t exist as a reality or a phrase, Ray managed to create films that stood out. His 1955 film, The Lusty Men, stands out as a singular and beautiful reflection on the life of professional rodeo competitors.

Based loosely on an article by Claude Stanush in Life magazine that described the real life of modern-day rodeo, The Lusty Men is a blend of art and documentary, yet the film also transcended both the form and genre. It tells the story of a professional rodeo competitor, Jeff McCloud (Robert Mitchum), who at the beginning of the film is injured by riding a famously dangerous Brahma bull. After 18 years of professional rodeo, Jeff decides to quit, and return to the old family home.

After all the spectators have left, Jeff walks through the empty rodeo field. Random garbage and newspapers are flapping in the wind and moving across the silent field. Just like the theater, once the stage is empty, lifelessness ensues until it’s awakened again. Jeff hobbles because of his injury, and walks across the field that he’s seemingly leaving forever. Mitchum’s gait reveals a man injured (perhaps more in pride than physically), yet his mere presence brings intensity to this wounded rodeo warrior.

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