Search - The Journeyman on DVD

People remember evil longer

Steven Hellerstedt | 09/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"An old man is shot by a band of outlaws in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. One of his grandsons is kidnapped and brutalized by his grandfather's murderers, the other hides and is later taken in by a passing priest. Roll title credits and roll forward "Thirteen Years Later...."

The kidnapped son becomes an outlaw himself, a spaghetti outlaw whose character is known as the Morphinist (Brad Hunt.) The younger brother, presumably raised by Catholic priests, is listed in the credits as the Journeyman (Daniel Lapaine.)

THE JOURNEYMAN is one of those low budget productions that surprises you with its good acting and smart look. This is to date director's James Crowley's only feature film. He's a professional "location manager"- in other words, he scouts out cool looking locations for films. THE JOURNEYMAN's dry and desolate setting, southern Texas along the Rio Grande River, look just right for this violent movie.

Its premise is intriguing, as well. After his leg is shattered when his horse is shot and falls on it(this is the same incident that causes the outlaw gang to desert him and further reinforces the revenge motive) the Morphinist's leg is amputated and he's given morphine to quench the pain. In short order he is an addict and a brutal, remorseless killer. He becomes especially jittery when too long from the needle.

Hunt is good as the wraithlike young killer. On the commentary track Crowley tells us that he lost fourteen pounds while filming the movie, and indeed by the end of the movie Hunt looks gaunt and played out. It's interesting to get an extended back-story on the Man With No Name. The genesis of evil is too often ignored, and although the Morphinist seemingly kills on a whim ("If he bothers you, shoot him" he tells one of his outlaw partners in an early scene) by the end of the movie he's a sympathetic character. Unfortunately the Journeyman, the younger brother who grows up in a seminary, isn't studied nearly as closely. In fact, I had a hard time figuring out who the young man joining Ledbetter's posse was until I watched the commentary track. There were other scenes that needed to be fleshed out, I believe, to give the audience a better handle on both son's back stories.

If you're a fan of westerns don't be put off by the low-budget origins or the relatively unknown cast - THE JOURNEYMAN is a very good western. My only complaint is in regards to the script, which I believe needed some doctoring, and the commentary track, which is hard to hear because they never lower the volume on the sound track when director and producer are talking. Sometimes their voices are drowned out by the sound of the movie.

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Gritty And Well Made Western

Johnboy1 | Arlington, Texas United States | 01/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I disagree with Allan. I loved this film. True, it is confusing at times, but well worth seeing. Character actors Corbin and Gilliam are great, but this clearly is Brad Hunt's film, from the start. He's a remarkable talent and deserves recognition for it. Not for one second do you doubt that he's an empty shell of a man who's given up on searching for real meaning in his life. It's an incredible performance, and I only hope that he's destined for stardom, in the future. If you don't care for gritty, downbeat westerns, this one might not be your cup-of-tea (Unforgiven is a walk in the forest by comparison), but otherwise you need to see it for Brad Hunt's stunning performance."

Journeyman, Smokin' Western

Charlie Ledbetter | Oakland, CA United States | 03/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Journeyman is a western which is truly relevant to the hip hop generation. It is a tale of violence begetting violence generation upon generation. It is a tale of the erosion of a man's psyche because of drug addiction. It is a story of sin, but no redemption. It is a story of purposeless hatred and the love of two brothers undistilled by time and space.Aside from the intriguing story, the sets and locations are really wonderful. The set dressing and props are perfect, down to the most minor piece of horsetack. After viewing this movie several times I noticed that the guns, fashions and machinery changed along with the century. I found this movie truly fascinating. It is a western on a par with The Searchers or The Unforgiven. This film is the most opulent and impressive low budget western ever made."

Not Your Ordinary Western

Photographer | Virginia | 05/09/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I became interested in seeing this film when I stumbled across the remote location where it was made in West Texas. Several of the buildings are still standing.



The plot is somewhat difficult to follow because of oddly placed flashbacks but the overall theme, two brothers, one upright and the other a murderer, is a common one in story telling.



Its a somewhat strange and violent movie, showing many innocent people killed and I would not recommend it for viewing by children."