The Shooting is a 1966 movie directed by Monte Hellman.
The Shooting tells the story of Willett Gashade, an ex-bounty hunter turned miner who is summoned by a mysterious woman to guide her across the desert. Along the way, they are joined by a gunslinger and the journey turns into a tracking expedition.
There is a simplicity to The Shooting that ultimately creates a unique aura of intrigue. Similar to Two Lane Blacktop, Hellman maximizes his low budget restraints to focus on the existential conditions surrounding his characters.
The result is a swirl of mystery that allows the viewers to offer their own context.
This can be both enlightening and madly frustrating.
Warren Oates plays Gashade, a miner who returns home to discover his brother has been shot dead, while the other has fled camp. He is accompanied by the young and simple Coley. Oates presents as a hardened, worn leader. He tells Coley “From now on, you’ll be dependent on me.”
Oates plays Gashade with his usual blend of enigmatic cache. He is expressive displaying both earnestness and cruelty. There are moments when you can deeply empathize with him and others where you suspect his past is filled with regretful actions.
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