John Wayne is usually associated with the Old West, but 1970’s Chisum offers a little something extra by blending traditional Western elements with war movie intensity. So, while most people remember him as the ultimate cowboy in films like The Searchers and Rio Bravo, Wayne’s role as stubborn rancher/titular character John Chisum offers something deeper. This is even more evident when you dig into the film’s themes of land disputes and the price of violence. As the story has it, Chisum takes on a battle for control of the New Mexico territory, specifically trying to protect his land from the villainous Lawrence Murphy, played by Forrest Tucker.
It all started out as a dispute over cattle, but a few scenes in and viewers are thrown into a full-fledged war between Chisum and Murphy’s forces, complete with gunfights and betrayals that echo the larger conflicts of the 19th century. In one of the film’s standout moments, Pat Garrett (Glenn Corbett), one of the few men Chisum can count on, steps up when the town needs a steady hand. It’s a clear depiction of the personal sacrifices that war demands. All in all, there’s a lot of bloodshed and tough choices that make Chisum feel more like a war drama than your average Western.
‘Chisum’ Looks Like a Cowboy Movie but Says a Lot More
In more ways than one, Chisum is packaged like yet another John Wayne cowboy shoot-’em-up, however, the film is playing a longer game. Beneath the cattle drives and high-noon standoffs, there’s a not-so-subtle political message wedged in there. Wayne, who was a vocal conservative and staunch anti-communist, uses Chisum to deliver a story about land, loyalty, and government overreach. The best part is that it’s all wrapped in the easy-to-digest packaging of a frontier yarn. Take Forrest Tucker’s Murphy, who slowly tries to take over Lincoln County. He’s not just your run-of-the-mill greedy businessman or villain, he stands for every corrupt power that’s been dressed up in legitimacy. The man bribes sheriffs, buys politicians, and manipulates the law for his own benefit.
One of the film’s most quietly devastating moments is when Amos Patton (John Agar) the friendly shopkeeper, packs up his family and closes his store. He tells Chisum “… Lincoln just ain’t the same no more.” In a nutshell, he’s been squeezed out, and he’s not sticking around to watch Murphy put his mark on everything. That moment is somewhat of a comment on how unchecked power drives out good, decent folks. However, Chisum is a whole other kind of “decent folk.” He refuses to sell, bend, or bow, even when the odds are clearly stacked against him. The message Wayne is trying to perpetuate here is that real men defend what’s right, even when the system fails them. When Chisum tells Garrett, “law and order are fine, but not when they’re used to break men,” he’s sort of summing up the whole film.
How ‘Chisum’ Gives Outlaw Legends a Patriotic Makeover
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Billy the Kid doesn’t exactly stride into Chisum with guns blazing and tempers flaring, he sneaks in during a horse theft gone sideways. That’s where the film starts bending his legacy into something more noble. There’s a scene where Chisum rides out to track down his stolen horses, even though he’s clearly outnumbered, he doesn’t ask for help. But William Bonney AKA Billy (Geoffrey Deuel) shows up anyway, slyly lending a hand and impressing Chisum in the process. It’s the kind of moment that quietly signals a vital shift from reckless outlaw to helpful rogue. Naturally, Chisum doesn’t gush with thanks — that’s not his style — but a flicker of earned respect and an invitation to a party that sets the tone for the rest of their interactions.
Later, while riding together on horseback, Garrett tells Billy he can “smell death” on him. Needless to say, it’s a haunting line that cuts through the dust and bravado. Billy asks if it ever goes away, and Garrett says it does, eventually. This is far from a dramatic showdown or a flashy reveal, just two men grappling with the violence trailing behind them. It’s worth noting that these aren’t random throwaway lines, they’re character choices designed to make Billy seem like a thinking man or, at the very least, someone who can be shaped to fit Chisum’s moral universe. Garrett is equally softened here, and instead of being Billy’s future executioner, he’s written as a fair-minded figure who agrees to run for the town’s sheriff only after the old one is gunned down in cold blood. Together, these reimagined legends play second fiddle to Chisum, never outshining him, but underlining the kind of old-school justice he represents.
Want to watch The Duke go to war? Chisum is now streaming on Prime Video.
