The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean

Beanisms!

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean is directed by John Huston and written by John Milius. It stars Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Perkins, Ned Beatty, Roddy McDowall, Tab Hunter, Victoria Principal and Ava Gardner. Music is by Maurice Jarre and cinematography by Richard Moore.

In Vinegaroon, Texas, former outlaw Roy Bean becomes the self appointed judge for the region and dispenses his brand of justice as he sees fit.

There were a handful of Quirky Revisionist Westerns that surfaced in the 1970s, usually directed by a big name and starring another, one such film is this effort, and much like the others of its ilk it is met with understandable division. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean can not be recommended in confidence since it is far too rambling and episodic for its own good, something which writer Milius was at pains to say himself. Going so far to say that it’s not the film he wrote and that Huston just did his own thing and steered the pic in another direction – for better or worse depending on your own filmic proclivities.

The intention on the page was to have a man clearly with delusions of grandeur, a self appointed judge, jury and executioner, and as an egostical berk into the bargain as well, this side of things comes through. Yet the pic never settles down into a coherent rhythm, as a number of characters played by guest stars wander into each episode, the pic stalls and resorts to bawdy frothery or pretentious surrealism to hopefully hook you into staying with the piece. Unfortunately come the hour mark this becomes tedious and it’s a slog to get through.

Some folk do love it, and maybe it’s one to revisit on occasion to catch any nuances missed previously, maybe even grasp the point Huston was trying to make? But for me it’s a mess, an overblown mess that not even the great Paul Newman could save. 5/10