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Buck and the Preacher

Buck and the Preacher

Action · Comedy · Western · 1972

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

Movie details

Buck and the Preacher

“The fight was against the raiders... but the feud was between themselves!”

1972 Action · Comedy · Western 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Buck and the Preacher?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Way West

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Maverick

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Barbarosa

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Karl Westover, an inexperienced farm boy, runs away after unintentionally killing a neighbor, whose family pursues him for vengeance. He meets Barbarosa, a gunman of near-mythical proportions, who is himself in danger from his father-in-law Don Braulio, a wealthy Mexican rancher. Don Braulio wants Barbarosa dead for marrying his daughter against the father's will. Barbarosa reluctantly takes the clumsy Karl on as a partner, as both of them look to survive the forces lining up against them.

American Outlaws

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When a Midwest town learns that a corrupt railroad baron has captured the deeds to their homesteads without their knowledge, a group of young ranchers join forces to take back what is rightfully theirs. They will become the object of the biggest manhunt in the history of the Old West and, as their fame grows, so will the legend of their leader, a young outlaw by the name of Jesse James.

The Frisco Kid

The Frisco Kid

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Rabbi Avram arrives in Philadelphia from Poland en route to San Francisco where he will be a congregation's new rabbi. An innocent and inexperienced traveller, he is tricked by con men to pay for the trip to go west, then they leave him and his belongings scattered along a deserted road. He is befriended by a stranger, Tommy, who is a bank robber and have many adventures during their journey.

Rust

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Infamous outlaw Harland Rust breaks his estranged grandson Lucas out of prison, after Lucas is convicted to hang for an accidental murder. The two must outrun legendary U.S Marshal Wood Helm and bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang who are hot on their tails. Deeply buried secrets rise from the ashes and an unexpected familial bond begins to form as the mismatched duo tries to survive the merciless American Frontier.

Silverado

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Four unwitting heroes cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff and a murderous posse. It's up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.

Rooster Cogburn

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Adventure · 1975

After a band of drunken thugs overruns a small Indian Nation town, killing Reverend Goodnight and raping the women folk, Eula Goodnight enlists the aid of US Marshal Cogburn to hunt them down and bring her father's killers to justice.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Sidney Poitier

Written by

Ernest Kinoy · Drake Walker

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier

Buck

Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte

Preacher

Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee

Ruth

Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell

Deshay

Denny Miller

Denny Miller

Floyd

Nita Talbot

Nita Talbot

Madam Esther

J

John Kelly

Sheriff

Court is in session

Put Buck and the Preacher on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.