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El Dorado

El Dorado

Western · Drama · 1966

Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Harrah. Together with a fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water.

Movie details

El Dorado

“It's the big one with the big two!”

1966 Western · Drama 2h 6m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Harrah. Together with a fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water.

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 El Dorado?

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.

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Rancho Notorious

Rancho Notorious

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A man in search of revenge infiltrates a ranch, hidden in an inhospitable region, where its owner, Altar Keane, gives shelter to outlaws fleeing from the law in exchange for a price.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Howard Hawks

Written by

Leigh Brackett

John Wayne

John Wayne

Cole Thornton

Robert Mitchum

Robert Mitchum

Sheriff J.P. Harrah

James Caan

James Caan

Mississippi

Charlene Holt

Charlene Holt

Maudie

Paul Fix

Paul Fix

Dr. Miller

Arthur Hunnicutt

Arthur Hunnicutt

Bull Harris

Michele Carey

Michele Carey

Josephine (Joey) MacDonald

Court is in session

Put El Dorado on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.