One of Clint Eastwood’s best Westerns was savaged by critics upon release | Films | Entertainment

Tarantino wrote in Sight and Sound: “I hope this movie experiences a legacy close to another underrated film of its day, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). When Clint Eastwood’s film came out it was savaged by the newspaper critics (The Rip hasn’t been savaged, just underrated), and audiences definitely enjoyed it but nobody called it one of his best. Then a few years later Orson Welles, appearing on The Merv Griffin Show (1962-86), said he felt The Outlaw Josey Wales was one of the most impressive movies to come out in the last few years. Nowadays, most Eastwood fans and western aficionados consider The Outlaw Josey Wales one of Eastwood’s best and one of the best westerns of 70s (I certainly do). I predict and hope that something similar will be The Rip’s destiny.”

The Outlaw Josey Wales is a revisionist Western directed by and starring Eastwood. He plays a Missouri farmer whose family was murdered by Union militia during the American Civil War. After fighting for the Confederacy, his character Josey Wales becomes an outlaw pursued by bounty hunters and Union soldiers.