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Sadly Over-hyped

Memorable, crazy movie

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Life of a Cowboy (1906) ** (out of 4) This Western from Edwin S. Porter isn't a complete success but it is rather interesting and worth viewing if you're a fan of silent cinema. The DVD features a brief "warning" about the movie not making sense and they actually give a full synapses as to what is suppose to be going on. In the 17-minute running time we see a wide range of events taking place in a Western town. We see cowboys doing various tricks with ropes and their horses and we even see a fight break out. There's a stagecoach robbery as well as an action packed ending where a woman is kidnapped. None of these events really blend well together as it seems images and stories just pop up out of no where and there doesn't seem to have been any attempt to make a good flowing story. The DVD also mentions that the theater showing this picture would have added narration trying to explain what was going on. Many consider THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY to be the first Western ever made but many historians look at it as a crime picture and they consider this to be the first Western. There are certainly many familiar scenes that would become the norm for a Western but in the end nothing really adds up to make this a good movie. For silent buffs it's a must-see but don't expect too much.