The Last Hunt

1956

1h 48m

Western

List

89%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) has a long history of hunting buffalo, but now that the herds have been so dramatically thinned out, he's come to regret it. Nevertheless, he partners up with Charles Gilson (Robert Taylor) for one last hunt that proves to be the worst of them all. Charles is a twisted, insensate killer of both buffalo and Indians -- and when he kidnaps and abuses a young Indian girl (Debra Paget), Sandy is pushed to the breaking point.

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

It does seem to take Mr. Granger an awfully long time to get around to freezing out Mr. Taylor. That's the way sermons sometimes go.

Rated: 2.5/5

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Time Out

Russell Harlan's admirably low-key cinematography complements writer/director Brooks' down-beat tone.

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

One of [Brooks'] better efforts.

Apr 8, 2008

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André Bazin

L'Obs (France)

If The Last Hunt is an excellent western, it is nevertheless, as I have attempted to show, an impure western, the result of the transition to the form of a scenario that, in essence, has nothing to do with the genre.

Dec 9, 2021

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Ripe for rediscovery.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 24, 2021

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Except for a questionable multiplicity of gruesome close-ups of slaughtered buffalo, this is one of the best westerns in years. Superb widescreen camerawork, believable characters and slowly mounting tension...

Oct 28, 2019

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Jeff S

An often-brutal story that borders on the grotesque at times, for the sake of conveying a disturbing psychosis, is elevated by fabulous acting. The ending speaks volumes in more ways than one. No words are necessary, but the few spoken are apropos.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/28/24

Full Review

s r

Weak on the plot, but the documented killing of buffalo is horrific.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great, thoughtful western. Set in the 1880s, the story of a veteran buffalo hunter (played by Stewart Granger) who is tired of all the killing. Unfortunately he meets a man (played by Robert Taylor) who revels in killing. A clash is inevitable. Not your average western, especially for one made in the 1950s. Tackles topics like racism and the treatment of indigenous Americans, environmental issues (mass killing of buffalo), sadism and obsession. Quite dark for a western, especially towards the end when we see the effects of all the killing, waste and obsession on the characters' mental stability. On top of all this, has the usual good western stuff - gunfights, barroom brawls and a bit of romance. Great work from Stewart Granger and Robert Taylor in the lead roles.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Overlong, but a nice character drama about the waining days of buffalo hunting. The film takes place after all the great buffalo herds have been killed and a pair of hunters head out after that last great herd, one a veteran buffalo hunter who is tired of killing and the other one who likes it too much. Although filmed in the 1950s, director Richard Brooks imbues the film with a sensibility more akin to revisionist westerns of the 1970s than it does to it's 1950s peers, addressing issues of racism, ecology and the environment.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

ok western that still is disturbing (2 me) 2 watch them slaughter all those buffalo jesus from 60 million to 3,000!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

one of the all time entertaining movies

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

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Richard Brooks

Director

Robert Taylor

Charlie Gilson

Stewart Granger

Sandy McKenzie

Lloyd Nolan

Woodfoot

Debra Paget

Indian Girl

Russ Tamblyn

Jimmy O'Brien

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Synopsis

Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) has a long history of hunting buffalo, but now that the herds have been so dramatically thinned out, he's come to regret it. Nevertheless, he partners up with Charles Gilson (Robert Taylor) for one last hunt that proves to be the worst of them all. Charles is a twisted, insensate killer of both buffalo and Indians -- and when he kidnaps and abuses a young Indian girl (Debra Paget), Sandy is pushed to the breaking point.

Director: Richard Brooks
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2012
Runtime: 1h 48m

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