This films greatness mostly comes from Richard Harris' performance as "The Bull" McCabe. Every moment he spends on the screen (and he is in most of the scenes of this film) literally vibrates with power and energy.
Harris is most definitely the power behind this film, and the role of the Bull McCabe was made for him. The Bull is a powerful man driven by contradictory passions and haunted by dreams he refuses to admit to and isolation that he has imposed upon himself. He is a man who is feared and respected by the townsfolk, who openly mocks the church, who despises foreigners with what he considers righteous anger, and who hasn't spoken to his wife in 18 years. He has practically no real connection to his son who desperately craves his approval and attention but is also bitter towards his father for his neglect, and acts out by terrorizing the widow who owns the field that is his father's life. (Encouraged by "the Bird" who is little more than a petty thug and lackey of the Bull).
What makes Bull such a compelling character is that while he is a powderkeg waiting to explode, he has certain morals that he clings to as dearly as he does to the land. At a critical point in the story, when the widow publicly sets a minimum reserve price on her field at a price that the Bull can not afford without gutting his own resources, he steps up to her defense when one of the townsfolk hurls a clump of mud at her. It is made clear that this is not a token gesture, but an expression of his deeply held belief that nothing justifies violence toward a woman. This and many other paradoxes in Bull's nature form the basis of what we eventually come to understand is his descent into madness. As strong as the Bull is in body, his mind has slowly eroded over a period of years torn down by isolation and guilt, and when he finally does break, the result is disastrous beyond all imagining.
Richard Harris makes this film worth watching. Without him in it, the film would not be half as good as it is. While the supporting cast is very good, Richard Harris is the reason to see this film.
Harris is most definitely the power behind this film, and the role of the Bull McCabe was made for him. The Bull is a powerful man driven by contradictory passions and haunted by dreams he refuses to admit to and isolation that he has imposed upon himself. He is a man who is feared and respected by the townsfolk, who openly mocks the church, who despises foreigners with what he considers righteous anger, and who hasn't spoken to his wife in 18 years. He has practically no real connection to his son who desperately craves his approval and attention but is also bitter towards his father for his neglect, and acts out by terrorizing the widow who owns the field that is his father's life. (Encouraged by "the Bird" who is little more than a petty thug and lackey of the Bull).
What makes Bull such a compelling character is that while he is a powderkeg waiting to explode, he has certain morals that he clings to as dearly as he does to the land. At a critical point in the story, when the widow publicly sets a minimum reserve price on her field at a price that the Bull can not afford without gutting his own resources, he steps up to her defense when one of the townsfolk hurls a clump of mud at her. It is made clear that this is not a token gesture, but an expression of his deeply held belief that nothing justifies violence toward a woman. This and many other paradoxes in Bull's nature form the basis of what we eventually come to understand is his descent into madness. As strong as the Bull is in body, his mind has slowly eroded over a period of years torn down by isolation and guilt, and when he finally does break, the result is disastrous beyond all imagining.
Richard Harris makes this film worth watching. Without him in it, the film would not be half as good as it is. While the supporting cast is very good, Richard Harris is the reason to see this film.