Movies - The Ballad of Cable Hogue

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	Movies - The Ballad of Cable Hogue

The Ballad of Cable Hogue is a 1970 motion picture directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner. Set in the desert of Arizona during the transitional period when the frontier was closing, the movie follows three years in the life of Cable Hogue, a failed prospector who is left stranded in the desert without water by his two traitorous partners. When he suddenly stumbles upon the only spring within twenty miles of civilization he stakes claim to it and builds a thriving business. A circle of misfits begins to form around him including a womainizing wandering minister and a disenchanted prostitute. All the while, Hogue continues to bitterly plot his vengeance on the two men who left him to die whom he is convinced will eventually pass through his little oasis. While unmistakably a western The Ballad of Cable Hogue is quite unconventional for the genre and for the director. It contains only a few brief scenes of violence and gunplay, relying more on a subtly crafted story that could better be characterized as comedic in nature.

Plot summary

The film opens with Cable Hogue (Robards) out in the desert awaiting his two partners, Taggart and Bowen who are scouting the vicinity for water. While the two are alone they plot to seize the remaining water for themselves and Hogue, who hesitates from acting on his instinct to defend himself, is disarmed and left to almost certain death. Peckinpah, known for virtuosic title sequences, uses his trademark multi-panel technique depict Hogue as he wanders through sandstorms and the blazing desert. Hogue bargains with God and when, four days later, it seems he is about to perish, he stumbles upon a muddy pit, which he digs down into to find an abundant supply of water.

After finding out that his well is the only source of water between two major towns on a stagecoach route he decides to take up residence there and build a business. His first “customer” is a nameless drifting gunman who refuses to pay the ten cent fee and draws on Hogue who shoots him dead. Hogue’s first paying customer is Rev. Joshua Douglas Stone (Warner), a wandering minister of a church of his own invention. Joshua doubts the legitimacy of Hogue’s claim to the spring prompting Hogue to race into the nearest town to file for the land at the claim office.

Hogue faces the mockery of everyone he tells about his discovery but that does not deter him from buying the meager two acres surrounding his spring. He immediately goes to the stage office to drum up business and $35 in seed money for himself but is literally thrown out by the incredulous owner. He wanders over to the bank where he pitches his business plan to the bank president. He is as dubious about the claim as everyone else but the now impassioned Hogue impresses him with his bombastic attitude and decides to stake Hogue an even $100 to get started.

Hogue, who still hasn’t even bathed since his wanderings in the desert decides to treat himself to a night of pampering and sex with Hildy (Stevens), a prostitute in the town saloon. They quickly develop a jovial understanding of each other but before they consummate the transaction Hogue remembers that he has still not set up his boundary markers and rushes out, much to Hildy’s chagrin. Whether she is mad because Hogue decides not to have sex with her or because he refuses to pay her (“For what?” he asks) is not entirely clear. She chases him out of the saloon in a sequence that wreaks havoc on the entire town.

Back at the spring Hogue and Joshua get to work, dubbing the claim Cable Springs. The two decide to go into town for the night and are well drunk by the time they arrive. Hogue makes up with Hildy and spends the night with her leaving Joshua to pursue his passion: the seduction of emotionally vulnerable women. Noticing a comely young woman clearly in state of bereavement after receiving a telegram he follows her back to her house and introduces himself as a man of God who is there to ease her pain. He finds out that “John” died two days ago. She is taken in by his charisma and before long he has her nearly disrobed with his hands caressing her bare breasts. Suddenly there is a knock at the door and Joshua, who assumed that “John” was the woman’s husband is stunned to find out that he is her husband’s brother. The husband comes storming in and Joshua uses his charmingly pious demeanor to narrowly escape being killed.

Back at Cable Springs, Hogue and Joshua continue to run the robust business, delighting in shocking the often genteel and modern passers-through with the realities of old west living. In moments of solitude Hogue and Joshua philosophize on the nature of love and the passing of their era. One day Joshua decides that he must return to town and make love with the married woman he met earlier regardless of the risks. While he is gone Hildy arrives at Cable Springs having been “asked” to leave by the modernizing townfolk who can no longer abide open prostitution in their midst. She tells Hogue that she will leave for San Francisco in the morning but winds up staying with him for three weeks. This time is shown elapsing in one of the most tender romantic montages ever filmed.

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