HotToastyRag The Outrage is the American version of Rashoman, the famous Japanese story told from multiple points of view. In this stylized tale, a crime has been committed. One man's version is related from start to finish, convincing the audience of what's so. Then, a second witness comes forward. His version is different, planting the seed of doubt into the viewer's head. And so it goes.Those of you who like to discuss philosophy after a movie's end have probably seen this film, or another version of it. I like this version because it was produced right after the end of the Hays Code. Violence and sex were allowed in movies during the 1960s, but since it was all new to filmmakers, they didn't go overboard. While the movie discusses rape and murder, it handles them tastefully. In The Outrage, get ready to see some intriguing performances from Laurence Harvey, Paul Newman, William Shatner, Claire Bloom, Edward G. Robinson, and Howard Da Silva. With a twist during every tale, you won't know who to trust! And you'll be talking about the ending long after the credits roll, trust me.

SnoopyStyle A disillusioned preacher (William Shatner) is abandoning Silver Gulch after a trial of a despicable crime. A scruffy prospector (Howard Da Silva) finds him waiting at train station. A con man (Edward G. Robinson) sleeping there join them at recounting the events leading to the trial. Mexican bandit Juan Carrasco (Paul Newman)'s encounter with husband Wakefield (Laurence Harvey) and wife Nina (Claire Bloom) had ended with the husband's death and the raping of the wife. The couple was leaving the post war south. An old Indian shaman (Paul Fix) performs a séance at the trial using the spirit of the dead man.It's a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa's iconic Rashômon in the old west. This is definitely not the traditional western which probably confused some people at the time. It just happens to take place in the old west. Paul Newman is almost unrecognizable as a Mexican bandit. He's pushed to the limit with such a vast range of an unlikely role. The acting is all first rate. This is an engaging film throughout. The slapstick humor and the mannerisms in the last act doesn't quite fit. Overall, it's a good attempt at a remake. Even Newman's brownface didn't put me off.

bkoganbing Having never seen Rashomon I'm at bit of a disadvantage in writing about The Outrage. Nevertheless it's an attempt at something a little more unusual than the average western. As even the beating of Rodney King caught on videotape was successfully challenged in a court of law, what does that say about eye witness testimony? The Outrage is the story of an incident on a western trail that left a traveler dead and his wife ravaged by a bandit on the run.Rashomon the film is only the grandfather of The Outrage. It was first adapted as a Broadway play with Rod Steiger and Noel Willman playing the roles that Paul Newman and Laurence Harvey have on screen. It ran for 159 performances in the 1959 season and Claire Bloom who was Mrs. Rod Steiger at the time was the only one to repeat her role. Rod Steiger would have been a far better choice to repeat for the screen and he certainly has the screen name recognition. Newman was better box office, but Steiger was far better at playing all kinds of ethnic types.Added to the screen are the characters of Edward G. Robinson and William Shatner playing a conman and a disillusioned minister whose conversations with prospector Howard DaSilva provide a kind of narrative framework for the proceedings. DaSilva provides one of four versions of the events. All we know for certain is that Claire Bloom got violated by Paul Newman and Laurence Harvey wound up dead. At Newman's trial, he and Bloom provide differing accounts of what happened. An old Indian medicine man played by Paul Fix came upon a dying Laurence Harvey and Fix repeats it for the court. And then DaSilva tells Shatner and Robinson yet another version of the same events.Bloom is a southern belle, not quite of the upper crust, she married well and she does her best to imitate the behavior of one of the upper crust, no doubt taking Scarlett O'Hara as her model. Laurence Harvey is Ashley Wilkes had he married a road show version of Scarlett instead of Melanie Hamilton. Repeating her performance from Broadway, I'd say Claire was the best one in this film.The conclusion was most unsatisfactory in my humble opinion, the focus could have and should have stayed on the three protagonists not on the witnesses. Still The Outrage is definitely a most adult western.

edwagreen The minute I saw this film, I immediately thought of 1951's "Rashomon." I didn't care for that film and this interpretation was really the pits, despite a totally unrecognizable Paul Newman giving a superb performance as a Mexican bandit.Everyone has a different interpretation why the Laurence Harvey character died in this film. Truth is that it's usually every type of circumstance depicted with the exception of the truthful one. This one is practically no exception either.Edward G. Robinson is perfect as the con man offering his two cents into the situation.Anyone think of what the baby was supposed to represent in this film? I had no idea either.The film was boring and could have been told in about 20 minutes to half an hour-tops.