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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Fighting Thru; or, California in 1878 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
You should watch this if you like old Westerns where the horses are smarter than the sheriffs. If you hate slow pacing and scratchy sound, you’ll probably want to turn it off after ten minutes.
It's a Ken Maynard movie, so you know what you're getting. Action, dirt, and a lot of riding.
Dan and Tennessee are just two guys digging for gold and actually succeeding. It’s nice to see a movie where the miners aren't starving for once.
Then Ace Brady shows up. He looks exactly like a guy who would steal your gold and kick your dog.
Ace sends a guy named Fox to rob them. Fox ends up shooting Tennessee, which is honestly pretty dark for a movie that feels this light otherwise.
Suddenly, Ace arrives to "arrest" Dan for the murder. The local law enforcement in these old flicks must have had a zero-percent accuracy rate.
Dan has to make a break for it. He’s a wanted man, which gives Ken Maynard plenty of excuses to jump over things.
The real star of this thing isn't Ken. It’s his horse, Tarzan.
There is a moment where the horse looks like he is genuinely listening to the instructions. He has better comedic timing than half the extras.
Watching Tarzan navigate the rocky terrain is more exciting than the actual gunfights. You can tell they really trusted that animal.
It reminded me a bit of the outdoor vibes in Sealed Valley, but with more dust. Everything in this movie looks like it needs a good scrub.
The sound is... well, it’s 1930. Everyone sounds like they are shouting into a metal bucket from across a gymnasium.
There are these long pauses where nobody says anything. It’s not for dramatic effect; it just feels like the actors forgot their lines or the editor went to lunch.
If you're looking for something deep like What Every Woman Learns, you are in the wrong place. This is strictly "bad guy vs. good guy" stuff.
The pacing is high-speed at the start and then it just... wanders. It’s like a road trip where you get lost but decide the scenery is okay so you don't mind. 🐎
It’s a bit like Dangerous Curve Ahead if you swapped the cars for stallions and the drama for dirt.
Is it a masterpiece? No way. But it’s got a weirdly honest energy to it.
It’s the kind of movie you put on when it’s raining and you want to feel like you’re outside without actually getting wet. Just don't expect the plot to make total sense. 🤠
IMDb —
1921
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