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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Gay Gaucho remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're into weird, old-school animation or have a soft spot for things that don't quite make sense, you might get a kick out of this. It’s barely a movie, really, more like a frantic doodle brought to life. If you’re looking for a coherent story or geography that makes sense, keep walking. You'll probably hate this if you get annoyed by historical soup—is it Argentina? Texas? Who knows. The movie certainly doesn't.
Cubby is just there, washing up in a desert. Why is there water in the desert? Don't ask. The whole thing has that slightly off vibe where the background changes depending on the mood, and frankly, I stopped caring about the map halfway through.
Then there's the dance. A tango, I guess? It’s cute, in a jittery, early animation kind of way. But then Pedro the Bandito shows up, and the pacing goes from 'leisurely stroll' to 'sprint for your life.' It’s the kind of escalation that feels like someone dropped their coffee on the animation desk and just kept going.
The runaway stagecoach bit is where things get truly silly. There's no driver! Why would anyone leave a stagecoach with no driver? It’s a total safety hazard. The way the stagecoach bounces toward that cliff, you’d think the gravity in this world was set to 'low' just to give the animators an excuse to draw some dramatic arcs.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Buttons, where everything just sort of happens because the script ran out of room. It’s not trying to change your life. It’s just trying to get the girl across the finish line before the reel ends.
Honestly, the whole thing is over before you can really get annoyed by how little sense it makes. It’s a breezy, dusty, and completely bizarre little watch. Just don't think about the logistics of the stagecoach. You’ll be much happier if you don't. 🌵