Released in 1971, George Sherman’s Western Big Jake was the last time John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara shared the screen. However, unlike the classic Wayne Westerns of its time, and before, Big Jake carries a surprisingly personal story, despite being regarded as one of Wayne’s most violent. Somewhat of a slow burn, the film swaps big-action shootouts for character-driven storytelling that leads to one of the most violent climaxes in Wayne’s career.
Despite this, it remains a largely overlooked entry in the genre, partly because it divided fans. For those who enjoyed Wayne’s typical heroicness, it was too brutal. And for those who enjoyed constant shootouts and action, it was too slow. However, for those that appreciate something in between — emotional themes with enough action to keep the story engaging — Big Jake is a slept-on Western that is worth watching.
Big Jake Features One of the Greatest Western Duos Ever
Big Jake follows the wealthy McCandles family. During a raid on their ranch house, run by Martha McCandles (Maureen O’Hara) and her sons Michael (Christopher Mitchum), Jeff (Bobby Vinton), and James (Patrick Wayne), the notorious Fain Gang kidnaps Jeff’s young son, Little Jake, for a $1 million ransom. Willing to pay the ransom and desperate to get her grandson back, Martha reaches out to her estranged husband, Jacob McCandles (John Wayne), for help.
Presumed dead and wandering the West as a gunfighter, Big Jake and his dog rush to his family’s aid and embark on a journey across the wilderness to bring Little Jake home. With the ransom money in hand, he sets off on horseback with his mule, packhorses, and his elderly Apache friend Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot), tracking the gang to the town of Escondero. There, Big Jake uses his old-school skills to eliminate leader John Fain (Richard Boone), his men, and reclaim control of his long-forgotten family.
Big Jake Offers a Slow Burn with an Exciting Climax
For a film marketed as an action-driven Western, Big Jake is surprisingly intimate. Yes, there are a few gunfights, outlaws, and a classic rescue mission, but underneath all that, this is a story about a father who walked out on his family, and what happens when he’s suddenly forced back into their lives.
Big Jake hasn’t seen his wife or sons in years. Labeled by Martha as an “unpleasant kind of man”, Big Jake left his sons when they were just young boys and teenagers. So, naturally, when he steps back into their lives to save Little Jake, they’re hostile towards their father. And, after their own attempts to rescue Little Jake fail, they’re forced to reconcile and work alongside their father to bring him home. Aside from the contempt they feel towards their neglectful father, the sons also share different methods. Michael and James are younger men with modern tools and ideas, while Jake makes it known he has no use for any of that. He prefers horses, mules, old school vengeance tactics. These themes of old ways vs. new, and absent fathers vs. resentful sons are where the movie lives for most of its runtime.
Big Jake is undoubtedly a tough man. But, while he often comes off as indifferent, he shows genuine care and loyalty toward his family. Without hesitation, he agrees to go after his grandson, whom he’s never met and protects his sons every step of the way. It’s just his version of love isn’t warm or expressive but puts himself between danger and his family.
The film takes its time, and deliberately so. It’s a slow burn more interested in character than gunfights. However, that shouldn’t deter viewers, and it’s absolutely worth sticking it out until its climax. Once the family arrives in Escondero and the trap is sprung, Big Jake explodes into full-on Western violence, with gunfights, ambushes, and sacrifices. And, strangely, it’s the slow build that makes the ending pack a punch. That’s because, by the time the first major shootout happens, the audience is already invested in the characters and their relationships.
Big Jake is John Wayne at his Most Violent
Despite being released during the era dominated by spaghetti Westerns and the rise of revisionist Westerns, Big Jake maintains a classic John Wayne flavor, albeit near the end of his career. But, compared to some of Wayne’s earlier period pieces, Big Jake introduces a noticeably sharper edge in its portrayal of violence.
Set in the 20th century, rather than the traditional 1800s, the film reflects on technological advancements and the slow erosion of the American West. This backdrop allows the film to explore the relevance of violence in a world moving toward modernity. As mentioned above, Big Jake has distanced himself from his family due to his preference for the old ways of the West, including a string of affairs and a rejection of the shifting social order. In contrast, Martha has continued to push forward with their cattle operation, building a more civilized life. The film draws a line between the established order Martha represents and the untamed nature that Jake embodies, only for the two worlds to collide when technology and progress are powerless against the outlaws who kidnap their grandson.
This is where Big Jake takes a turn into more graphic violence, a departure from what was typically seen in Wayne’s earlier films. The film’s depiction of melee combat and bloodshed is, by Wayne’s standards, quite excessive. While Big Jake will never be considered one of the bloodiest Westerns, its level of violence, especially for a Wayne film, was striking at the time of release. And, though the movie wavers between scenes of violence and quieter moments, it’s clear that this isn’t the typical, bloodless John Wayne film.
As a result, when Big Jake hit theatres, it caught many critics and audiences off guard with its unusually brutal take on the Western. For an actor long associated with a more sanitized, heroic brand of masculinity, this 1971 film took a notably darker turn. Some reviewers criticized the film for what they saw as unnecessary violence, calling it excessive and beyond what the plot demanded. Others pointed out how rare that level of brutality was for a John Wayne feature. Still, not all feedback was negative, and some critics argued that Big Jake was one of Wayne’s strongest late-career efforts.
Big Jake isn’t only a final reunion between two Hollywood legends, but also one of John Wayne’s best. Differing from his more “typical” Westerns, the film offers a more personal story that has audiences invested by the time the characters reach their final showdown. It’s actually quite rare in the genre, where constant action makes it difficult at times to connect with the characters. But in Big Jake, by the time the family is facing off against the Fain Gang, viewers are emotionally invested in the reconciled father and sons. For fans of the Western genre, Big Jake is still essential viewing over five decades later.