| The Outlaw Josey Wales is an interesting Western | | | | Abe. We've got reward money coming. Watch it, |
| that I have watched many times. It is full of success | | | | Abe. He's mean as a rattler and twice as fast with |
| lessons for the discerning! | | | | them pistols." |
| A Missouri farmer joins a Confederate guerilla unit to | | | | Abe tells Josey to "Move on back; move on back!" |
| avenge the murder of his wife and son and winds up | | | | Lije comes up with more warnings: "Watch him, Abe! |
| on the run from the Union soldiers who killed his | | | | I've seen him do some things..." |
| family. | | | | "Shut up, Lije" |
| Throughout the film, Josey spits chewing tobacco | | | | Abe explains why he isn't killing Josey immediately: |
| juice on everything that moves or does not move | | | | "Now, Mr Josey Wales.I'd just as soon shoot you |
| like the dead bodies of his enemies. He hits insects, | | | | now but it'd be harder to drag your body through |
| dogs and a snake oil salesman who claims that his | | | | the brush to where we can get a pound price for |
| product can do 'almost anything'. Josey tells him to | | | | you. " |
| use it to clean the tobacco juice off his white jacket. | | | | Lije wisely disagrees: "Shoot him now, Abe. Shoot |
| He also uses spit as a distraction before shooting | | | | him, now!" |
| down his foes. Occasionally he spits accurately into a | | | | "Shut up, Lije." Abe is trying hard to concentrate on |
| spittoon. Practice makes you competent! Daily | | | | Josey! |
| practice makes you an expert. | | | | "Move your left hand down and unbuckle that pistol |
| Pursued by the Union redlegs and his former | | | | belt. Make it nice and slow so that I can count the |
| Confederate leader, Josey Wales heads out for Red | | | | hairs on that hand. See, Lije. You pull his teeth and |
| Indian country to escape capture. | | | | he's harmless as a heel hound. Always wanted to |
| His opponents chase him across a big river on a ferry | | | | face out one of these big pistol fighters they raise all |
| raft. Josey stays cool enough to take a nap as his | | | | the fuss about." |
| pursuers begin to cross the river. He then stays calm | | | | Abe is on a roll! Lije is still rightly concerned: |
| enough to shoot through the rope that is pulling the | | | | "Watch out! He's probably got another pistol." |
| raft laden with horses and men. He gives them a | | | | "Shut up, Lije." |
| 'Missouri boat ride' as they are swept away | | | | Josey's young dying friend distracts the bounty |
| downstream. | | | | hunters with the possibility that there might be stolen |
| This incident provides another great success lesson | | | | gold under his blanket and both of the bounty |
| which is to stay calm under pressure. Everyone | | | | hunters are soon shot. Lije was right Josey does, in |
| thinks,shoots and does everything better when they | | | | fact, have an extra pistol in a shoulder holster! |
| do not panic. | | | | Jamie wants to bury them but Josey is as practical |
| The young guerilla colleague, Jamie, whom Josey | | | | and unsentimental as ever: |
| rescued from the redlegs, was wounded and is dying. | | | | "Buzzards got to eat; same as worms." |
| Josey looks after him telling him not to look at the | | | | Later in the film there is another example of |
| wound: | | | | successful self-defence. Josey is confronted by some |
| "Don't look at it, boy." | | | | Union Soldiers. He again uses the distract them first |
| Great advice. Don't brood over your problem. Be | | | | technique by asking them a question to engage their |
| aware of it but then get enthusiastic about how you | | | | minds before he shoots them: |
| will feel when your problem is solved. | | | | "Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?" |
| Soon after the river escape, two bounty hunters, | | | | I won't go any further in the film in case you haven't |
| Abe and Elijah, sneak up on Josey. Both are excited | | | | seen it but already there are some great success |
| at the thought of the reward for capturing Josey | | | | lessons in the story so far: |
| Wales but Elijah (Lije) is also full of doubts and | | | | 1) If you want to become a successful expert at |
| warnings. Elijah reminds me of Shakespeare's great | | | | something (even spitting) practice daily! |
| lines in Measure for Measure: | | | | 2) If you can stay cool under pressure and control |
| "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good | | | | the adrenaline surge that usually accompanies stress |
| weoft might win, by fearing to attempt." | | | | and danger you are more likely to deal with any |
| Abe has to keep telling Lije to shut up so that he can | | | | problem (like pursuing soldiers) successfully. |
| concentrate on capturing Josey and getting the | | | | 3) Don't brood over a problem. Just take note of it |
| reward money. We all need to concentrate without | | | | and then imagine how you might feel if the problem |
| allowing doubts to take over our minds. However in | | | | had been successfully solved. |
| this case Lije is the wise one and Abe loses his life | | | | 4) If you need to focus on a difficult task, it usually |
| and Lije's by not listening to his warnings. | | | | helps to avoid doubt and to shut up any distracting |
| In the film, Abe pulls his gun on Josey: "I've got him, | | | | voices like Lije's. However, occasionally, it is wiser to |
| Lije." | | | | listen to the distracting or sceptical voices! |
| "It's him, Abe. It's him! We've got the Josey Wales, | | | | 5) Defend yourself successfully by distracting your |
| Abe! I've seen him ride side by side with Bloody Bill, | | | | opponent before you strike! |