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Buck and the Preacher

Buck and the Preacher

Action · Comedy · Western · 1972

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

Movie details

Buck and the Preacher

“The fight was against the raiders... but the feud was between themselves!”

1972 Action · Comedy · Western 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Buck and the Preacher?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Way West

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¡Three Amigos!

¡Three Amigos!

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The Lone Ranger

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The Texas Rangers chase down a gang of outlaws led by Butch Cavendish, but the gang ambushes the Rangers, seemingly killing them all. One survivor is found, however, by an American Indian named Tonto, who nurses him back to health. The Ranger, donning a mask and riding a white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring the unscrupulous gang and others of that ilk to justice.

The Cowboys

The Cowboys

Western · 1972

When his cattlemen abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a collection of young boys as his cowboys in order to get his herd to market in time to avoid financial disaster. The boys learn to do a man's job under Andersen's tutelage, however, neither he nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.

16 Blocks

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An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.

American Outlaws

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Barbarosa

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Western · 1982

Karl Westover, an inexperienced farm boy, runs away after unintentionally killing a neighbor, whose family pursues him for vengeance. He meets Barbarosa, a gunman of near-mythical proportions, who is himself in danger from his father-in-law Don Braulio, a wealthy Mexican rancher. Don Braulio wants Barbarosa dead for marrying his daughter against the father's will. Barbarosa reluctantly takes the clumsy Karl on as a partner, as both of them look to survive the forces lining up against them.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Sidney Poitier

Written by

Ernest Kinoy · Drake Walker

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier

Buck

Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte

Preacher

Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee

Ruth

Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell

Deshay

Denny Miller

Denny Miller

Floyd

Nita Talbot

Nita Talbot

Madam Esther

J

John Kelly

Sheriff

Court is in session

Put Buck and the Preacher on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.