China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)

The British TV series Coupling is enthusiastic about Jenny Agutter films:

Oh, yes! Jenny Agutter is consistent. Jenny Agutter's like a brand name of screen nudity. Even in Logan's Run. For no reason at all.

and in this respect "China 9, Libery 37" doesn't disappoint. It also doesn't disappoint in general. The story concerns a bounty hunter (Fabio Testi) due to be executed who is pardoned so that he can kill an elderly homesteader (a former gunslinger) who's obstructing the railroad. He meets the man (Warren Oates) and his fruity younger wife (Agutter) and befriends the man/falls for the wife, changing his decision to kill them. However, things are complicated when he sleeps with the wife, the homesteader finds out and the wife runs off believing she's killed her husband. This sets off a pursuit that lasts most f the running time.

The actually plot here is pretty sparse, but the film succeeds largely on mood. Particularly effective is that all the main characters are (partially) sympathetic and likeable, and only forced into conflict by a brief mistake (bonking the wife). This adds genuine tension to the question of who will survive: there's nobody that obviously deserves not to. There's a nice sense of resignation throughout, especially at the start when Oates knows his visitor is there to kill him, but realises that there's not much he can do. The film looks nice too, filmed in Spanish locations with an evening glow to many of the scenes.

I think it probably isn't for everyone, but it's a case that if you like this sort of thing. "Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid" is a similar reference point in terms of atmosphere (more so since Sam Peckinpah has a brief, and surprisingly good, cameo in this).

There is an uncut, widescreen version on Youtube which is of reasonable quality for what it is. The night scenes are sometimes a bit dark to tell what's going on, but this version is an easily accessible starting point.