The idea of marrying someone for a particular reason that has nothing to do with love, only to fall in love after the fact, is one that has found its way into cinema at different points, becoming a more common trope that has been replicated a number of times. When Jack Nicholson, in his sophomore directorial outing, decided to use this as the foundation for Goin’ South, he was likely looking for something more simple, as he was still a relatively inexperienced filmmaker in his own right, but still had enough talent to justify taking a few risks. Working with an extensive writing team that developed this story, and helmed by Nicholson who also steps in front of the camera as one of the two protagonists in addition to directing the film, Goin’ South is a peculiar film, but one that is certainly worth our time, for several reasons. At the heart of the film, we have the story of an outlaw who is finally brought to justice and forced to face the consequences of a life spent committing crimes and evading the law. However, he is the beneficiary of a law that states that any criminal is to be spared execution should a woman of high moral virtue offer to step up and change his ways, which leads to our hero becoming engaged to a woman who only agreed to these terms out of pity for the doomed but deeply charismatic outlaw, and they very soon find common ground that allows them to fall in love for real. It’s a funny, heartfelt and oddly captivating film that may not reinvent the genre, but instead offers an interesting perspective on common cinematic tropes, and provides us with boundless entertainment that is thoroughly entertaining and deeply moving in ways that we may not have initially anticipated based on a cursory glance.

Considering he is arguably one of the most famous actors in the history of Hollywood, we sometimes tend to view Jack Nicholson’s career as some homogenous stream of performances that were always on an even keel, rather than viewing it as a series of stages, each one being defined by different kinds of performances and films he took on depending on both his artistic interests and what the industry was offering to him. Goin’ South came about during the peak of his stardom, trailing after films like Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which established him as both a box office magnet and someone who could garner serious critical acclaim, but before the era in which he would step out of his comfort zone, which mainly started in the 1980s for the most part. Yet, he still took risks on occasion, and this film is a pertinent example of a slightly off-kilter work that doesn’t quite fit with the films that defined his career at the time but rather represented his penchant for slightly more subversive works. He started his career in low-budget but acclaimed westerns like Ride in the Whirlwind and The Shooting, and his breakthrough performance was in the quasi-western Easy Rider, so it only stands to reason he’d hold some affection for the genre. This film was designed to be the perfect combination of the cheap westerns in which get got his start, as well as the subversive, New Hollywood take on the genre that was growing in popularity. It arguably not nearly as successful, and instead should be viewed as more of an experiment than anything else, but there is still something truly captivating about how Nicholson, in only his second attempt at directing, manages to work with not only this material, but also a genre that required a lot more work than many others and emerges almost entirely victorious, showing his impeccable skills weren’t only restricted to the front of the camera, and that he was very adept at the direction, especially in handling some of the more bizarre elements that would have otherwise been a burden.

By this point, everyone was familiar with the Jack Nicholson archetype – wisecracking protagonists of ambigious moral standing but genuine charisma that can get them out of any precarious situation. He was equally adept at comedy and drama, and while he did occasionally veer away from this kind of character when it was necessary, he also made a career out of drawing on this persona, since audiences were very enamoured with his devil-may-care charms. Goin’ South is one of these instances, with almost the entire film being built around Nicholson’s persona. Henry Lloyd Moon is a rebellious rascal who will do anything to get out of peril, even if it means sacrificing what little dignity he may have left. It’s difficult to imagine someone else playing this role in the same way, especially since some of his peers would have taken the entire character far too seriously, or lacked the snarling wit that Nicholson brought to the role. The film is populated by many familiar actors in addition to the lead. It serves as the film debut of Mary Steenburgen, who would go on to have a very promising career as one of Hollywood’s most reliable performers, and smaller performances from Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito (at the peak of their recognition for their hilarious work on Taxi), and a few other memorable character actors that were drawn from Nicholson’s roster of friends and colleagues. It’s an ensemble-based film, and while no one is necessarily doing their best work, it’s solid and funny work from a great cast that blends well and fully sells the sometimes bizarre narrative being shown on screen.

However, as entertaining and compelling as Goin’ South may be in theory, this is still a film that has a few shortcomings, which is mainly why it has remained relatively obscure, at least in terms of other subversive revisionist westerns produced at the time. Ultimately, it seems to be designed as a satirical take on the Old West and the relationship between outlaws and lawmen, but it proves to be a lot less effective in practice than we may have anticipated. We find that the film is very much driven by a sense of genuine curiosity, but it doesn’t put in nearly enough work to get to the point where it offers a unique perspective on the genre it intended to parody. Unfortunately, it becomes a romantic comedy that just so happens to be set in the post-Civil War period, and while this angle of the story is indeed promising on its own, it proves to be slightly ineffectual when we realize that the novelty wears off very soon. The film runs slightly too long, which is not the result of the running time (its an admirable 110 minutes), but rather the structure is far too jagged – the catalyst for the events of the story, which should have been accomplished a quarter of the way through the film, happens in the first ten minutes, which not only removes the suspense, but also means that the build-up and climax is stretched out over a longer period, and as a result becomes quite tedious. The visual look is also not particularly appealing, with Nicholson being more of a kinetic filmmaker than a visual one, his eye for detail being more aligned with interpersonal dynamics between the characters rather than capturing the surroundings, which leads to the film having quite a limited, washed-out appearance that doesn’t quite work for the story being told. These are only small complaints in an otherwise solid film, but it does slightly hamper the experience in ways that could have been easily avoided with the right approach.

The best way to view Goin’ South as just as a freewheeling, entertaining western romp that is not meant to be taken seriously or viewed as anything particularly important. Nicholson certainly had the credibility to demand something more nuanced and compelling, but much like other actors who decided to step behind the camera, chose a genre that is relatively popular and easy to categorize, knowing that he could do something memorable with the material without needing to reinvent the genre or challenge conventions in any meaningful way. There aren’t too many layers to this film, and it is arguably not the strongest entry into the western comedy genre, but it is still entertaining enough if we take it at face value. The shortcomings are notable but not too distracting, and we find ourselves growing steadily more invested in the narrative the further we allow ourselves to get enveloped in the clear charms that linger over the film. Its a wonderfully eccentric and upbeat film with a great cast, a fun story and a lot of memorable gags that will keep us entertained, enough to overlook the sometimes dull visual aspects and the fact that the story being told is tenuous enough as it is. Nicholson may not be the most visually-gifted director, but he knows how to make a film that feels compelling, and Goin’ South is a great example of just how much he could do with very little material, even if this is probably the least ambitious of his three directorial outings.