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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lewis526" data-source="post: 3831104">I saw this movie and loved it, for reasons already mentioned by others: great acting, great scenery, etc.Since we've moved on to character flaws and logic, here's my take on a few of them.First, a lot of the plot depends on Ben Wade's enormous confidence in himself and his gang.  He really never has to do anything to escape, and his attempts at escape are more a matter of expediency - he prefers the easy way - than honest attempts to get away.  When it's convenient, he takes the opportunities, but he doesn't have to take any risks, and finds the journey with the posse entertaining and enjoyable.Towards the end of the movie, Ben reveals his sense of honor, and ends up doing a benevolent act for Dan and his family.  He's a monster, and totally comfortable with his murderous crimes, but he's not utterly heartless, and doesn't go out of his way to destroy the innocent.  Given Ben's story about his own childhood, this particular act of kindness seemed to fit him.  Besides that, he seems to like Dan, and by association, favors his family.  In contrast, he and his gang abuse the pinkerton and the marshals because they are the gang's bitter enemies.At the same time, a lot of the plot depends on the posse's gross underestimation of Ben's and his gang's abilities.  Ben is very calm and self-possessed throughout the ordeal, and this allows his captors to let their guards down a bit and make mistakes.  In spite of his infamy, he lulls them into underestimating him.  Every now and then, he unleashes his almost superhuman skills, such as during the Apache attack.  Only then is Ben Wade's awesomeness apparent, but he doesn't sustain those moments enough to really shock his posse of amateurs into full alert.  His total self-composure and confidence turns out to be one of his deadliest weapons.Finally, I will say that Dan fell into a moment of tremendous stupidity when he failed to take a free shot at the gang's lieutenant (I forget the character's name).  When the gang's lieutenant is orating to the townsfolk, trying to get them turn on the posse, the whole gang totally let their guard down, and the lieutenant even turns his away from the window.  Popping a shot in him during the speech would have shut him up right there, and swayed the tide of townsfolk back in the law's favor.  I think that's the moment that others were referring to earlier.  Chalk it up to inexperience or some kind of honor as you like.  I was amazed that Dan didn't shoot the bastard off his horse right there.</blockquote>

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