Many actors have taken on the part of an aging cowboy, and this film represents Charlton Heston's take on the role. He portrays the man named in the title, working alongside his companions “Blue” (Lee Majors) and “Dutchy” (Anthony Zerbe) on a vast expanse of land where their job is to drive off anyone they consider unwelcome. Things proceed smoothly until "Blue" manages to shoot an elk. They figure it’s dinner time, but preacher “Quint” (Donald Pleasence) disagrees, declaring that he and his group of wandering troublemakers will resort to gunfire. The three men realize their chances of survival are slim, but when one of them kills the pastor's son, a feud erupts with truly epic consequences. With "Dutchy" wounded, they make their way toward town, where their group divides. “Will” then heads up into the snowy mountains and finds “Catherine” (Joan Hackett) and her young son “Horace” (John Francis/Gries) stranded in an isolated cabin. It turns out these are exactly the kind of people he should be removing, so he gives them a week before leaving, only to run afoul of the furious "Quint," who leaves him for dead. With returning to the safety and warmth of the house his sole hope, he’s cared for by Catherine and her son, and then—well, you can probably figure out what happens next. The plot follows familiar patterns, and while the final third doesn't generate a lot of suspense, Pleasence consistently excels at portraying madness, and here he delivers, reciting scripture as if it were poison. The film’s photography effectively captures the harshness of their setting, and there is just enough believable connection between Heston and Hackett to keep the story grounded rather than sentimental, even though the ending felt a little hurried to me. A strong cast of supporting players appears, including Slim Pickens, Ben Johnson, and Bruce Dern as “Rafe Quint,” who is even more eccentric than his father, and it’s a revenge western with enough heart to make it worth seeing.

Source on TMDB