The Long Riders

Director Walter Hill made the distinctive creative decision to cast actual sibling actors for each set of brothers in the James-Younger gang. The Keach brothers (Stacy and James) played the James brothers, the Carradine brothers (David, Keith, and Robert) played the Younger brothers, and the Quaid brothers (Randy and Dennis) played the Miller brothers. This casting became the film's most celebrated and iconic feature.

The Long Riders dramatizes the exploits of the James-Younger gang, culminating in the infamous Northfield, Minnesota raid of 1876. The film portrays the botched bank robbery that killed or captured several gang members and scattered the survivors. Walter Hill's version emphasizes the bonds between the brothers and the escalating violence of their outlaw career.

Ry Cooder's original soundtrack for The Long Riders received recognition from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, contributing to his reputation as one of cinema's premier roots-music composers. The score used traditional folk instruments and period-appropriate arrangements to evoke the post-Civil War American West. Cooder went on to compose numerous acclaimed film scores throughout his career.

Yes, The Long Riders was screened at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, bringing the film international attention. The festival screening helped establish Walter Hill as a significant American director of genre cinema. The film's unique real-brothers casting concept and Ry Cooder's score were particular talking points at the festival.