Hellman's final Western and last film with Warren Oates ranks among his most personal, meditative and important works, brimming with private meanings and references – including a memorable cameo by Hellman's long-time hero, Sam Peckinpah, as a weathered dime novelist. China 9, Liberty 37 offers a soulful response to Hellman's earlier and enigmatically fatalistic Westerns, extending their unrelenting violence but also adding a mellow wistfulness. Oates brings a depth of melancholy, regret and longing to his portrayal of a stubborn farmer faced with a series of momentous decisions and discovering unexpected friendship. A visually sumptuous film, China 9, Liberty 37 was shot in Spain with an all-Italian crew – including acclaimed cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno (The Leopard, Satyricon, All That Jazz). – HG