Character Relationship Map: Shoot

Characters

• Rex (played by Cliff Robertson) — protagonist

  Major Rex is one of the combat veterans on the hunting trip and a central figure in the group. After the riverbank gunfight, he and his friends defeat the opposing hunters. Rather than report the inci...

• Lou (played by Ernest Borgnine) — supporting

  Lou is one of the combat veterans in Rex's hunting party. After the group wins the riverbank skirmish, he is the only member identified as questioning the decision to conceal the incident from the pol...

• Zeke (played by Henry Silva) — supporting

  Zeke is one of the hunters in Major Rex's party. When a gun suddenly goes off during the confrontation across the river, Zeke retaliates by shooting and killing one of the opposing hunters. His action...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Lou → Zeke (Alliance Teammate) — Lou and Zeke share membership in the group caught in the escalating conflict.

  Lou and Zeke are both associated with the hunting party involved in the river confrontation.

• Rex → Zeke (Alliance Teammate) — Rex and Zeke operate as members of the same armed hunting group.

  Zeke is present with Rex's hunting party, and Rex and his friends win the river skirmish after Zeke retaliates.

• Rex → Lou (Alliance Teammate) — Rex and Lou belong to the same hunting group during the river incident and its aftermath.

  Lou is part of the hunting party and later joins the pursuit through the woods with Rex and the others.

Story Analysis

A frustrated hunting party turns a sudden river shooting into a concealed and increasingly violent pursuit.

Plot Progression

1. The Empty-Handed Hunt — Rex, Lou, Zeke, and their fellow combat veterans finish a frustrating Canadian hunting day without success. The party reaches a river, where another band of hunters appears across the water.
2. The Riverbank Shooting — The two groups stare at one another until a gun suddenly goes off. Zeke retaliates by killing a man on the opposite bank, and the confrontation expands into an exchange of gunfire.
3. Victory Without Witnesses — Rex and his friends win the river skirmish and drive the other hunters away. Rather than report the killing, the group decides to keep the incident secret from the police.
4. The Armed Pursuit — The group gathers friends and follows the other hunters through the woods. What began as concealment turns into an organized pursuit involving guns and increasing violence.
5. Lou Questions The War — The pursuit becomes a bloody mini-war in the woods. Lou is the only member who questions the course of violence, leaving the supplied account in a state of moral conflict.