Rayford Publishing

The motivation that led Dude to beat Chance in the opening scene is not that Chance had kicked the spittoon away; the kick is a reminder for him that he has brought himself down to the lowest ebb of a human being, demonstrated in the acute high-angle shot of Chance from Dude's point of view. In his first self-conscious step toward recovery and to compensate for what he just did, he follows him to The Burdette's saloon to help with Joe's arrest.