It's actually leapfrogged into becoming my favorite western of all time. I'm saddened that I missed this film when I was a younger man. I only saw it because it showed up on Netflix and you know... Clint. I retroactively developed even MORE hatred for the Academy when I discovered that it was ignored except for a nomination for Best Original Music Score.
I loved the relationship between Eastwood and Sam Bottom's character and how the kid toughened up and stopped whining about his soon to be fatal abdominal wound (which as I'm sure you know would have been hell on earth in those days). I also loved how Bottoms ended up cleverly and heroically saving Eastwood before his end. The way Eastwood's character treated the kid was so... manly and decent. I also loved the Indian, Lone Satie and his soon to be girlfriend, Little Moonlight who turned out to be such a badass.
Great story, just the right amount of melodrama, phenomenal writing, acting, and directing. The cinematography and editing was beautiful.
I feel ashamed that I didn't see it when it came out in '76 when I was in college. Then again, I'm also ashamed to say that I didn't see Dirty Harry until the mid 80s and that I voted for Al Gore before I started voting R.