This mix of old school/new school western features many of the staples of the genre while spicing it up with dashes of modern humor and even a bit of social comment. Stars Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen make a delightful team as Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, two friends hired to take control of the town of Appaloosa from renegade rancher Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons). Bragg and his men have overrun the town, killing the marshall and a couple of deputies in cold blood, taking what they want from the saloon and shops without paying and generally making life terrifying for the locals. When Virgil becomes the new de facto marshall with Everett as his deputy, an increasingly dangerous stand-off develops between Bragg and the clean-up team. Complicating matters is the arrival of widow Allison French (Renee Zellweger) who immediately forms an attachment to Virgil but may have a hidden agenda.
There are some standard elements of the classic western here which somehow never get tired: a shoot-out in the street, a train hold-up (with a twist), a confrontation in a saloon, men on horseback tracking outlaws through gorgeous, scrub brush countryside. Director/co-writer Harris has added some refreshing new features including two main characters who are truly men of few words yet many ideas (which they occasionally discuss in their own succinct way), some comments on the difficult position of women in the old west and an exchange between white man and Indian warrior that is quietly but effectively nontraditional. Mortensen in particular creates a wonderful character in Everett Hitch -- I'd love to see him in another movie and learn more about him. Irons makes an excellent, slimy villain but Zellweger doesn't bring enough to the pivotal role of the widow. The movie was a bit slow in places, although its leisurely pace suited its equally laid back setting and there was still enough action to keep things moving.
Things to love about this movie: The wry and complicated relationship between Virgil and Everett; understated humor; great chemistry between Harris and Mortensen; I just fell in love with Everett's darling pack mule (yes, it's a fetish of mine, I love mules)
Things to hate about this movie: During a surprise raid by a group of local natives, a pack horse is casually shot to prevent escape and theft (I say shoot the people!)
Pleasant surprises: Cowboys actually traveling at a reasonable pace through brush and streams instead of running full tilt in every scene
Unpleasant surprise: Although the town is named Appaloosa, there's not an appaloosa horse to be found anywhere
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment