John Wayne, Charlton Heston and Clint Eastwood maintain a tight stranglehold on the Western genre, despite not having made an entry in the recent past (for obvious reasons in the case of Wayne, and now Heston). When the occasional Western does get made anymore, there’s no guarantee it’ll be watchable, though every now and then we get a decent flick like Open Range and the 3:10 to Yuma remake. However, one of the most lasting stories of the Western genre is that of Wyatt Earp. Now, even if the tale found in Tombstone is a gross exaggeration of what really happened (according to history books, only 3 people died in Tombstone that year), it’s a terrific ensemble piece that keeps the audience entertained for its entire duration – what more do you want from a Western?
Earp (Kurt Russell) has retired from his gunslinger days as a lawman and wants nothing more than to retire and establish a business in his new home, Tombstone. He’s brought along his wife Allie, and has his two brothers as partners. Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) have similar aspirations of a quiet life as businessmen, and welcome the change in pace, while it lasts. And it doesn’t last long. The local bandits, the Cowboys (led by Powers Boothe), make their presence a constant source of ethical disruption for the Earp brothers. Can they sit back and let this band of ne’er-do-wells torment the people they would live amongst? Amidst this larger conflict is one of marital dissatisfaction, as Wyatt finds himself enamored with a traveling actress (Dana Delany). Everything comes to a head when the brothers are forced to choose: live quietly under the intimidating rule of the Cowboys or take a stand?
You couldn’t really ask for a better cast to play the brotherly trio. Paxton, always amusing, and Sam Elliott, as the calm, levelheaded grump, work perfectly to balance out Russell’s performance. The romanticism written into Wyatt’s character gets full expression from Kurt Russell, which makes the moments when he has to come across as stern harder to believe – making Sam Elliott’s presence all the more necessary. Add Val Kilmer, as the comical Doc Holliday, into the mix, and you have one of the best cast quartets for a film in recent memory. It easily trumps Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt, and Chris O’Donnell as the four Musketeers. Beyond the great foursome, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Biehn, and Boothe all give their bandit personas enough credibility to make them every bit as interesting as the heroes.
Is Tombstone truly representative of the Western genre? Not entirely, but it’s an interesting project into the motivation behind many of the genre’s most popular characters as they’re represented in each of the foursome. In lieu of many large gunfights and lots of traditional horseplay (by this, I actually mean riding about on horses), the film takes a much quieter route in small, revealing scenes where we learn more about each of the main four characters’ personal credo. The Earps may have similar beliefs when it comes to upholding the law, but each has different motivating factors for taking up the mantle once again. For Virgil it’s as simple as the black & white perspective of right and wrong. For Morgan it’s a matter of family, Tombstone is where he’s taking root, so he needs to fight for it. For Doc Holliday it’s merely a matter of convenience and camaraderie – his friends are fighting, he needs something to do, why not fight? Then for Wyatt, it turns out to be less of a choice. Like Virgil and Morgan he too has a sense of right and wrong and a desire to create a family, but these are less driving factors than the most basic instinct that has guided him since day one: he’s hardwired to uphold the law. He seeks out wrongdoing wherever he goes, and he rights it. He just can’t help it.
The Blu-ray transfer of a modern Western is an interesting concept. As it was filmed recently enough that they can easily access and upscale the original print, but at its heart, it’s a film set in a gritty setting of dirt, sun, and gunsmoke. The high definition makes the movie look great in the high noon moments, but at other times you’d be hard pressed to see any difference at all. It’s a real toss-up.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
You have a traditional “making of” piece and a set of storyboards to peruse, once you’re done ignoring the option to watch trailers and TV spots.
"Tombstone" is on sale April 27, 2010 and is rated R. Action, Drama, Western. Directed by George P Cosmatos. Written by Kevin Jarre. Starring Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Kurt Russell, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Sam Elliott, Thomas Haden Church, Val Kilmer.
