Appaloosa [2008]

This is the second western that I checked out recently, first one being The Proposition, a dark and brooding Australian movie. While the Aussies created a cinematographic masterpiece with a raw vibe, Ed Harris added a slight twist to the genre. This twist in no way is revolutionary but it gives so much energy to the classical approach that we might say that he reinvigorated it. We still have the same old story and the same old characters, but this time we see that they are not so one-dimensional but complex in their nature. Don’t get me wrong, Appaloosa is not predictable or boring, I’m talking about the general frame of the story. However, that is just a part of the process that goes from complex to simple in the next phase. The simplification comes with the harsh living conditions and situations caused by humans who are not obeying the rules set forth by the community.

Appaloosa is led by powerful performances of the main characters, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons. They create a certain atmosphere that holds the movie together ’till the end. Production is decent and this is not some milking low budget blunder. If you are a fan of western movies, check it out since it belongs to the new wave of western flicks. Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are old school guns for hire, full of words of wisdom and experience. They arrive to the town of Appaloosa where they have been hired to bring to justice a local troublemaker rancher Randall Bragg. In this mess arrives a piano player Allison French, and of course Virgil falls for her.

Director: Ed Harris

Cast: Jeremy Irons, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Timothy V. Murphy, Luce Rains

Fun Stuff: Ed Harris’ father plays the Judge.

Rating:

IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800308/