Tombstone (1993)

Hollywood once again retells the story of the legendary lawman, this time in the guise of Kurt Russell. Add Val Kilmer, Sam Neill, and Bill Paxton into the mix and what you get doesn't exactly scream "A list" but what you do have is an ensemble cast that gels particularly well; this is one of those films that manages to be more than the sum of its parts. The bond of brotherhood and friendship between the Earps and Doc Holliday feels genuine and Kilmer clearly relishes the scene stealing part of sickly gentleman adrenaline junkie Holliday. Powers Booth and Michael Biehn also make charismatic villains, the scenes between Biehn and Kilmer being particularly sharp and the Peckinpah shoot outs extremely well staged. In fact the shoot out at the OK corral is one of the best versions yet filmed. It does occasionally slip into melodrama (Morgan's death being the prime example) and the climax is a little montage happy and feels a little rushed as a result, but it's a great slice of old school popular entertainment that's a lot more engaging than Kevin Costner's pompous yawn-fest released the same year.

Indeed, sir. The last charge of Wyatt Earp and his immortals.

Tombstone is written by Kevin Jarre and directed by its star Kurt Russell, with credited director George P. Cosmatos ghost-directing. It also features a large ensemble cast that includes Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn & Powers Boothe. The movie is loosely based on historic incidents occurring in 1881-1882. The plot follows newly retired peace officer Wyatt Earp (Russell) as he and his two brothers, Virgil (Elliott) & Morgan (Paxton), arrive in the Tuscon town of Tombstone. Here they plan to make their fortune and gain themselves a share in a farrow game at the local saloon. Wyatt's long time friend, Doc Holliday (Kilmer), also joins the Earp's in town and it's not long before they encounter trouble in the form of The Cowboys - a ruthless bunch of outlaws led by Curly Bill Brocious (Boothe).

The back story to Tombstone is rather interesting, so without waffling on and boring the spurs off of any readers I'll try & keep this paragraph short! Willem Dafoe was slated to star as Doc Holliday but Buena Vista (Disney company) said no way on account of his appearance in the frowned upon The Last Temptation Of Christ. Since Buena Vista were the only company willing to distribute Tombstone, on account of Kevin Costner pulling rank and influence due to his own Wyatt Earp movie being on the go, they had the big say in things. Then when the screenplay was turned in by Jarre it was shot down by both Russell and the now on board Kilmer because it was deemed excessively too long. Jarre was then fired as director for refusing to cut down the characterisations. Enter Cosmatos to ghost-direct for Russell. Then Robert Mitchum (who narrates in the film) had to drop out of playing Old Man Clanton (subsequently dropped from the story) due to a riding accident. While genre legend Glenn Ford bailed out of playing Marshall White to pave the way for Harry Carey Junior to fill those boots.

In spite of all the problems getting harmony and cohesion to the screen, Tombstone ends up being a thoroughly entertaining genre piece. A love letter to the genre and boasting one of the best ever portrayals of an (in)famous Western character (Kilmer's take on Holliday is sexy, dangerous and utterly beguiling). Comparing it to Costner's movie is folly, for that movie (and I'm a big fan of it) is a telling of Earp's life and doesn't Hollywoodise things, this is about a short period in Earp's life, with bells on. There's some inaccuracies, but in the main the makers do a good job of covering the events leading up to the famous gunfight that occurred at the O.K. Corall - and the aftermath of said confrontation. Pic manages to have its cake and to eat it for a modern age made Western. It does all in all what old fans of the genre expect whilst having enough savvy dialogue and rah rah sequences to engage the more youthful viewers. There's not much art to speak of (for instance you wont go searching out for the cinematographer's name) and the sheer volume of characters at times threatens to bulge the piece over the belt buckle. Yet it always manages to keep us entertained with a high energy action sequence or a sharp quip delivered by the irrepressible Kilmer. Even the standardised romantic angle involving the beautiful, but superfluous Dana Delaney as Josephine manages to have its engaging moments. Sure we ache for the next scene of Kilmer being cool or Biehn being a cocky bastard, but the love blossoming between Wyatt & Josephine, and the inner conflict that it causes Earp, really fleshes out where Earp was emotionally at a time when he was trying to settle down for peace in his world.

Ultimately it's probably with the story of Kilmer & Russell insisting on a trimming of the story that Tombstone makes the most telling point. Critically it was recognised as being too bloated and that wasn't what was needed. For crying out loud the Western fan had had Eastwood's sublime Unforgiven the previous year, so who in their right mind would try and follow that? Tombstone thankfully doesn't take itself too seriously, but still it has enough nous to keep the beans cooking on high and the splendid moustache's a twirling. All that Whilst simultaneously providing some of the most quotable lines delivered in the most splendid of film genres. Kilmer's Doc is our Huckleberry, and so is Tombstone the film. 8/10

**A very well done western, which replaces glorification with raw realism.**

I really enjoyed this film, which is very centered on the notable figures of Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday during their time as law and order in the town of Tombstone. In popular culture, they became famous due to a short but intense exchange of fire with a group of gunmen from the city, called the Ok Corral Shooting. The incident, which took place in October 1881, was widely romanticized in the early 20th century and became a symbol of the Old West.

In fact, the shooting, which appears in this film, was just one violent incident within a long feud between the sheriffs and the gunmen. The causes are still shrouded in mists that historians are trying, with difficulty, to penetrate, and the feud continued and resulted in the murder of one of the Earp brothers and the pursuit and death of some of the assassins, in a veritable manhunt. I'm a historian, but I'm not an expert on the period or the Wild West, but I felt that the film managed to put everything in its context and respect, minimally, what really happened.

If there is something in this film that deserves to be highlighted, it is the work of the actors. We have a magnificent cast, full of very competent actors who committed themselves to their respective roles. The effort deserves our praise. Of course, Kurt Russel will have a special highlight when receiving the character of Wyatt Earp, but the actor made good use of that role and managed to be very charismatic and friendly to the public. Sam Elliott, one of those veterans with a lot of attitude and personality, couldn't be better and is incredibly good in this film. Maybe it's the actor's best film. Val Kilmer is not one of those actors that makes me want to see a movie, but the truth is that he was also very good at his job, and managed to harmonize his character's fragility and charisma well.

Directed by Kevin Jarre and George Cosmatos, the film is one of those westerns that went against the classics by dismantling the glorified figure of the cowboy, the bravery and coldness of the gunslinger and the villain, and giving a more realistic and historically credible flavor to films of this genre. The script is very good, it is very well written, and the technical work of the visual effects, make-up, costumes and set design teams was truly exquisite. The cinematography does not let us down either and makes very clever use of all this, and the sets and exterior footage, with magnificent lighting and a warm color palette that is simply delightful. The soundtrack, despite not being memorable or worthy of particular attention, does a good job.

There is something really quite authentic looking about this western. Set at a time when the law was beginning to seriously impose itself on the otherwise lawless "wild" west, it depicts the story of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) who just wanted to retire to peace and quiet in the eponymous Arizona town. Once there, he quickly realises that his fellow townsfolk are not on the same page. The arrival of his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott), Morgan (Bill Paxton) and his lifelong friend "Doc" Holliday (Val Kilmer) make a confrontation with the red-sashed "cowboys" inevitable. This film takes it's time to develop the characters and the narrative. That's not say it is dull, it isn't - it just allows the story to breathe as the tension mounts before culminating in the legendary gunfight at the OK Corral. Russell was maybe not the best choice (though at times he reminded me of Gene Hackman); but Kilmer was oddly effective as was Stephen Lang's pretty duplicitous Ike Clanton. It's narrated by one Hollywood legend - Robert Mitchum, and features the briefest of cameos at the end from another - Charlton Heston, is well constructed and paced, and rather creatively, poignantly (and violently at times) depicts the end of an era.