Saturday, 6 May 2017

Western Weekends - Open Range

Well, I watched (and read) two classics last time I posted here. This weekend I'm going to go with something newer; Kevin Costner's 2003 film, Open Range.

Robert Duvall plays Boss Spearman, a nomadic cattle herder travelling through Montana with his three hired hands: shell-shocked Civil War veteran and former gunfighter Charley Waite, played by Kevin Costner; gentle giant Mose Harrison, played by Abraham Benrubi; and a Mexican orphan known only as "Button", played by Diego Luna. While travelling near a town, they come into conflict with ruthless land baron Denton Baxter, played by Michael Gambon. While visiting the town's doctor Charley becomes attracted to Sue Barlow, played by Annette Bening, but assumes she's the doctor's wife.

There's not really much which can be said about this film. The story is a typical idealistic one about strangers ingratiating themselves with the townspeople and fighting the local tyrant - but the main protagonists are a lot more cynical and world-weary than your classical Knights Errant. However, the visual style is absolutely stunning, and there's a lot of build-up to the final shootout which pays off well. I think both Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall were made to play cowboys.

At the time of writing, Open Range is available on Netflix, and I do recommend that you watch it. It's a slow film, but it doesn't disappoint.

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