After last year, which played home to successes like 3:10 to Yuma and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, there has been a rebirth in terms of the ideal western. No longer is the genre seen as a reminder of old-cinema; instead possessing a new, improved and often enjoyable sense of how thematic the old-days could be. And now, with the release of Appaloosa, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger hope to continue the streak of success well into 2009.
In the film, Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen play a pair of guns who are paid to clean up the distraught and criminally charged town of Appaloosa, New Mexico. However, upon their arrival and sudden takeover, the two men find themselves instantly attracted to Allison French, a provocative widower who is played by Renee Zellweger. Through her unconventional ways, French single-handedly provides a strong threat to destroy the decade-old bond that the two men have fought to form. But as time passes and the truth begins to rise to the surface, both men will be forced to question their incentives, their future and the importance of each other.
Though the film comes across as a little too mundane and dry to really showcase the talent and uniqueness of early westerns, you cannot deny the aggressive motions and the underlying intensity that is brought to the screen by both the actors and story. Never is there a dull moment as the scenes fluidly progress into one another, becoming a strong and sturdy story that will surely outlast the test of time.
As the film starts off, we are introduced to Randall Bragg, a corrupt and ruthless rancher who seems to have the town of Appaloosa wrapped around his finger. Committing murder at the drop of a hat, Bragg fires off two bullets at the town's deputies; setting off a sharp turn of events that help to bring Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch into the picture.
As a result of the shooting, the town's sheriff calls in the two famed crowd controllers, asking them to calm the storm and bring a sense formality to the town. And while the story allows for an immense amount of freedom from both Harris and Mortensen, I must credit them for not straying too far from the box and helping to bring back both the tone and demeanor of classic westerns.
Through their clever use of dialogue and character interactions, both men are able to take center stage when necessary, holding off when the time comes as well. As a result, they prove to be the perfect supplement both to one another and the story as a whole, creating a strong, character-centered film that will remind you of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid back in 1969.
And just like that film, Appaloosa offers audiences a bond breaker, this time in the form of Allison French, played surprisingly well by Austin native Renee Zellweger. Tackling her stereotypical role, Zellweger rolls into the film in high fashion, quickly taking post with the two men as she seamlessly penetrates their bond, causing both to fall off their game and bringing a susceptible possibility to the fate of their success. Her seemingly innocent presence and her role as the careless, widow piano player feels unneeded and often times like a filler, but as the film progresses and she plays homage to both climatic confrontations that lie within the film's story, you realize that not only is her character useful, but that she is a detrimental aspect to the film's story and progression.
Luckily for audiences, Renee Zellweger does the part justice, playing to her strengths throughout, never venturing away from her purpose and cleverly working her flirtatious ways into the story. Her moves are flawless as she integrates herself into the picture, never seeming out of place and always finding a way to justify her presence. Her demeanor, her tone and her interactions with both Harris and Mortensen are classic of the old western style, helping to recreate a memory of how great things used to be, all while presenting a pleasant glimpse into the genre's future.
But nothing sells this film more than its direction. Possessing a premise that pits two free, independent law makers, working for the better good of society and the country as a whole, Appaloosa effectively integrates the old with the new, featuring constant reminders of how the genre used to run, while spending a few moments to showcase what is soon to come. Much of this is a credit to the direction of Ed Harris, who effectively pulls double duty as the film's leading star and director. Though his angles are at times poorly chosen, the flow of the story stays intact, allowing for the film to progress nicely from beginning to end.
However, I must comment on the film's lack of clarity and inability to end smoothly. While French proves to be a woman who changes her mind and goes with whatever furthers her life of bliss and ease, the film fails to make a man out of Virgil, never allowing him to make a stern decision and seemingly going against character, tossing caution to the wind at almost every opportunity. As a result, the film hits a major hiccup near the end as Virgil is forced to decide between a constant in his film and a wild-card. Though his personality would have him going one way, the story drags out the decision, attempting to turn it into a climactic moment, and when it finally comes, it leaves audience members unsure of what they have just seen as their opinions on both the film and Virgil as a character are put into retrospect. As a result, you leave the film with an uneasy feeling as you attempt to decipher just how good the film actually was. Luckily, I have had time to reflect, and regardless of the prolonged ending, the film itself was a great addition to what is becoming a strong list of current westerns.
