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Movie Review: Appaloosa
Plenty of western goodness in 'Appaloosa'
By Brett Troxler
btroxler@wbrz.com
Web Producer
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PLAY OFFICIAL TRAILER
From the very beginning of “Appaloosa,” Virgil Cole makes it brutally clear that while he’s the city marshal things are going to go as he says — or else.
Such a tough stance doesn’t go over well with local Randall Bragg and his band of trouble-making outlaws. Bragg and his crew are suspected of killing the last marshal, and its justice for which hired gunmen Virgil (Ed Harris) and Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) are looking.
The pair has negotiated a deal to be the law in the small New Mexico territory town of Appaloosa, circa 1882. Bragg, brought to life by a sprightly Jeremy Irons, is a ruthless, selfish and educated man who will use either money or guns to get his way. But Virgil and deputy Everett aren’t buying what he’s selling, and so goes the central conflict of America’s latest western.
Based on the work of Robert Parker, “Appaloosa” is not quite as edgy as recent westerns like, say, “3:10 to Yuma.” Its bang-bang beginning gives way to a more light-hearted, character-centric film. Don’t expect extended chases or shootouts. As Everett says following one gunfight, “That went quick.” But when the guns do come out of their holsters, you can cut the tension with a dull Bowie knife.
At the heart of the film is Virgil, an interesting character done right by Harris. He has a way with a gun — enough to develop a reputation that precedes him — but has some issues with words and can be a bit awkward when outside his role as a lawman. At his side is Everett, a shadowy and mostly quiet man, driven by his loyalty to Virgil above all and played well by the fancy-bearded Mortensen.
Along the way in their quest for justice, the two make the acquaintance of one Allison French (Renee Zellwegger), a dependent, mild-mannered and borderline promiscuous woman who piques Virgil’s interest.
Behind “Appaloosa’s” western guise is a quick and tidy plot and genuinely humorous lines of dialogue that capitalize on the dry wit of Virgil and his relationships with Everett and Allison. In addition to carrying a six-shooter in the starring role, Harris also sat in the director’s chair and wielded a pen, working on the script along with Robert Knott.
The cinematography in “Appaloosa” can almost be too simple at times, but there are some really impressive shots throughout — a sequence where we see Everett seated with his 8-gauge at the end of a dark hallway near the film’s climax is particularly striking.
The film’s other flaws — the score can be a bit off-putting and too grandiose at times, for example — are made up for by some solid writing and noteworthy performances from the lead actors, Mortensen in particular. And the end is a good one, one that challenges the lives and ideals of all involved before riding off into the distance with an appropriate, voiced-over prologue.
