The Law is coming

Rating: 8/10 (31 July 2011)

Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven helped reinvent the Western for modern audiences in the 90s but it was still unpopular genre. 1993 and 1994 also saw two films about legendary Wyatt Earp Old West hero being released in a short space of time.
In 1879 lots of people are heading West in America to make their fortunes, buying land to become farmers, ranchers, miners or various businessmen. But it was also a wild place and in Arizona and there is a violence gang, the Cowboys who wear red sash who strike fear in the area. In Tombstone, the Earp brothers, Wyatt (Kurt Russell), Viral (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) move to the town, Wyatt being a famous peace officer from Kansas. Wyatt wants a peaceful life but many things prevent him, his wife's (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), his interest in an actress, Josephine (Dana Delany) and his personal sense of justice make him and his brothers get involved with law enforcement. As the Earps get into conflict with the Cowboys the violence start to escalate.
Tombstone does have an old-fashion feel with its story of a more simple tale of good vs. evil and the score felt like it was from an older film. But at the same time there is more willingness to show violence, that bullets are painful, that the Old West is rough and that knives were used. Director George P. Cosmatos certainly knew how to make the film tense, building scenes up as characters come into conflict and not letting you guess if the scene is going to end up having a violence conclusion. Particular scenes of note are when Wyatt as a poker dealer comes into clash with the Cowboys as his drunk friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) challenges one of them and Wyatt has a shotgun under the table, the other being the build up to the Gunfight at the O.K. Coral, knowing something major is about to happen and the music really fitting the tone.
The actions scenes were strong: quick, snappy and violence. They are fast paced and well edited, not using shaky cam or quick cuts. It what I want in a Western.
Acting wise whilst Russell is prone to some meladramatic moments it shows that given the right material he can be a good actor and his Wyatt Earp is smart, tough with a sense of justice but also good wit with behind him. A particular scene being when Wyatt beats a dodgy poker dealer out of a saloon. Kilmer also surprising gives a good performance as a TB suffering alcoholic who is good gun slider and ally to Wyatt. Kilmer makes him softly spoken and a slightly campy fella but still a tough man to fight against despite his illness. Elliot is always a strong performer and most of the acting is solid in the film.
Reading the trivia page on IMDb, Kevin Jarre originally wrote the film as a longer, more epic story and I can see that with many elements were cut. Wyatt's relationships with wife and Josephine were not explored very much and I bet in the original version of the script there would have been more of a focus on personal drama. After the family is attacked as well the film seems to speed alone very quickly as Wyatt and Holiday hunt the Cowboys: it feels very rushed.
Overall Tombstone is enjoyable to anyone who is a fan of the Western genre.