|
| . |
|
Open Range 2003 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Kevin Costner
R, 135 min. (violence) |
 |
Starring: Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, Diego Luna, James Russo, Abraham Benrubi, Dean McDermott
Producers: David Valdes, Kevin Costner, Jake Eberts
Screenplay: Craig Storper
Cinematography: James Muro
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Released: 8.15.03 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
For a while it seemed that the Western was a thing of the past, a genre that had seen its best days long ago when John Ford
and Howard Hawks roamed the countryside with their master cinematographers. Maybe the only director that could give the genre
a shot in the arm was Kevin Costner; after all, his masterpiece Dances with Wolves won Best Picture in 1990 and
heralded his arrival as a filmmaker with considerable skill. His well-documented missteps (some would call disastrous mistakes)
included the abysmal Waterworld and the self-indulgent The Postman, films that would certainly be career-enders for most.
But here in his beautifully shot Open Range, there is reason for hope that the Western can still be well-made and thoroughly
authentic.
Costner has again leaned heavily on character development and wide ranging shots of the northwest countryside in all its
splendor to buoy a mediocre storyline. What makes Open Range so involving is watching these characters react as real
people would in the real world, not in the way most current action stars do today, which is with a cocky and unbeatable demeanor.
The film is so specific it has its two main characters, Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and Charlie Waite (Costner), discuss exactly
what will happen in a gunfight and how they will react to their opponents' moves. But it's their intricate yet respectful relationship
that elevates the film above the typical dramatic ode.
The story takes place in the early 1880s Old West, a place that is changing both in terms of demograhics and modernization.
The open lands have given place to "free grazers" or cattle owners who allow their herd to eat anywhere along their journeys.
Boss and his group of cowboys, including right-hand man Charlie, run into trouble when a local land owner, Baxter (Michael Gambon), threatens their
right to peacefully coexist on the free lands. When Baxter kills one of their cowboys and injures another, Boss and Charlie
take the injured boy into town to be cared for by Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), the sister of the only doctor in town. They
also begin to plan their revenge, which conjures up the deeds of their haunting pasts. But together they are determined to
see Baxter and the local corrupt sheriff (James Russo) taken down for the good of the townspeople.
It's important to point out that Open Range, much like Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, has no real heroes or morally upstanding
characters (save Bening's Sue), only those who act according to their conscience, to save what's left of their scarred
souls. Open Range may not have the grandeur or the breadth of Unforgiven, but it does match its penchant for delving into
the relationships of older men who trust each other completely despite their mostly hidden past deeds. Here, Boss has
been like a father figure to Charlie, who looks upon Boss as the compass to outrun his misguided previous life as a Civil War
assassin and hired hand. He's been with Boss for almost a decade, yet has never divulged his darker side; something that
is needed now to save Boss and his herd. Consider the scene when Charlie explains his past to Boss - there's no interaction,
only attentive listening on the part of Boss, who understands when best to remain silent. Their mutual respect is at the heart
of Open Range, and helps it carry the film to its concluding gunfight.
Which brings us to the gunbattle, which is one of the more competent and believable gunfights ever filmed. Costner wanted
an authentic sounding and acted scene with both close-ups and wide angles to capture the chaotic nature of killing one
another with bullets. A gunfight is not a glorious thing; it's very loud, confusing, reactionary, and of course very messy.
There's also the carnage that remains afterward - bodies don't just disappear like in other films, rather the cleanup and
evaluation is emphasized to prove that these deadly duels are not a game.
Although all the performances here are solid, it's Duvall's Boss Spearman that clearly steals the show. This is one of
Duvall's very best performances, an effort that should garner him an Oscar if there is any justice left in Hollywood. He takes
dialogue and turns it into minimal effort. His facial expressions and pauses communicate more than other words he could
utter, and his Boss portrays his world wise experience with his mannerisms and actions rather than trite and hollow
lectures. Some believe that Duvall is the greatest living actor today - something that I tend to agree with,
although a few others like Pacino and De Niro are also in the mix. His effort here in Open Range reinforces the fact that
acting is just that - acting. Words seem like a crutch for many actors, but not for Duvall.
There is a weakness in Open Range that keeps it from greatness, and that's in the forced romantic interlude between
Charlie and Sue. Here it's simply unnecessary - at least Costner keeps it from becoming too grating and manipulative. Yet
it's still here front and center, and frankly rings hollow in the film's final scenes. One could argue that two middle-aged people
could cut through the niceties and arrive at love quickly as it is portrayed here, but for what purpose? This is a film about
the bonds of friendship and the rights of free people to live in peace, not about fast-food-like love.
Costner's direction is free-flowing and malleable, yet becomes very exact and constrained in its breathtaking finale. His
film has room to breathe but effectively suffocates the viewer in its final moments during the chaotic gunfight. Costner has
used what he's learned from experiences in Wolves and the mediocre Wyatt Earp here, and does everything
just about right. The film may be a little on the long side, but when filmmaking is this interesting because of characters that
we grow to care about, it's hardly an issue. Open Range has restored the Western to viability, and that more than
anything else makes Costner's comeback film even more impressive.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
|
|
 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
© 2000 - present ReelCriticReviews
All movie pictures are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders
Their use on this site is for informational purposes only and does not imply ownership
|
