Appaloosa

By: Gerard Iribe 1.17.2009

The Movie Itself:
The "Western" film, she's a dying breed. Once, maybe twice a year, will we be graced by a western. In 2008, we were blessed to have Appaloosa grace us with her appearance. Maybe some of us, upon hearing who the cast/crew would be, had very high hopes that it would be an epic of a film. It wasn't epic by any means, but few westerns ever are. Let's just say that some of us were floored. The film is bad ass.

The year is 1882, the setting is a fictional town in the southwest United States called "Appaloosa." Bragg (Irons) is a shady rancher who plays by his own rules, drops a lot of names, and therefore, fancies himself "untouchable." The town can't control him or his men.

Enter Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, gunmen for hire. If these two guys were in a dictionary, you'll find them under "grand vernacular." That's one of the reasons why this western is above most westerns in the genre. The dialogue. It's smart, and it’s a pleasure listening to people talk. Cole and Hitch are hired under the condition that the town will be pretty much turned over to Cole. He's the law.

Of course, what's a western without a woman. That woman is Renee Zellweger. 99% of the people that saw the film all said she was ugly in this. I sort of agree, but I think it was the way she was made up. There weren't any glamour models in the wild west. Her face is very “puffy.” Allie (Zellweger) is not all she's cracked up to be, she's a "survivor" of sorts. Virgil quickly makes her his, and Everett backs his friend’s play.

In this business, feelings get you killed. Hitch is an equal balance of feelings/badass. Cole is just badass, but tries to better himself by trying to educate himself. He tends to bounce words and definitions (literal) off of Hitch. Besides being peacemakers, they’re business partners and friends. Brothers, if you will.

The duo encounter various rift raft, past acquaintances, apache indians, and the elements. Some people may not have liked it, because in this day and age of attention deficit disorder, shit has always got to be flying in order for it to be fun and exciting. Appaloosa is grounded in its roots, to tell a smart, coherent and cohesive story. I don’t think I’ve had as much fun listening to people talk as I did with the characters in this film in a long time.

There’s some cool people in this that have bit parts like my boy Lance Henricksen, and Sam Shepard; call it a “Right Stuff” reunion.

This movie pretty much broke even at the box office, so who knows if they’ll make the sequel, “Resolution.” I haven’t read the book, so I hope it carries the same tone that Appaloosa did. Calm, cool, and smart. Those are the keywords, right there. Let’s hope for the sake of the genre, we don’t forget films like this. We need more of them.
Rating: 10/10

The Presentation:
Appaloosa is presented in a 2.40:1, 35mm print, and by God, does it looks fabulous! It's a near reference picture, with minor grain/softness added where appropriate. Director of Photography Dean Semler and Ed Harris' compositions are beautiful. It's like being there, in the dusty southwest.

The Dolby True HD soundtrack is very balanced, and it was mixed to sound "authentic." Gunshots, Hitch's 8 gauge, etc., all sound very real, so don't expect an overblown/exaggerated soundtrack. Again, natural is the keyword.
Rating: 10/10

Ed Harris as Virgil Cole (left) and Viggo Mortensen as Everett Hitch (right)

The Extras:
The film features an audio commentary track by Ed Harris and co-writer Robert Knott. Ed takes the speaking duties for most of the film, Knott, doesn’t show up until the 55 minute mark. In listening to Harris talk about the film, it becomes apparent that Appaloosa is his baby. He nurtured it, raised it, and finally, at journey's end, he's a proud father. The BD contains several deleted scenes, about 12 minutes, with optional director/writer commentary. In listening to the commentary, Ed mentions that if there was a "Director's Cut", he would restore the 12 minutes of deleted footage. He mentions it twice, so I hope he comes through with that later on.

There are several featurettes, all talking about various specific points about the production. There's an actor, historical accuracy, costume, and a cinematography featurette. Combined, they're about 20-30 minutes long, if that.

Also included Digital Copy disc.
Rating: 8/10

Overall:
After watching this film in theaters, and twice on BD, Appaloosa has carefully landed on my top 3 list for 2008. Ed Harris proves himself a very a worthy director/writer, and I hope these characters come back in the sequel. Appaloosa is a great film.
Rating: 9/10