Appaloosa

Maybe I was in the mood for a great western but there's no denying Appaloosa is a great film. Some may compare it to recent westerns like 3:10 to Yuma but Appaloosa doesn't heft violence like that oater. Appaloosa deals with themes explored in Open Range but doesn't share that film's sense of traditional values. Somebody at the screening mentioned Unforgiven but that's recalling another western rather than a film Appaloosa resembles. The title refers to a town, unlike the film The Appaloosa from 1966, which starred Marlon Brando and concerned the pursuit of a horse thief.

Ed Harris (who also directs) and Viggo Mortensen are a couple of peace keepers for hire who ride into Appaloosa at the bequest of the town fathers (including a bumbling Timothy Spall and a restrained James Gammon). A local landowner (Jeremy Irons) killed the previous marshall and his deputies and unless he's brought to justice he'll continue to terrorize the townspeople.

The relation between Harris and Mortensen makes the film come alive. These are great roles and it's likely that many actors would've rode the saddle to play such good guy parts. These are a couple of guys who live by a code of ethics that include not hitting on the other guy's woman. The small town sets and Dean Semler's (this guy has shot everything) expansive photography give the film true grit.

The plot begins to twist when Renee Zellweger arrives penniless in town and Harris sets her up as the saloon's piano player. Harris and Mortensen bring Irons to justice but a daring escape (it's good to see Lance Henriksen in top form) and a Presidential pardon change the landscape.

Much of the dialogue and the situations feel contemporary but the pacing is strictly 19th century. The finale makes you realize the meaning of the phrase "men were men." Appaloosa would be a classic western if it was from the 50s and directed by Budd Boetticher or Anthony Mann, or from the 70s starring Lee Marvin or Stacy Keach. Yet it's here today and worth catching before it's gone tomorrow.