Theatrical Review of Appaloosa

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"Killing´s just a by-product"


The Western lends itself more readily to allegory than most genres, and it´s easy to read many agendas into even the most straight-forward oater. But intentional or not, some of the parallels between "Appaloosa" and the current American political climate are quite striking.

Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and his deputy Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) ride into the town of Appaloosa. The local powerbrokers are shopping for a new Marshal to investigate the murder of the previous office-holder and to protect them from the tyranny of prime suspect and all-around baddie Randall Brigg (Jeremy Irons, channeling Daniel Plainview.)

Cole is happy to take the job, but only if the town elders sign a contract naming him the town´s one and only Decider. The ink hasn´t even dried on the hurriedly-signed Patriot Act before the newly empowered executive branch of Appaloosa gets down to the business of executing three of Bragg´s men who picked the wrong day to kick up a ruckus in the saloon.

Based on a novel by Robert B. Parker, "Appaloosa" is built out of shop-worn Western plot elements like the ones mentioned above. In addition to the new marshal and his faithful deputy, we get the usual collection of bartenders and whores, harrowing train rides, and gunslingers vying for the title of fastest draw in the West. Harris, who also directs, peppers his landscape with direct and indirect homages to a host of familiar films such as "Rio Bravo," "Pale Rider" and others; the outhouse sequence from "Unforgiven" is practically reproduced here.

Watching Ed Harris strut down a dusty Western street in his natty suit and black cowboy hat inevitably brings up memories of his starring turn in Alex Cox´s acidic Western satire "Walker" in which Harris plays a psychopathic soldier masquerading as an American patriot. Virgil Cole isn´t nearly as deranged as William Walker, but he´s an authoritarian with a violent streak that stems from deep-seated neuroses.

Chief among these is his inability to deal with women. This is rarely an issue in his macho-man universe where all he needs is his gun and his deputy. Things change, however, when the very classy and very available Mrs. Alison "Allie" French (Renée Zelwegger) steps off the train one day. Virgil impresses her by proving that he´s the head stallion in the herd, and can provide her with shelter and work with the snap of a finger. But his gracelessness leads him to ask her bluntly "Are you a whore?" because he can´t imagine what else a single woman in the West might be doing.

Allie´s abrupt introduction drastically alters the course of the story. A buddy film morphs into a love triangle that is heated on all sides. In one of the script´s sharpest moments, Everett fends off an inappropriately amorous Allie by observing that "You´re with Virgil… and so am I."

The relationship between Virgil and Everett is the real crux of the narrative. You don´t need to read a homosexual subtext into their relationship to understand that both men desperately long for each other´s approval. Everett is educated and erudite, and Virgil constantly reads in an effort to match his deputy´s vocabulary, often falling just short of finding the right word for the occasion. Meanwhile, Everett works hard to be as skilled a gunslinger as Virgil but he fails because he´s got feelings and "feelings get you killed." Everett works hard to be as flinty as his mentor, with mixed results that lead to an unexpected ending.

There would be no narrative tension if Virgil and Everett´s relationship didn´t get tested, but it´s unfortunate that Renée Zelwegger is called on to do the dirty work. Zelwegger is as woefully miscast here as she was in the period piece "Cold Mountain." Her Allie is a mousy, irritating creature who tries the patience of not only both leading men but also the audience. Quite frankly, it´s hard to see what either Virgil or Everett would want with her, especially since they´ve got each other.

This is Harris´ second turn behind the camera after the overwrought and overpraised "Pollock" (2000), and it´s a vast improvement. Harris doesn´t strive for the lyricism of "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" or the action-flick hokiness of the Crowe-Bale "3:10 to Yuma." "Appaloosa" is a no-nonsense Western that covers familiar territory, but does so with a balance of skepticism and occasional humor that provides a modern gloss without veering into revisionist territory which has, by now, become the standard approach to the Western genre.

Harris is also impressive in front of the camera and is more than matched by the infinitely malleable Mortensen who proves once more his ability to disappear into any role in any genre in any time period. Irons is enjoyably hammy as the villain, while James Gammons and Timothy Spall shine in the far-too-few scenes they are given.

"Appaloosa" doesn´t re-invent the Western, and thank goodness for that. Neither Virgil Cole nor Everett Hitch will take their place in the Western pantheon of great characters, but both are quite pleasant companions for a few hours. The film´s occasionally corny humor is endearing, and the action scenes are efficiently staged without a hint of ostentation; no slow-mo Peckinpah style ballets here. In short, Harris has crafted a rock solid Western with no desperate need to turn it into something "important." And unlike some recent genre efforts, the film gracefully ends well before it has worn out its welcome.

A 7/10 on the DVDTown scale.

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