A Great 'Open Range' Review From Dark Horizons
07-29-03, 10:28 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: London, Super England Land
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Great 'Open Range' Review From Dark Horizons
Here it is:
Review
"Open Range" - A Review by 'Dr. Lovelick'
So many westerns made these days are married with style and little substance. To me, it almost feels as if you're making a period piece where actors are not really trying to embody the characters they play but rather trying to make an impression. Same goes with costumes and makeup. They make the characters so shiny and elegant looking, that everything feels artificial. In the case of Westerns, being that they take place years back into the 19th century, you often wonder... Is this the way everyone behaved and everything looked back in those times? The Western genre has been deemed to be old and tiresome, as if it's grown duller as the years have passed. People say the Western genre is dying. Is it really dying or are people not bothering to actually write decent stories? Nothing's really dead unless it's been made the exact same way over and over again.
It is to the great credit of Kevin Costner that he does not make this mistake in directing "Open Range." Unlike many Westerns which present themselves in the obvious, classy good ol' times feel to them, this one keeps its eye on the story the whole time. In fact, this movie gets so caught up in telling the story, it’s as if we’re not reminded that we’re watching a Western.
There is something very inspired in the way Costner sets this film up versus most pictures which are made these days, Western or not. Unlike most filmmakers who start their movies off with a great attention grabber, don’t follow up that moment with more interesting images and depth, and leave the ending unsatisfying, Costner builds and builds on the narrative of “Open Range” as the movie progresses. At first one might not feel that compelled at the beginning. The movie starts off with credits rolling in front of a vast landscape but nothing instant to grab people. If this is a turnoff for people, then perhaps they need to be more patient. If one were to actually allow “Open Range” to progress, then they’d be very interested as minutes pass. And what to come in the narrative are images and moments which you never would expect in an average Western picture…
1) No subplots- In a lesser film such as “Texas Cowboys” or “American Outlaws,” you’d have the narrative quickly move from one scene to another without much time to really get to know the characters. In “Open Range,” plot isn’t the main concern here. Costner is more interested in focusing on the story as a character study. No MTV-style cutting nor overly-stylistic panoramic shots to be found here.
2) No larger-than-life heroes. Here we have Costner and Robert Duvall playing characters (Charley Waite and “Boss” respectively) who while are the lead characters and virtually in every scene (either together or separate), the texture of the two does not overwhelm any other character. While “Open Range” is far from having the style of filmmaking that Italian Neorealism uses, it still takes consideration in showing mainly how characters fit in society, instead of them trying to show off cool tricks solely for entertainment purposes. Charley and Boss are basically two guys who have lots of morals and if they screw up, they know that they should try to improve on their mistakes. In fact, both Charley and Boss much different characters that you would expect.
*Charley has a good heart but in reality, his violent actions have made his decisions irrational. When Charley tries to kill one of Baxter’s (Michael Gambon) goons after he’s wounded in cold blood, Boss tells him that if he does, his actions won’t be any different than Baxter and his men’s. Kevin Costner, in one of his better performances, shows how Charley is often an insecure man who is trying his best to be a good. In a way, Charley’s violent nature is comparable to the Henry Oak character Ray Liotta plays in “Narc,” except in a more subtle way.
Boss (played by Robert Duvall in a performance that should win him a Best Actor nomination) may be smarter than Charley but he’s really not acting as if he’s a show off. He’s really trying to be there to keep Charley in check. Boss is probably the most moralistic out of any character in “Open Range” because he’s the one who believes in common sense, while being considerate towards others. Take for instance when bringing Button (Diego Luna) in to get cared for, he asks Sue (Annette Bening) how much her services will cost. Sue doesn’t feel she should charge him but Boss insists on paying her. In a way, Boss believes people should work hard and always deserve a reward for their labor.
3) Charley and Sue’s relationship in this film does not involve sex and does not cut to the kissing too quickly. Rarely are relationships in film ever about the slow progress of real relationships. There’s this scene where Charley sees Sue start to clean the dishes, prompting him to volunteer to take over cleaning the dishes in the sink and insisting that Sue take a breather. At this moment, you would expect “Open Range” to rush to the kissing, leaving Charley and Sue’s conversation forced. Not so. Charley is clearly attracted to Sue but instead of saying she’s a pretty girl or hitting on her, he talks about other things such as what may happen to Button (Diego Luna) and what Boss is dealing with. The result of this scene is something very real and completely the opposite of the relationship Costner and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio had in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.” Here we have not a sexual or lust moment but rather a moment when Charley simply wants to be a good man and ease Sue’s pain. Then at the end of “Open Range,” Charley and Sue finally kissing each other (for the first time!). However, no overly sentimental soap opera is to be found here. Instead, we see Charley and Sue as real, imperfect people, not as lovers with speaking typical, soppy, “I love you this” “I love you that” dialog.
4) Remember Diego Luna from “Y Tu Mama Tambien?” In case you never knew, Luna played Tenoch, the brown haired best friend of Julio. Well in here, instead of Luna creating a character who is always trying to remind us he’s Spanish, he develops his character of Button as if he was another person living his life. In fact, no person in “Open Range” ever has a sensitivity issue towards Button being Spanish nor does he get glorified into a stereotypical Spanish individual. The only time where you think anything is being discussed about Button’s background is when Charley mentions to Sue that he found Button homeless in Texas (which of course is right next to part of Mexico). However, that implies, more than it explains.
5) There is hardly any makeup. Here Kevin Costner’s intention supposedly is to make “Open Range” authentic enough that to not include makeup would mean to see the flawed skin and emotions of characters a lot easier than if they had pounds of powder touched densely all over their faces.
6) There’s a scene when Charley is to save a terrier dog from being swept away in a flood in town. Instead of the sequence being a long, triumphant scene of excitement, it becomes more reality-based. Here Charley tries to and successfully grab the dog from being drowned in water and everything is quiet. No music present.
7) In the end shootout scene, you’d expect the villagers to crowd around left and right in town, leaving the road as the center point of the shootout. Instead of that happening, many villagers actually leave town! Realistically, potential violence doesn’t necessarily provoke people to want to see it.
I could go on and on about the many clichés “Open Range” has avoided but that’s enough for you to get the idea. Essentially if you are expecting an action type of Western, you’re in for the wrong film. There is really only one big action sequence but it doesn’t occur until near the end. By this time, we’d have gotten to know Charley, Boss, Sue, and Button so well, that when this action sequence happens, you really care for their well-being. It’s as if Kevin Costner holds off on really doing much action of any sort until the end, simply because to have action occur without any character development prior would leave the viewer empty.
In this action sequence, which doesn’t involve as much dialog as others scenes do, we are treated in one of the most visually stunning and exciting shootout sequences since the big battle scene in “The Wild Bunch.” Costner cuts back and forth and back and forth as a way of showing tension between Charley & Boss’s side, Baxter and his men, the villagers, Sue, and Button. How this sequence starts and ends, I will not tell. All I can say is that the payoff is striking and the timing of this sequence is amazing. And how the “Open Range” cuts from one shot to another showing gunshots going off… If anyone ever complained about such shots in Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life being unexciting, you will be relieved when you see this sequence in “Open Range.” It’s a masterful sequence of quick editing and timing that should earn the film another Academy Award Nomination at least for Best Film Editing.
As much as I want to emphasize “Open Range” is heading the Western genre in exactly the right direction as it should be going, I found there to be one fault in it: the villains. Whereas all of the good people in this movie are richly detailed, the bad guys (including Baxter) just seem too evil. I remember Harry Knowles saying he got sick and tired of the villains whom act and think in the sense of, “ewww, I’m so evil!” and have the traditional sinister grins on their faces. However, considering “Open Range” is a fiction film and is really trying to give us a statement on moral values, being so focused on developing three-dimensional villains isn’t as important. It helps but it could be a lot worse. “Open Range” could have been very mediocre as whole.
By the way, it would be harsh not to mention the late Michael Jeter. As many people have raved about him ever since he died, Jeter gives one of his greatest, if not the best, performance as Percy, the man whom Charley and Boss have the best relationship in town. Every moment Jeter has on screen is memorable and timeless. His acting shows Percy as a humane and very considerate man, one that anyone would want to have as a friend. And the moments in which Jeter appears on screen with Costner and Duvall in the shootout scene just makes you want to love Jeter even more. May he rest in peace.
Anyway, onto the Q&A session. Now I was told that Kevin Costner was going to answer questions after “Open Range” ended. What I wasn’t prepared was how honest Costner was in responding to whatever people in the audience had to ask him. I don’t remember what the exact questions were but I’ll summarize a few things Costner said throughout the session…
1) Costner made a statement saying something along the lines of, “a film’s value is worth more than its box office gross, no matter if you show it to someone 5 years or 20 years from now.”
2) Costner went about how he feels Westerns made these days are dull and have more style than substance, that they have little recognition for history.
3) He also was modest enough to actually admit he made mistakes in his career. What was nice was that Costner went into detail about how certain films he’s starred in have had great stories but that in the post-production stage, they got butchered up to the lowest common denominator.
4) Costner also mentioned Michael Jeter was a great actor whom he misses. He said he showed Jeter “Open Range” about two weeks (maybe even more) before he died.
So that’s about all I have to say. Now my last words… If you are a great fan of the Western genre and have wanted to see a worthy Western for so long, please do not avoid seeing “Open Range.” I can guarantee you it is NOT crap and forgettable entertainment as plenty of movies these days tend to be. Also, “Open Range” is the film that has redeemed Costner for sure from “The Postman.”
I can't wait for this movie...
Review
"Open Range" - A Review by 'Dr. Lovelick'
So many westerns made these days are married with style and little substance. To me, it almost feels as if you're making a period piece where actors are not really trying to embody the characters they play but rather trying to make an impression. Same goes with costumes and makeup. They make the characters so shiny and elegant looking, that everything feels artificial. In the case of Westerns, being that they take place years back into the 19th century, you often wonder... Is this the way everyone behaved and everything looked back in those times? The Western genre has been deemed to be old and tiresome, as if it's grown duller as the years have passed. People say the Western genre is dying. Is it really dying or are people not bothering to actually write decent stories? Nothing's really dead unless it's been made the exact same way over and over again.
It is to the great credit of Kevin Costner that he does not make this mistake in directing "Open Range." Unlike many Westerns which present themselves in the obvious, classy good ol' times feel to them, this one keeps its eye on the story the whole time. In fact, this movie gets so caught up in telling the story, it’s as if we’re not reminded that we’re watching a Western.
There is something very inspired in the way Costner sets this film up versus most pictures which are made these days, Western or not. Unlike most filmmakers who start their movies off with a great attention grabber, don’t follow up that moment with more interesting images and depth, and leave the ending unsatisfying, Costner builds and builds on the narrative of “Open Range” as the movie progresses. At first one might not feel that compelled at the beginning. The movie starts off with credits rolling in front of a vast landscape but nothing instant to grab people. If this is a turnoff for people, then perhaps they need to be more patient. If one were to actually allow “Open Range” to progress, then they’d be very interested as minutes pass. And what to come in the narrative are images and moments which you never would expect in an average Western picture…
1) No subplots- In a lesser film such as “Texas Cowboys” or “American Outlaws,” you’d have the narrative quickly move from one scene to another without much time to really get to know the characters. In “Open Range,” plot isn’t the main concern here. Costner is more interested in focusing on the story as a character study. No MTV-style cutting nor overly-stylistic panoramic shots to be found here.
2) No larger-than-life heroes. Here we have Costner and Robert Duvall playing characters (Charley Waite and “Boss” respectively) who while are the lead characters and virtually in every scene (either together or separate), the texture of the two does not overwhelm any other character. While “Open Range” is far from having the style of filmmaking that Italian Neorealism uses, it still takes consideration in showing mainly how characters fit in society, instead of them trying to show off cool tricks solely for entertainment purposes. Charley and Boss are basically two guys who have lots of morals and if they screw up, they know that they should try to improve on their mistakes. In fact, both Charley and Boss much different characters that you would expect.
*Charley has a good heart but in reality, his violent actions have made his decisions irrational. When Charley tries to kill one of Baxter’s (Michael Gambon) goons after he’s wounded in cold blood, Boss tells him that if he does, his actions won’t be any different than Baxter and his men’s. Kevin Costner, in one of his better performances, shows how Charley is often an insecure man who is trying his best to be a good. In a way, Charley’s violent nature is comparable to the Henry Oak character Ray Liotta plays in “Narc,” except in a more subtle way.
Boss (played by Robert Duvall in a performance that should win him a Best Actor nomination) may be smarter than Charley but he’s really not acting as if he’s a show off. He’s really trying to be there to keep Charley in check. Boss is probably the most moralistic out of any character in “Open Range” because he’s the one who believes in common sense, while being considerate towards others. Take for instance when bringing Button (Diego Luna) in to get cared for, he asks Sue (Annette Bening) how much her services will cost. Sue doesn’t feel she should charge him but Boss insists on paying her. In a way, Boss believes people should work hard and always deserve a reward for their labor.
3) Charley and Sue’s relationship in this film does not involve sex and does not cut to the kissing too quickly. Rarely are relationships in film ever about the slow progress of real relationships. There’s this scene where Charley sees Sue start to clean the dishes, prompting him to volunteer to take over cleaning the dishes in the sink and insisting that Sue take a breather. At this moment, you would expect “Open Range” to rush to the kissing, leaving Charley and Sue’s conversation forced. Not so. Charley is clearly attracted to Sue but instead of saying she’s a pretty girl or hitting on her, he talks about other things such as what may happen to Button (Diego Luna) and what Boss is dealing with. The result of this scene is something very real and completely the opposite of the relationship Costner and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio had in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.” Here we have not a sexual or lust moment but rather a moment when Charley simply wants to be a good man and ease Sue’s pain. Then at the end of “Open Range,” Charley and Sue finally kissing each other (for the first time!). However, no overly sentimental soap opera is to be found here. Instead, we see Charley and Sue as real, imperfect people, not as lovers with speaking typical, soppy, “I love you this” “I love you that” dialog.
4) Remember Diego Luna from “Y Tu Mama Tambien?” In case you never knew, Luna played Tenoch, the brown haired best friend of Julio. Well in here, instead of Luna creating a character who is always trying to remind us he’s Spanish, he develops his character of Button as if he was another person living his life. In fact, no person in “Open Range” ever has a sensitivity issue towards Button being Spanish nor does he get glorified into a stereotypical Spanish individual. The only time where you think anything is being discussed about Button’s background is when Charley mentions to Sue that he found Button homeless in Texas (which of course is right next to part of Mexico). However, that implies, more than it explains.
5) There is hardly any makeup. Here Kevin Costner’s intention supposedly is to make “Open Range” authentic enough that to not include makeup would mean to see the flawed skin and emotions of characters a lot easier than if they had pounds of powder touched densely all over their faces.
6) There’s a scene when Charley is to save a terrier dog from being swept away in a flood in town. Instead of the sequence being a long, triumphant scene of excitement, it becomes more reality-based. Here Charley tries to and successfully grab the dog from being drowned in water and everything is quiet. No music present.
7) In the end shootout scene, you’d expect the villagers to crowd around left and right in town, leaving the road as the center point of the shootout. Instead of that happening, many villagers actually leave town! Realistically, potential violence doesn’t necessarily provoke people to want to see it.
I could go on and on about the many clichés “Open Range” has avoided but that’s enough for you to get the idea. Essentially if you are expecting an action type of Western, you’re in for the wrong film. There is really only one big action sequence but it doesn’t occur until near the end. By this time, we’d have gotten to know Charley, Boss, Sue, and Button so well, that when this action sequence happens, you really care for their well-being. It’s as if Kevin Costner holds off on really doing much action of any sort until the end, simply because to have action occur without any character development prior would leave the viewer empty.
In this action sequence, which doesn’t involve as much dialog as others scenes do, we are treated in one of the most visually stunning and exciting shootout sequences since the big battle scene in “The Wild Bunch.” Costner cuts back and forth and back and forth as a way of showing tension between Charley & Boss’s side, Baxter and his men, the villagers, Sue, and Button. How this sequence starts and ends, I will not tell. All I can say is that the payoff is striking and the timing of this sequence is amazing. And how the “Open Range” cuts from one shot to another showing gunshots going off… If anyone ever complained about such shots in Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life being unexciting, you will be relieved when you see this sequence in “Open Range.” It’s a masterful sequence of quick editing and timing that should earn the film another Academy Award Nomination at least for Best Film Editing.
As much as I want to emphasize “Open Range” is heading the Western genre in exactly the right direction as it should be going, I found there to be one fault in it: the villains. Whereas all of the good people in this movie are richly detailed, the bad guys (including Baxter) just seem too evil. I remember Harry Knowles saying he got sick and tired of the villains whom act and think in the sense of, “ewww, I’m so evil!” and have the traditional sinister grins on their faces. However, considering “Open Range” is a fiction film and is really trying to give us a statement on moral values, being so focused on developing three-dimensional villains isn’t as important. It helps but it could be a lot worse. “Open Range” could have been very mediocre as whole.
By the way, it would be harsh not to mention the late Michael Jeter. As many people have raved about him ever since he died, Jeter gives one of his greatest, if not the best, performance as Percy, the man whom Charley and Boss have the best relationship in town. Every moment Jeter has on screen is memorable and timeless. His acting shows Percy as a humane and very considerate man, one that anyone would want to have as a friend. And the moments in which Jeter appears on screen with Costner and Duvall in the shootout scene just makes you want to love Jeter even more. May he rest in peace.
Anyway, onto the Q&A session. Now I was told that Kevin Costner was going to answer questions after “Open Range” ended. What I wasn’t prepared was how honest Costner was in responding to whatever people in the audience had to ask him. I don’t remember what the exact questions were but I’ll summarize a few things Costner said throughout the session…
1) Costner made a statement saying something along the lines of, “a film’s value is worth more than its box office gross, no matter if you show it to someone 5 years or 20 years from now.”
2) Costner went about how he feels Westerns made these days are dull and have more style than substance, that they have little recognition for history.
3) He also was modest enough to actually admit he made mistakes in his career. What was nice was that Costner went into detail about how certain films he’s starred in have had great stories but that in the post-production stage, they got butchered up to the lowest common denominator.
4) Costner also mentioned Michael Jeter was a great actor whom he misses. He said he showed Jeter “Open Range” about two weeks (maybe even more) before he died.
So that’s about all I have to say. Now my last words… If you are a great fan of the Western genre and have wanted to see a worthy Western for so long, please do not avoid seeing “Open Range.” I can guarantee you it is NOT crap and forgettable entertainment as plenty of movies these days tend to be. Also, “Open Range” is the film that has redeemed Costner for sure from “The Postman.”
I can't wait for this movie...
07-29-03, 10:42 PM
#3
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just started seeing previews for this this past weekend. It was the first I had heard of it, and in all honesty I'm pretty excited about seeing it. Kevin Costner is a favorite of mine, and I don't think Robert Duval can be beaten (gotta love him in "Who's More Grizzled" skit on SNL).
With taht said, I'll just have to talk the g/f into going with me now.
With taht said, I'll just have to talk the g/f into going with me now.
07-31-03, 07:55 AM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: London, Super England Land
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
% Lisa watches "The Postman" on a big screen TV.
Lisa: Ooh, I hear this really sucks.
[she presses a button for director's commentary and Kevin Costner
appears in a split screen]
Costner: I'm sorry. I am really sorry. Ugh, ah, I don't know what I was
thinking, but "Field of Dreams" was good, wasn't it? Made us all
believe again.
Lisa: Oh, poor Mr. Costner. He tries so hard.
Costner: Aw, thanks, you're sweet to say that.
Lisa: Uh ... where are you?
Costner: [steps out from behind the TV] I'm back here. Hi, will you bring me
a sandwich? Please? No, no crusts.
Lisa: Ooh, I hear this really sucks.
[she presses a button for director's commentary and Kevin Costner
appears in a split screen]
Costner: I'm sorry. I am really sorry. Ugh, ah, I don't know what I was
thinking, but "Field of Dreams" was good, wasn't it? Made us all
believe again.
Lisa: Oh, poor Mr. Costner. He tries so hard.
Costner: Aw, thanks, you're sweet to say that.
Lisa: Uh ... where are you?
Costner: [steps out from behind the TV] I'm back here. Hi, will you bring me
a sandwich? Please? No, no crusts.
07-31-03, 09:25 AM
#5
DVD Talk Limited Edition
2) Costner went about how he feels Westerns made these days are dull and have more style than substance, that they have little recognition for history.
Did Costner ever hear of "Unforgiven".
Did Costner ever hear of "Unforgiven".
