Travis McClain

This reminds me how incredulous a lot of viewers are about the creek shootout in Tombstone, though Kevin Jarre maintains that it was documented to have really happened that way (with Wyatt Earp firing through, and emerging unscathed from, a crossfire).

That said, I'm generally fine with unlikely accuracy in my Westerns. I divorce my historicism from my desire for mythology when it comes to the genre, unless it's something so outrageous that it takes me out of the movie. I don't know which Winchester model was released in what year, so I can remain oblivious to things like that which can ruin a movie for a more dedicated viewer.

Hokeyboy

It did seem always busy doing something close to nothing.

gmanca

The thing that makes "Assassination" work is the cinematography and the music; Nick Cave's work was amazing and worked well with the long shots, like the tracking through the snow sequence.

SmackDaddy

This is part of what makes that fight so awesome. The guns of that time were not accurate, even at close range. I just like that it doesn't have the typical 5 minutes of pontificating and everyone explaining their motives, they walk up to each other and BAM!! It begins.

Supermallet

But different than the day before.

foofighters7

at least I'm not the only one who hears Prince songs embedded within people's words.

I thought the exact same thing. haha

Anubis2005X

I can't friggin' wait for Open Range to come out on Blu-ray. The gunfire sounds so loud/incredible just on DVD...it just might blow out my system in lossless!

Boba Fett

"Assassination of Jesse James" with "The Proposition" a close second.

AoJJ is such a brilliantly crafted film that P.T. Anderson's editor, Michael Kahn (Spielberg's go to guy, who Warner hired to trim it) Brad Pitt, and Ridley Scott all tried editing it to a more commercial time length but agreed it damaged the story too much.


It's a film that if you cut the slow pace and lingering shots, you alter the tone to an artificial hurry which doesn't reflect the way the character development unfolds.

Solid Snake

Well..it was only 2 parts..but is that still called a miniseries? I guess it is...but I got the BD of it and hot damn....I loved it. Duvall in a western is just gold. I want him in another.

Geofferson

Voted for Jesse James as well. Recently re-watched this and it actually improved on a second viewing.

resinrats

Had to pick The Alamo since that is the only one I've seen on the list.

flixtime

Ash Ketchum, John Wayne's THE ALAMO is one of my absolute all-time favorite films. I've seen a fair share of other related films too such as the Disney/Fess Parker Crockett films; Sterling Hayden's THE LAST COMMAND; the TV ALAMO with Arness, Brian Keith, and Alec Baldwin; and some other related entries such as McCrea's THE FIRST TEXAN; Michener's TEXAS; Sam Elliot's HOUSTON; and the Alan Ladd film you mentioned.

I wasn't expecting much out the 2004 version as I recall it was a troubled production. I believe Ron Howard was initially attached to direct and with a larger budget. And I seem to remember some "print the legend"-type issues with The Daughters of the Republic of Texas or some such groups. So I was thoroughly pleased with how well the final product turned out. It is my favorite film among those listed in the poll by an easy margin; it simply has the most rewatchability/replay value for me. The "harmony" scene is one of my absolute favorite scenes from any recent film. I don't mind sentiment in my films and in that sense THE ALAMO appeals to me much more than the others in the poll - many of which I enjoyed - but they didn't really stir the emotions for me. As a fan of the Wayne version, I'm of course a fan of Laurence Harvey's stirring "line in the sand" scene/speech and I couldn't imagine how the 2004 version would handle that. And yet, I thought Patrick Wilson's handling of that scene in the 2004 version was also excellently executed, and just as stirring.

I don't know what had to be sacrificed - I suspect a great deal - in the story to appease the protectors of the legend, but I think they still did manage something interesting in the new version. The closing scenes with Crockett were very interesting. As you mentioned the issue of them being trapped by their celebrity was an interesting take. Especially if you consider a film such as Glenn Ford's THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO where you see how villified Ford's character is for leaving the Alamo. Even the look at the responsibility of leadership was interesting and I liked how Crockett gives a quick "sorry about all this" to his last few surviving companions. I recall the responsibility of leadership was also glanced upon in the Wayne version, but I really liked the "sorry" line from Crockett in this new version. And of course, the perspective on Crockett from the Mexican sergeant was a terrific touch and goes along with what you wrote that he was stuck because of the legend around him. So, while it might not have been the film that they initially wanted to make, I still very much enjoyed the final product and it managed to be a film still not without substance (despite all the stumbling blocks along the way). And, heck, to keep it all simple, the 2004 version was moving and just wonderfully entertaining...so that's why it got my vote...an easy call for me.

Dr Mabuse

'The Alamo'(2004) is terrific.

I love that film and I've watched it several times.

Jam Master Jay

I ended up voting for The Proposition. Cinematography and music were amazing. That solo violin that was used in parts of the score/main theme really added to the overall feel of the movie giving it this really dirty and gritty feel to it. Despite it being a little on the slower side as far as the pace goes I thought it was a fantastic movie.

Strevlac

I always hear about how great the cinematography is in Open Range and Apaloosa and I have to wonder if something happened in the film to DVD transfer. I never saw these two in the theater, and while having enjoyed them both on DVD, I was really disappointed in the color...they both had that wierd washed out digital intermediate look that most films from the 00's have. For those who saw these two theatrically did they look appreciably better color wise in the theater?

Solid Snake

well...DVD's resolution is NOWHERE near Film's so....I bet there's an issue in quality right there w/ just the numbers.

Strevlac

Yeah, I realise the limitation with resolution vs 35mm film, but I'm less clear on color limitations. I suspect they are just bad transfers. I've seen plenty of movies where the color looked like crap but then the trailer on the same disc looked a lot better. I'm thinking of the Braveheart DVD off the top of my head. Hopefully these two will get a quality bluray release where I don't feel like I'm looking at the film through dirty dishwater.

Shannon Nutt

I haven't seen all 10 movies in the poll (including TRUE GRIT), but I had to vote for THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES...when I reviewed it when it was first released, I called it "The Godfather of Westerns" and I still feel that way. An incredibly underseen and underappreciated movie. It was fantastic.

JohnnyMovie

The Missing (2003)

thecrazydude

True grit!

TheNightFlier

Open Range.

SethDLH

I just watched Appaloosa for the first time and thought it was pretty good. Not better than The Proposition or True Grit but pretty good. The DVD transfer is questionable in some parts though.

Solid Snake

the fucking character that Renee Zwellweger or whatever plays...man...take that character out and let it just be Mortensen and Harris being awesome. What was the book like? Was she annoying in that too? or was it just the way she played it?

Ash Ketchum

I think she was meant to be annoying--and Zellweger certainly did a great job conveying it. The point is to give Ed Harris some kind of moral or ethical (or social) dilemma. Does he stick with her or dump her? Does he learn to accept her flaws and create a relationship anyway? Or does he do what every other western hero with a lick of common sense would have done and put her ass on the next stage out of town with stern instructions to the driver not to stop until he reaches the Pacific Ocean? I think her presence gives the film a very unusual emotional subtext that made it a little different from most westerns I've seen. It was kind of refreshing.

See GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1957) and check out Wyatt Earp's and Doc Holliday's love interests, to see how similar situations were handled in a more classic western. (And handled in a mature, adult way, if you ask me.)


And then for the complete opposite, go watch a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans western.

Dr Mabuse

Zellwigger ( ) played an ego-centric, self-serving slut who would do anything to get more/better for herself. Which, women who were going to survive and not be an outright whore in the west actually were quite often.

The fact that Zellwigger played the part so convincingly is due to art reflecting life. Sort of like Mike Tyson playing a boxer in a movie.