Lonesome Dove: Le crépuscule

If you haven't seen any of the other "Lonesome Dove" movies, "Streets of Laredo" is a strong drama with an excellent cast. James Garner is arguably America's least appreciated actor because he was always so handsome and charismatic. News flash: He's a terrific actor, not just a movie/TV star. Sissy Spacek is always wonderful. And all supporting parts filled with fine actors.

Problem is, for those of us who've seen the others in this saga, much of this one doesn't make sense. We have no idea of the year. "Lonesome Dove" was set in 1877, a year after "Custer's Last Stand." Gus, Woodrow and Pea Eye were "old men" about 50 years old who'd been together for 30 years. Lorena was in her early 20s, shy and illiterate. Now Woodrow is perhaps ten years older, Lorena is much older, and is a strong, worldly schoolteacher married to a Pea Eye who's at least ten years younger than the original Pea Eye. They've been married for at least 15 years, and have five children. And Woodrow and Pea Eye have STILL known each other only 30 years.

We wonder why Woodrow is in Laredo instead of at his thriving ranch in Montana. We wonder how and where Lorena and Pea Eye got together, given she went to San Francisco while Pea Eye stayed at the Montana ranch.

The novel doubtless fills in lots of these gaps, but the movie shouldn't require reading the novel. Perhaps McMurtry, a true American literary treasure, just threw this screenplay together.

But even those of us who know and love "Lonesome Dove," still one of the three best things ever made for television (with "Gettysburg" and "Band of Brothers"), can detach "Streets of Laredo" from the other three, ignore its many flaws, and just watch it on its own. When we do that, we enjoy a lot of wonderful acting in a very good drama.

Streets of Laredo - The sequel to Lonesome Dove

Streets of Laredo has much to offer - a long tale of famous Texas legends - some fictional, like Captain Woodrow F. Call, others real - John Wesley Hardin (played by Randy Quaid) and Judge Roy Bean (played by Ned Beatty).

If you're looking for a film to take you back to the wild, wild West, this one will do. It's a quiet story though, not full of action, as some shoot-em-ups are. Like Lonesome Dove it has heartbreak and pain, and some very quiet humor. Roy Bean and Call have a particularly great scene together, as do the young killer Call is after and John Wesley Hardin.

The story is also full of great ideas, something sorely lacking in most films. Family. Loyalty. Old Age. Change. Eastern values. Western traditions.

And while Sam Shephard has always been a respected actor, he MAKES this movie as he is at the center of one of the oldest conflicts on Earth - what makes a man a man, family or duty. He is so quiet! And so powerful when he does speak. His wife Lorena, played by Sissy Spacek, speaks for him most eloquently. Is she, or is she not THE greatest actor Texas ever produced? Who knew George Carlin could act?

James Garner is genuine, and authentic, as he always is.

The story is full of great characters - who fall away until the principles are left to resolve, or not resolve their conflicts.

The score is haunting, the cinematography is especially beautiful, the story is timeless, which is what one expects from Larry McMurtry.

Enjoy!

Aging ex-Captain Woodrow Call (James Garner) from Texas Rangers , is hired by a railroad chief (Charles Martin Smith) to hunt a ruthless murderer called Joey Garza (Alexis Cruz) , only a boy , who kills mercilessly . He joins forces with an Indian scout (Wes Studi) and Pea Eye (Sam Shepard) , whose wife (Sissy Spacek) , a school teacher and ex-whore , is reluctant his husband to follow Woodrow . Both of them decide to leave their quiet life for a last adventure against a savage renegade Mexican and another brutal killer named Mox Mox (Kevin Conway) who burns people . But the past, in the form of Maria Garza (Sonia Braga) and other sad events emerge , taking pace fateful consequences . Later on , Pea Eye's wife (Sissy Spacek) leaves her farm and children and sets out in looking for her husband with unexpected results .

This handsome TV miniseries is a finely detailed evocation of the Old West with an awesome casting and equaly fine production . Including appearance of famous historical characters , such as Judge Roy Bean/Nead Beatty ¨Justice of the Peace , Law West of the Pecos¨ and the notorious gunslinger : John Wesley Hardin : Randy Quaid . However , some changes were made , but the novel and miniseries don't match . Classic Western saga with outstanding and wonderful performances in which a long ride to south Texas and the Mexican side of the border takes place . As James Garner gives a very good acting as Woodrow Call , an ex-captain , now retired from the Rangers, and actually working as a bounty hunter . He is hired by an Eastern rail baron and being joined by his old compadre Pea Eye marvelously performed by Sam Shepard . Sonia Braga as killer's mother who haunts Call provides a splendid interpretation . Alexis Cruz plays a new kind of killer, only a young boy who kills relentlessly from distance with a rifle . And a great support cast who sometimes steal the show : Sissy Spacek , Wes Studi , Charles Martin Smith , Vanessa Martinez , George Carlin , James Gammon , Kevin Conway , Ned Beatty , Randy Quaid , among others . Based on Pulitzer prize-winner Larry McMurtry's novel , whose books about Woodrow Call have been well adapted in ¨Lonesome Dove¨ 1989 by Simon Wincer with Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones , Angelica Huston , Danny Glover , Diane Lane , Robert Urich . Followed by ¨Return to Lonesome Dove¨ 1993 that picks up after the burial of Gus by his friend Call , now played by John Voight , and with William H Petersen , Barbara Hershey, Edward James Olmos , Keith Carradine , Rick Schroeder , Oliver Reed , Nia Peeples , Luis Gosset Jr , being directed by Mike Robe . And a prequel : ¨Larry McMurtry's Dead man's walk¨ 1996 which focuses on the teenaged Gus , David Arquette , and Woodrow , Johnny Lee Miller , along with Harry Dean Stanton , Brian Dennehy , Jennifer Garner , Joaquin De Almeida , F Murray Abraham . An Tv series 1995-96 : 22 episodes with Scott Bairstow as Call , Eric McCormack , Paul Lee Mat , Tracy Scoggins , Paul Johansson , Molly Parker and several others .

This nail-biting and heart-pounding Western was compellingly directed by Joseph Sargent , without a doubt one of the best miniseries of the 90s . Sargent directed as TV as cinema films with enjoyable results . Desperate , swift , nimble realization from Sargent who has made some of television's finest hours , he's been a monster hit in the 70s , 8os and 90s . Joseph made all kinds of genres , such as Comedy : ¨Coast to coast¨, ¨Tribes¨; Court-room drama : ¨Never forget¨ ; Sports : ¨Golden girl¨ ; Sci-Fi: ¨Colossus the forbidden Project¨ ; Biography : ¨MacArthur¨ , ¨Abraham¨, ¨Manions of America¨, ¨Mandela and Klerk¨ , ¨Arturo Sandoval story¨ , ¨WWII when lions roared¨ ; Terror : ¨Nightmares¨, ¨Jaws, the revenge¨ ; Drama : ¨The incident¨, ¨A lesson before dying¨ , ¨Passion Flower¨ ; Novels adaptation : ¨Dostoevsky's Crime and punishment¨ ; action : ¨While lightning¨ and this Western : ¨Streets of Laredo¨ . Rating : Above average . Essential and indispensable watching for Western lovers .

Granted, both the original Lonesome Dove novel and film are unique works of extremely fascinating classic story telling. Streets of Laredo obviously has a great deal to live up to and, when viewed or read in conjunction with Dove, it does suffer in the sense that our familiarity is slightly snubbed. Of course not much can measure up to the original, and so obviously this is something that cannot be helped. This sequel is far more brutal and violent that its predecessor. Violent death or at least the threat of it is an ever present character awash on Laredo's landscape much more than Dove.That said, Streets of Laredo as a film stands firmly upon its own merits which are quite impressive.Firstly, the cast is sublime. James Garner, always a vastly underrated actor, creates a stoic yet tragic Call. His final scene is at once heart breaking and resonating with strong quiet hope. His performance is all about what film acting aspires to become: he moves mountains without words.The rest of the cast is on equal footing with Garner. Playwrite Sam Shepard's Pea Eye, although losing much of Tim Scott's original Bentonesque forlorn rube, is filled with earthy heroism and and poetry. Sissy Spacek, as the whore re-incarnated as a schoolmarm Lorena produces the tough backbone needed to survive the Texas prarie. Comedian George Carlin's finely drawn panhandle scamp solidifies the theory that the border between comedy and tragedy is narrow at best. These are just a few of the excellent standouts in the sound ensemble.Secondly, there is the very narrative itself. It plays like a Sunday funeral dirge-ever aware of the passing of an era, yet peering into a glimmer future of simple optimism and hope. In McMurtry's frequently brutal world, everyone has a shot at redemption. Grace isn't free but it is availble to all willing to run the gauntlet, as long as they have a pure heart. In this film, pure of heart may not necessarily mean pure of deed, but at least evil is evil and good is good.This film bravely balances the aformentioned violence with scenes of wry humour and gentleness. In that regard, Laredo comes the closest anyone has come to honoring Peckinpah's greater works.The film, because it was produced for television is already mostly forotten by the minnions, but richly deserving of an audience. Enjoy and Savor.

One of the first things I do after watching a movie I really like, is checking reviews of others...professionals and amateurs, as listed here. It's very frustrating reading some of them. Why do people compare them? Why do they look for faults? Why do they not see and praise the positive aspects and ease up on critical commentary? It's like comparing apples & oranges & bananas & strawberries, etc. Comparing a film to the book or a previous film seems overly critical to me. It always bothered me when Siskel & Ebert & Roeper, et al. rated films as bad or good...thumbs up or down...see it or don't see it. Streets of Laredo is a perfect example. A lot of superb work was put into this fascinating sequel by the director, the cinematographer, the actors, the music composer, the art directors and more. It deserves more than comparisons with the equally superb mini-series Lonesome Dove and its fabulous other sequels. James Garner's Woodrow Call was terrific, so was Tommy Lee Jones' but is it fair to compare them? Cissy Spacek's Lorena was just as good as Diane Lane's as were Sam Shephard's and Tim Scott's Pea Eye interpretations. How do you rate cake and pie? Is one better than the other? Should you condemn it to thumbs down or tell others to avoid it? Maybe to some people this is the way. One constant in all the LD sequels is Larry McMurtry's brilliant characterizations. And don't complain about character development. It takes time to develop a character's nuances and profile. E.G Archie Bunker, Mary Richards, Barney Miller and friends. How long a movie do you want to watch? To wrap it up, Streets of Laredo is a superb film with great acting, directing, cinematography, and a stirring musical score and more. So was Lonesome Dove, Return to Lonesome Dove, Dead Man's Walk, Comanche Moon and the TV series. They're all different but great!