The Quick and the Dead

Sam Elliott who is doing his level best to keep the western alive as an American art form stars in The Quick And The Dead which has nothing to do with the film Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, and Leonardo DiCaprio did. But it has one great western pedigree as the story is from the pen of Louis L'Amour.

In fact there are some elements in this story that are most similar to L'Amour's most famous western Hondo. Although Sam Elliott isn't quite the G-rated cowboy John Wayne was.

Tom Conti, Kate Capshaw and their son Kenny Morrison are traveling west to settle and work the homestead that Conti's late brother had in Wyoming territory. But they run afoul of some outlaws led by Matt Clark and the outlaws mean to them harm.

If you remember in Hondo the mutual attraction of the frontier scout and the settler's wife who is waiting for her husband to get home. That's going on big time here only Conti is very much on the scene. Elliott thinks him a worthless tenderfoot at first, but Conti's character develops over the course of the film and the more you see, the more you realize there's a lot to him. A lot more than there was to Leo Gordon in Hondo.

Nice location cinematography in Arizona standing in for Wyoming territory. The roles are well cast and cowboy heroes don't come any better than Sam Elliott.

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Robert Day, "The Quick and the Dead" is a made-for-HBO Western starring Sam Elliott as Con Vallian, a mysterious stranger who helps a family heading West in their conflict with a group of ne'er-do-wells. Vallian's desire is piqued by the wife (Kate Capshaw), is that interest mutual? Will the family make it to the Bighorn Mountains alive-and-well or will violence and adultery destroy them?

If you don't remember Kate Capshaw, she was the blonde in 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and later married director Steven Spielberg.

I was impressed with this little-known Western. Although made for cable, it's based on a Louis L'Armour book and is actually better than some theatrically released Westerns. There are flaws, like the kid's questionable acting skills and the fact that the film was noticeably shot in Northern Arizona rather than Eastern Wyoming, but -- all things considered -- this is a solid realistic Western in the tradition of "Shane" and "Will Penny." Don't expect the mythic tone of 1995's big-budget Western of the same name.

Highlights include the breathtaking cinematography, a believable and mature approach, Kate's beauty, a hackneyed plot redeemed by quality characters (like Tom Conti as the settler husband/father), insightful drama & plot surprises and, of course, Sam Elliott as the quintessential Westerner. Really, Elliott is as good or - more likely - better than any Western icon you care to name (Wayne, Eastwood, Cooper, Scott, Stewart, Costner, etc.).

There are mature and insightful themes, like the undeniable connection of Vallian and Susanna. Most of us can relate: You stumble across someone of the opposite sex and instinctively sense a palpable connection, some kind of profound mutual fascination, yet - for whatever reason - pursuing an intimate relationship is not an option. In an entire lifetime you will only experience a handful such 'connections,' or less. These exchanges are permanent because they are so potent they are forever burned into one's psyche.

"The Quick and the Dead" may not be a top-notch Western like "Dances With Wolves" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales," but it's certainly a quality Western and well worth your time.

THE MOVIE RUNS 91 minutes.

GRADE: B.

In the year 1876, Duncan McKaskel, his wife Susanna, and their young son Tom leave Pennsylvania, embarking on a journey through Wyoming- a land ripe with promise and peril. As they traverse the rugged terrain, they encounter Doc Shabbitt and his felonious gang of ruffians, who shadow their every move. It's in this precarious moment that a mysterious stranger, Con Vallian, emerges from the wilderness. Vallian's decision to aid the McKaskels sets the stage for their survival, but at what cost? In a land where justice is often dispensed down the barrel of a gun, Vallian's skills become their lifeline.

A TV movie directed by Robert Day, and based on the novel of the same name by Louis L'Amour, 'The Quick and the Dead' is a predictable but entertaining western of the old style. Much like other L'Amour works, such as 'Hondo,' 'Connagher' and 'Crossfire Trail,' the narrative deals with disparate characters who are emblematic of the cultural divide between the American East and West; characters who must learn to work together if they are to survive.

Although enjoyable, screenwriter James Lee Barrett tends towards the cliched, especially with regard to characterisation. Vallian's stoicism, Susanna's defiance, Duncan's inner turmoil, Shabbitt's eloquent villainy, Tom's awakening- all echo familiar Western archetypes, adhering to traditional character tropes of the genre. Their linear journey provides few surprises and the sparse moments of action within lack excitement or tension. Moreover, when closely examined, some aspects of the plot lack credibility. Vallian's self-sacrifice for a family he barely knows seems contrived, as does the hackneyed, underwhelming ending.

Additionally, Dick Bush opts for a conventional cinematographical approach, meaning the visuals lack flair or originality. While he adeptly captures the stark beauty of the American West, when filming in exquisite locations like Coconino National Forest and Sedona, Arizona, it would be challenging not to showcase their splendour. Furthermore, while Bush's use of close-ups and wide shots adheres to traditional Western filmmaking, tension-building techniques- such as creative framing, dynamic camera movement, or unexpected angles- are somewhat absent.

Moreover, Steve Dorff's score is overblown to the point of parody. His melodies sound like someone trying to mimic, or mock, the sentimental ballads found in your average John Wayne film; a sweeping undercurrent rolling like amber waves of grain in the wind. Conversely, Barbara Weiss's costume design brings a most welcome authenticity to proceedings, while A. Rosalind Crew's minimalistic set decoration and Chester Kaczenski's production design further enhances this visual appeal.

Sam Elliott stars as Vallian, opposite Kate Capshaw as Susanna. Elliott is pitch-perfect as the stoic, rifle-toting stranger, utilising his world-weary charm to full effect. Capshaw does commendable work as Susanna, elevating what could have been a one-note character into a believable, multifaceted personality. Tom Conti subtly underplays it as Duncan, and is very effective in a role that seems somewhat out of his comfort zone. Additionally, Matt Clark- who has appeared in many of Hollywood's best westerns- makes for a fantastic villain as Shabbitt, unhinged yet calculated, and always entertaining.

Although cliched and predictable, Robert Day's 'The Quick and the Dead' still holds entertainment value, especially for fans of old-school westerns. Despite unremarkable cinematography and an overblown score, it's a compelling piece, thanks in large part to the efforts of the cast- especially Sam Elliott and Matt Clark. While this might not be the best Louis L'Amour adaptation, it still rollicks along, like a thoroughbred at full gallop, faltering here and there; but never knocking its rider from the saddle.

The story of The Quick and the Dead is very simple: a young married couple and their son accidentally anger a gang of bandits and they begin pursuit, then a mysterious drifter begins helping them out and protecting them from said gang. However it is still a well-written story that manages to keep you interested in what's happening.

The acting is decent enough. Sam Elliot is no Clint Eastwood but he does a good job as the stranger who befriends the young settlers who are heading West. Kate Capshaw, who you may remember as Willie Scott in Indiand Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Tom Conti also deliver some great performances as the young married couple who are travelling to the West with their son in the hopes of starting a new life.

The villains are also well-portrayed. Matt Clark manages to be intimidating as the leader of the bandits, but he manages to be a fairly complex character rather than just a cardboard-cutout villain. The rest of the gang does have their own inner-conflicts which they deal with over the course of the story.

I also thought the historical references were interesting. It is mentioned that the film takes place shortly after Custer's Last Stand, although the actual events have little bearing on the main plot beyond a very brief sub-plot which I'm not going to go into detail about.

Overall, this is a very entertaining and interesting film and I'd recommend it to any fan of Westerns.

Mysterious gunslinger Sam Elliot becomes a guardian angel to genteel easterners Kate Capshaw, Tom Conti, and their young son, who've unwittingly attracted the attention of a particularly nasty gang of cutthroats.

A simple story with lots of violence, there isn't much to ponder here. However, it's always a lot of fun to watch Elliot shoot and drawl his way through a made-for-television western. Matt Clark and Patrick Kilpatrick always make good villains as well.

One thing that made me kind of uneasy though, was watching Elliot's character's almost constant drooling over the married Kate Capshaw, often times in full view of her husband and son!

On a side note, I miss these old HBO Pictures of the eighties and nineties, before they became all political, all boring, all the time.