The Jack Bull

To those of us who follow any of HBO's original programming, it should come as no surprise that a film on the level of THE JACK BULL premieres on HBO. While the folks out in Hollywood are busy heaping money on so-called films such as AMERICAN OUTLAWS and TEXAS RANGERS, leave it to HBO and John Cusak to come up with the good stuff. Though the big screen fare is far glossier (and no doubt costlier), Cusak's gritty western is simply far superior. Boasting a cast including Cusak, John C. McGinley, John Goodman, and L. Q. Jones, the film out-acts its big screen competitors by a mile and a half. Combine it with a cold, smart, gritty screenplay by Cusak's dad and strong direction by John Badham and you have a film worthy of inclusion among really good Westerns.

f you want to see Ashton Kutcher, James Van Der Beek, Colin Farrell, or Usher Raymond, you'll have to rent the other two. But if you want to see something more on par with Clint Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN, well then, THE JACK BULL is calling your name!

"The Jack Bull" is an American western film released in 1999 and directed by John Badham, known for directing some competent films in the 1980s and 1990s. 1999), the film is still appreciated by lovers of the genre, providing a satisfying experience. The screenplay was written by Dick Cusack, loosely inspired by the 1810 novel by Heinrich von Kleist entitled "Michael Kohlhaas".

The story takes place in the mid-nineteenth century and accompanies the protagonist Myrl Redding, played by John Cusack. Myrl is a determined and headstrong horse breeder who finds himself embroiled in a conflict with a powerful local rancher named Henry Ballard. When Ballard mistreats two of Myrl's horses, Myrl decides to take the case to court. However, Judge Wilkins dismisses Myrl's claim. Disgusted, Myrl begins a journey of revenge, facing several obstacles on the way.

During her fight for justice, Myrl faces resistance from a corrupt system and faces the odds imposed by Ballard's power and influence. Throughout the narrative, the film explores themes such as honor, ethics, revenge and the personal price of remaining true to one's principles.

However, the clumsy performances of John Cusack and LQ Jones somewhat undermine the quality of the film. Despite this, western enthusiasts will find enough reason to appreciate the film's plot and atmosphere.

A notable highlight in this western is the musical score, composed by Lennie Niehaus (1929-2020); he was responsible for the music for several films by actor and director Clint Eastwood. The soundtrack adds to the Wild West ambiance and complements the scenes in an engaging way.

Much of the scenes were filmed at CL Ranch and Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary, Alberta.

Although John Badham has dedicated himself mainly to directing TV series since 2002, he demonstrated his skill in directing this film, capturing the characteristic atmosphere of Westerns and conveying the tension and quest for justice present in the narrative.

"The Jack Bull" offers moviegoers a dark and realistic look at the Old West, where justice often must be won at all costs.

Fifteen minutes into almost any movie I find myself saying, `Well, I don't care what happens to Any of these characters.' With this film, I found myself caring about Every character. Even the bad guys. Even the characters walking by in the background. The acting in this film is uniformly excellent. Like an ensemble theatre piece. Much has been written here about the men, but Miranda Otto as Cusack's wife is luminescent. She clearly is the light of his life, and she lights up the screen for every second of every scene she is in--who wouldn't love this woman? The actress with only one scene begging she not be burned out of her house. The actress with only one scene who comes to the aid after a carriage accident in Cheyenne. The character landscape is rich and deep. You'll recognize many venerable character actors, like the always reliable Ken Pogue as the bad judge. In the leads, John Cusack, John Goodman, and John C. McGinley invest a depth of feeling that anchors the story. L.Q. Jones and John Savage are a pair of richly textured villains. This film is a feast of fine performances, from the briefest day players to the many layered leads.

There are descriptions here that may give the ending away.

Jack Bull is a movie based on a story written by Heinrich von Kleist. The story is called Michael Kohlhaas. Michael Kohlhaas is a horse trader just like Myrl Redding is in Jack Bull. Myrl Redding and Michael Kohlhaas are two alike personalities. In both stories, the horse dealers leave their horses to men who have put up a toll booth on their property. The horse dealers never having to pay for this before didn't have enough money to pay the toll and were told they needed a permit. So they each leave two blacks with the property owners. They return with the money and find the blacks abused, worn, and tattered. The horse dealers become furious and want their horses restored to their original condition. This never happens.

This is the basic beginning of both stories. At this point differences appear in the stories, although both are denied justice and take the law into their own hands. Myrl Redding and Michael Kohlhaas take up arms against the men who have caused them the injustice. The men flee from the horse dealers and hide away. Myrl Redding doesn't kill anyone but burns peoples barns, but Michael Kohlhaas has murder in his revolt. Although there are two killings involved in Reddings; one is in defense of Billy, the other is Grady's wife who is shot accidentally by Grady while he shoots at Myrl and Billy. Kohlhaas has more times to be able to forget the whole thing more than Redding does. Both started out wanting the horses returned but towards the end it is about justice. They seek justice where none is found. Both Kohlhaas and Redding lose their wives due to this event, which becomes an even greater reason to pursue justice. Myrl Redding has a little bit more righteousness in him than Kohlhaas does. Kohlhaas is a weird character, he prepares to hang men for taking advantage of this armed uprising. Kohlhaas in the end wants it to be over and flee to somewhere where a man can receive justice. Redding pursues it to the end saying he would follow Ballard to anywhere until justice was served even if it cost him his life. The decision Kohlhaas and Redding make to die is one that is hard. They will leave children behind and leave them parentless. They make the decision to die to set an example. Kohlhaas decides to die, though to spite the Elector because he has information the Elector wants. Redding dies because he says that `someone has to take responsibility for what has happened.' Myrl Redding says that, `don't let anyone step on your rights' as he says good bye to his son. Myrl does this action more for the morality and rightness and Kohlhaas does it more for just the principles. Myrl is the better of the two men because he is not as brutal Kohlhaas.

This is an HBO original movie, but let me assure you this is of the caliber to have been a theatrical release.

This film makes a powerful statement about the importance of standing up for what you believe in and how you cannot just say what is right, but have the courage to take action when words fail you and see justice done, whatever the cost.

The setting is the beautiful mountains and frontier country of pre-statehood Wyoming; the man is Merle Redding (John Cusack), a simple horse trainer just trying to earn a living for him and his family; the problem is a wealthy cattle rancher named Henry Ballard (L.Q. Jones) buying up all the land between the homesteads and the nearest town. Conflict arises when Merle is taking some of his horses to town to sell at the auction and needs to pass through Ballard's new spread of land—previously unowned—as it is the only way to make it to the auction on time. And that is all I will say so as to not spoil any critical elements of the movie.

The first thing that stands out about the film is that the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. I could've done without the filters, but the sights are still something to behold. The actors are well-cast; John Cusack and John Goodman really shine in their respective roles. The screenplay (written by Dick Cusack, John Cusack's father) is well-thought out and succeeds in making the film come full circle. The characters are three-dimensional and the audience can easily relate to their individual struggles. As well, the parallel editing between Cusack's 'circumstance' and the parade for Wyoming's official statehood speaks volumes...very eloquent indeed.

This film should be a lesson to all of us to remember what's important and fight for what we believe in. We cannot settle for simply saying what is right and what should be done, but stand behind what we say. It reminds us to fight for the little guy and that one person *can* make a difference.

VERDICT: A moving film about true conviction of the heart; truly inspiring. Hands down one of the best westerns I've ever seen (which is a lot). On that note, if you don't like westerns, this probably isn't the film for you, but otherwise, it's a must-see.

8.5 out of 10.0

NOTE: To anyone who loves horses, this film will hit a particular soft spot in your heart—it certainly did for me