Silverado

By 1985, the movie 'western' was a genre long dormant, with film critics quick to point out that audiences had become far too 'sophisticated' for old-fashioned "shoot-'em-ups". Two film makers decided to test the waters, however; Clint Eastwood, reviving an older version of his "Man with No Name", directed and starred in his SHANE homage, PALE RIDER; and Lawrence Kasdan, fresh from the huge success of THE BIG CHILL, fulfilled his life-long dream to make a western, with SILVERADO. Neither film was successful at the box office, and pundits predicted they would soon be forgotten...but a new force in the movie industry was emerging, video rentals, and SILVERADO, with it's spectacular action sequences, charismatic heroes, and sweeping, unforgettable music score (by Bruce Broughton), was an unexpected and overwhelming hit, drawing Hollywood's attention to the new market, and lifting the film to the near-classic cult status it enjoys today.

While PALE RIDER would focus on Clint Eastwood's continuing demythologizing of the West (which would culminate in 1992's UNFORGIVEN), SILVERADO embraces all the 'classic' Western clichés, serving them up with such exuberance that they seem 'fresh'. The story of four likable 'shootists' of nearly superhuman skills, bonding, and ultimately taking on a corrupt sheriff and his brutal gang of deputies in the town of Silverado, trots out one traditional element after another, from the classic 'bushwhack' (with a John Ford 'Doorway Framing' homage shot) to the 'pretty widow' in a wagon train; from the 'saloonkeeper with a heart of gold' to the 'crooked gambler with a concealed weapon'...and even climaxes with that most traditional of finales, as two ex-partners face off on a dusty street in an old-fashioned Western shootout.

The four leads couldn't have been cast more perfectly; Scott Glenn channels Gary Cooper as a laconic cowboy fresh from an undeserved 5-year prison stretch; Kevin Kline exudes his signature charm as an ex-gang member whose life changed because of "a dog"; Danny Glover is warm and reassuring as a man moving west from Chicago to help his family, armed with a legendary Henry rifle; and, best of all, young Kevin Costner, in his breakout performance, is irresistible, wild and acrobatic, as Glenn's ever-optimistic, carefree younger brother, a part Kasdan wrote specifically for the actor, after his scenes were cut from THE BIG CHILL.

The supporting cast is equally superb, with standout performances by giant Brian Dennehy, John Cleese (as a sheriff who knows 'where' his jurisdiction ends), Jeff Goldblum, Linda Hunt, James Gammon ("You led a posse to my best hide-out??"), Jeff Fahey, and, in a wonderful if brief role, breathtaking Rosanna Arquette, as the widow courted by both Kline and Glenn. With a cast THIS good, it is remarkable that the film had to 'go to video' to achieve success!

The final line of SILVERADO, "We'll be back!", shouted by Costner as he and Glenn ride 'into the sunset', has had countless fans wishing that a follow-up movie had been made (a 1999 nationwide video poll chose SILVERADO as the film "Most Deserving of a Sequel"), but time has, sadly, eliminated that possibility. The film that 'failed' when released, in a genre that 'experts' considered passé, is, after nearly 20 years, still winning new fans.

As Kevin Kline and Linda Hunt say, as a toast: "Here's to the good stuff...May it last a long time!"

Silverado is Lawrence Kasdan's western, westerns were scarce in the 80's, but went on to be a big hit at the box office. Kasdan, at this point was best known for screenwriting on blockbusters like The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. On this film, Kasdan pays his homage to the western genre, by resurrecting it from the dead(besides the occasional Clint Eastwood western) in a more modern and refreshing way with a great ensemble cast of Scott Glenn, Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy, Danny Glover and a young Kevin Costner in an early role. The story and direction is tight, the film looks great and is driven by a lot of action and solid performances. Although this is a movie that would be appropriate viewing for the whole family, Silverado is far from stupid and holds its own pretty easily against other classics of the genre. Overall, I think Silverado is a great movie and was done well.

Westerns are hard to come by these days so make the most of this; it's a good one. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a spoof but it certainly doesn't take itself too seriously,best not to worry about trying to follow the plot just go along with the roller coaster ride. There's lots of hard riding, fancy shooting and athleticism by our worthy heroes as they face off with the usually overweight and constantly smiling villains who don't quite twirl their moustaches but come close. The heroine is rather insipid but this is an action picture and the romance doesn't get in the way too much. It all goes on a little too long but there's lots of fun to be had along the way.

Silverado is damn good fun. Being a small fan of the Western genre, I felt this was the most refreshing one I've seen in a while. The genre had pretty much died, but came back in Silverado, and it felt so fresh.

The plot is simple and cliche, I think it's paying homage to the classics. It sticks within the Western boundary and does its thing.

The cast is pretty good, and well known, but in 1985, these actors were just Hollywood virgins. I was surprised by John Cleese, he stuck out like a sore thumb, but I enjoyed his performance. You have Costner hamming it up, and Jeff Goldblum was cool. Scott Glenn was probably the best. Hell, Glover was pretty good, too.

The direction is wonderful as is the editing, the film moves along at a decent pace. I wish Lawrence was a more prominent director, he deserves more success.

The film score is very nice, fits the film perfectly.

Overall, one of the best Westerns in the last 25 years.

I love this movie, so much that I finally got tired of renting it and bought a copy. I tell anyone who asks that it's "...the western for 12-year-old boys of all ages." I'd guess that women would enjoy it also, if for no other reason than the superb male cast. I can't think of a film which has a cast with greater depth. I love the humor woven through the episodes of action and buddyhood, and nearly fell out of my seat laughing when John Cleese first appeared on screen. His first line is an all-time great, right up there with Tommy Lee Jones' "My my, what a mess" in The Fugitive (I won't quote it, in case you haven't seen the film). If you want to be thoroughly entertained for a couple of hours, and don't require powerful social import in your viewing choices, I'd recommend Silverado strongly. Actually, the relationship of Danny Glover to the main protagonists IS socially important, so enjoy that too.