When I first heard about the film it instantly became one of my most anticipated, but then when it came out and everyone had the same 'meh' reaction to it, I let that anticipation drop. Well, it turned out to be just as good as I originally thought it would be. Ed Harris' direction is top-notch and he uses every aspect of the film to create this extraordinarily authentic western universe that enables these interesting characters to interact in a very immersive environment. The cinematography and score are both astounding and help tremendously in crafting this world. Harris plays Virgil Cole, who rides into the town of Appaloosa with his right-hand man Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) to become the new Marshall and protect the town from the villainous Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons).
I saw Cole and Bragg as the same person on different sides of the law; they are both sophisticated, quiet men who settle their disputes quickly with violence instead of words. Neither man is extravagant or particularly dangerous on the surface, but their sole presence adds a certain suspense to the scene and you can always feel an evil lurking just beneath the exterior. Early on in the film, we see Cole snap and beat the hell out of a drunk at a bar for no particular reason. This darkness is what made him such an interesting character for me; behind those steely blue eyes there is always something mysterious burning that I found terrifying.
However it's Mortensen's Hitch who turns out to be the most intriguing character of the film. In his opening narration we find out that he met Cole by chance when he rode up on him in the middle of a fight with some men, and Hitch protected him. Through that random encounter they became best friends and their loyalty to each other is thicker than blood. Throughout most of the film Hitch seems to be just Cole's badass sidekick, but we slowly begin to learn that he has more depth than anyone else in this story. A little over halfway through, Cole tells Everett that 'feelings get you killed' and everyone seems to live by that little motto throughout the story, while Everett tries to figure out his place in a world with that mentality. In the final act he realizes that everyone is turning a blind eye to the evil of Bragg and what he has done, letting this town and the relationships in it slowly fall apart instead of confronting the man; so he decides to do something about it. His transition throughout the film from Cole's sidekick to the only man who lets his feelings determine his actions was striking. He sacrifices his own place in the town in order to better everyone else, and then he rides off into the dwindling sun.
In the end we realize that the film isn't focusing on Cole's time in Appaloosa but is instead focusing on the time that Hitch and Cole spent working side-by-side. We begin with them strolling into the town and end with Hitch riding away while Cole stays in town. Hitch is somewhat of a classic western drifter, who comes upon Cole by chance and protects him from danger so the two work together and then he rides away at the end to an undetermined future. An incredibly interesting character that Mortensen brings to life with a phenomenal performance. He's definitely the most impressive of the cast (and I wouldn't be surprised if he remains in my Lead Actor lineup at the end of the year) but Irons and especially Harris shine as well. It really was a fantastic story with very interesting characters set in a perfectly realized western universe. Loved it. It's a shame that the majority of people have had such a mediocre reaction to it. Oh and for the record I didn't mention Zellweger's performance or character because they were both so uninteresting that they didn't really warrant mention.
I saw Cole and Bragg as the same person on different sides of the law; they are both sophisticated, quiet men who settle their disputes quickly with violence instead of words. Neither man is extravagant or particularly dangerous on the surface, but their sole presence adds a certain suspense to the scene and you can always feel an evil lurking just beneath the exterior. Early on in the film, we see Cole snap and beat the hell out of a drunk at a bar for no particular reason. This darkness is what made him such an interesting character for me; behind those steely blue eyes there is always something mysterious burning that I found terrifying.
However it's Mortensen's Hitch who turns out to be the most intriguing character of the film. In his opening narration we find out that he met Cole by chance when he rode up on him in the middle of a fight with some men, and Hitch protected him. Through that random encounter they became best friends and their loyalty to each other is thicker than blood. Throughout most of the film Hitch seems to be just Cole's badass sidekick, but we slowly begin to learn that he has more depth than anyone else in this story. A little over halfway through, Cole tells Everett that 'feelings get you killed' and everyone seems to live by that little motto throughout the story, while Everett tries to figure out his place in a world with that mentality. In the final act he realizes that everyone is turning a blind eye to the evil of Bragg and what he has done, letting this town and the relationships in it slowly fall apart instead of confronting the man; so he decides to do something about it. His transition throughout the film from Cole's sidekick to the only man who lets his feelings determine his actions was striking. He sacrifices his own place in the town in order to better everyone else, and then he rides off into the dwindling sun.
In the end we realize that the film isn't focusing on Cole's time in Appaloosa but is instead focusing on the time that Hitch and Cole spent working side-by-side. We begin with them strolling into the town and end with Hitch riding away while Cole stays in town. Hitch is somewhat of a classic western drifter, who comes upon Cole by chance and protects him from danger so the two work together and then he rides away at the end to an undetermined future. An incredibly interesting character that Mortensen brings to life with a phenomenal performance. He's definitely the most impressive of the cast (and I wouldn't be surprised if he remains in my Lead Actor lineup at the end of the year) but Irons and especially Harris shine as well. It really was a fantastic story with very interesting characters set in a perfectly realized western universe. Loved it. It's a shame that the majority of people have had such a mediocre reaction to it. Oh and for the record I didn't mention Zellweger's performance or character because they were both so uninteresting that they didn't really warrant mention.