The Quick And The Dead (1995) ****
I remember that I saw The Quick And The Dead (1995) when it was released theatrically and I believe I may have seen it on DVD as well. But I didn't recall much about the film at all. So watching it again was like rediscovering it. While it starts off really strong and loses some steam by the final third, it's still an underappreciated (and underviewed) entry in Sam Raimi's filmography.
Raimi's revisionist western sees Sharon Stone entering a dueling tournament, in a town run by Gene Hackman, with the intention of avenging her father's death. Stone as Ellen is an obvious allusion to Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name"—she doesn't mince words, she smokes cigars, and she remains steely-eyed for much of the running time. I've seen plenty of articles that state that Stone was miscast and her acting skills leave much to be desired, but as the female equivalent of an Eastwood-type antihero, I find that she does just fine. Additionally, the sight of a female gunslinger is welcome, as it's not a common occurrence in cinema.
Hackman's Herod plays as a sort of variation of his Little Bill character from Eastwood's Unforgiven, released three years earlier. It's debatable which character is more despicable and corrupt, but it never feels as if Hackman is simply retreading. Rounding out the excellent and eclectic cast are Russell Crowe (in his first American film), a baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio, and superb character actors like Keith David, Lance Henriksen, Pat Hingle and Gary Sinise (along with the final screen performance of Western veteran Woody Strode).
The influence of the Italian Western is not disguised in any way—from the character mannerisms to the costumes to the signature Leone ocular close-ups to Alan Silvestri's Morricone-like score. But it all comes from a place of love and make no mistake—this is a Raimi film through and through. The director's signature dutch angles and quick push-ins are expertly handled by Dante Spinotti (and absolutely gorgeous on 4K UHD), along with some beautiful split diopter shots and overall innovative camerawork. If anything, TQATD is lacking the slapstick humor that the majority of Raimi's films before this one contained, but there is nonetheless a dark humor evident throughout.
TQATD doesn't necessarily offer many surprises, opting more for familiarity for those who love the genre, but what it does offer, plentifully, is solid entertainment and fun. It was a box office bomb but, upon reappraisal, has since gained a small, loyal following—count me among them.
You can find my Sam Raimi Feature Films Ranked list here.
Raimi's revisionist western sees Sharon Stone entering a dueling tournament, in a town run by Gene Hackman, with the intention of avenging her father's death. Stone as Ellen is an obvious allusion to Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name"—she doesn't mince words, she smokes cigars, and she remains steely-eyed for much of the running time. I've seen plenty of articles that state that Stone was miscast and her acting skills leave much to be desired, but as the female equivalent of an Eastwood-type antihero, I find that she does just fine. Additionally, the sight of a female gunslinger is welcome, as it's not a common occurrence in cinema.
Hackman's Herod plays as a sort of variation of his Little Bill character from Eastwood's Unforgiven, released three years earlier. It's debatable which character is more despicable and corrupt, but it never feels as if Hackman is simply retreading. Rounding out the excellent and eclectic cast are Russell Crowe (in his first American film), a baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio, and superb character actors like Keith David, Lance Henriksen, Pat Hingle and Gary Sinise (along with the final screen performance of Western veteran Woody Strode).
The influence of the Italian Western is not disguised in any way—from the character mannerisms to the costumes to the signature Leone ocular close-ups to Alan Silvestri's Morricone-like score. But it all comes from a place of love and make no mistake—this is a Raimi film through and through. The director's signature dutch angles and quick push-ins are expertly handled by Dante Spinotti (and absolutely gorgeous on 4K UHD), along with some beautiful split diopter shots and overall innovative camerawork. If anything, TQATD is lacking the slapstick humor that the majority of Raimi's films before this one contained, but there is nonetheless a dark humor evident throughout.
TQATD doesn't necessarily offer many surprises, opting more for familiarity for those who love the genre, but what it does offer, plentifully, is solid entertainment and fun. It was a box office bomb but, upon reappraisal, has since gained a small, loyal following—count me among them.
You can find my Sam Raimi Feature Films Ranked list here.
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