Tombstone (1993)

**A very well done western, which replaces glorification with raw realism.**
I really enjoyed this film, which is very centered on the notable figures of Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday during their time as law and order in the town of Tombstone. In popular culture, they became famous due to a short but intense exchange of fire with a group of gunmen from the city, called the Ok Corral Shooting. The incident, which took place in October 1881, was widely romanticized in the early 20th century and became a symbol of the Old West.
In fact, the shooting, which appears in this film, was just one violent incident within a long feud between the sheriffs and the gunmen. The causes are still shrouded in mists that historians are trying, with difficulty, to penetrate, and the feud continued and resulted in the murder of one of the Earp brothers and the pursuit and death of some of the assassins, in a veritable manhunt. I'm a historian, but I'm not an expert on the period or the Wild West, but I felt that the film managed to put everything in its context and respect, minimally, what really happened.
If there is something in this film that deserves to be highlighted, it is the work of the actors. We have a magnificent cast, full of very competent actors who committed themselves to their respective roles. The effort deserves our praise. Of course, Kurt Russel will have a special highlight when receiving the character of Wyatt Earp, but the actor made good use of that role and managed to be very charismatic and friendly to the public. Sam Elliott, one of those veterans with a lot of attitude and personality, couldn't be better and is incredibly good in this film. Maybe it's the actor's best film. Val Kilmer is not one of those actors that makes me want to see a movie, but the truth is that he was also very good at his job, and managed to harmonize his character's fragility and charisma well.
Directed by Kevin Jarre and George Cosmatos, the film is one of those westerns that went against the classics by dismantling the glorified figure of the cowboy, the bravery and coldness of the gunslinger and the villain, and giving a more realistic and historically credible flavor to films of this genre. The script is very good, it is very well written, and the technical work of the visual effects, make-up, costumes and set design teams was truly exquisite. The cinematography does not let us down either and makes very clever use of all this, and the sets and exterior footage, with magnificent lighting and a warm color palette that is simply delightful. The soundtrack, despite not being memorable or worthy of particular attention, does a good job.

There is something really quite authentic looking about this western. Set at a time when the law was beginning to seriously impose itself on the otherwise lawless "wild" west, it depicts the story of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) who just wanted to retire to peace and quiet in the eponymous Arizona town. Once there, he quickly realises that his fellow townsfolk are not on the same page. The arrival of his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott), Morgan (Bill Paxton) and his lifelong friend "Doc" Holliday (Val Kilmer) make a confrontation with the red-sashed "cowboys" inevitable. This film takes it's time to develop the characters and the narrative. That's not say it is dull, it isn't - it just allows the story to breathe as the tension mounts before culminating in the legendary gunfight at the OK Corral. Russell was maybe not the best choice (though at times he reminded me of Gene Hackman); but Kilmer was oddly effective as was Stephen Lang's pretty duplicitous Ike Clanton. It's narrated by one Hollywood legend - Robert Mitchum, and features the briefest of cameos at the end from another - Charlton Heston, is well constructed and paced, and rather creatively, poignantly (and violently at times) depicts the end of an era.