From History To Legend- March To Mortality

Some links before starting today. Norma had a photoblog from Hong Kong.Yesterday having had been a Friday, Parsnip had a Square Dog Friday post. And Eve is taking part in A-Z this April; you can find her posts at her blog.

Now then, here is the second of my two movie reviews for Civil War films....

“Afterwards men in tall hats and gold watch fobs will thump their chests and say what a brave charge it was. Devin, I’ve led a soldier’s life, and I’ve never seen anything as brutally clear as this.” ~ John Buford

“Win was like a brother to me, remember? Towards the end of the evening, things got a little rough. We both began to... well, there were a lot of tears. I went over to Hancock. I took him by the shoulder, I said, Win, so help me, if I ever raise my hand against you, may God strike me dead. Ain’t seen him since. He was at Malverne Hill, White Oak Swamp, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg... One of these days I will see him, I’m afraid. Across that small, deadly space.”  ~ Lewis Armistead

“Generals can do anything. There’s nothing so much like God on earth as a general on a battlefield.” ~ Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

“Soldiering has one great trap. To be a good soldier, you must love the army. To be a good commander you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. We do not fear our own death, you and I. But there comes a time... we are never prepared for so many to die. Oh, we do expect the occasional empty chair, a salute to fallen comrades. But this war goes on and on and the price gets ever higher.” ~ Robert E. Lee

"Lovely ground." ~ John Reynolds

"I thought so, sir." ~ John Buford

"Now, let's go surprise Harry Heth." ~ John Reynolds

"Up, men! And to your posts! And let no man forget today that you are from old Virginia!" ~ George Pickett

“Well, if he’s an angel, all right then, but he damned well must be a killer angel.” ~ Buster Kilrain

“That’s Hancock out there. And he ain’t gonna run. So it’s mathematical after all. If they get to that road, or beyond it, we’ll suffer over fifty percent casualties. But Harrison... I don’t believe my boys will reach that wall.” ~ James Longstreet

“There are times when a corps commander’s life does not count.” ~ Winfield Scott Hancock

Michael Shaara’s classic novel The Killer Angels won the Pulitzer for fiction in 1975. It is my favourite novel, and tells the story of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of some of the commanders, both North and South. The novel was adapted by director and scriptwriter Ronald F. Maxwell and released in 1993 as the film Gettysburg, filmed on and around the battlefield itself, involving a cast of thousands, including many re-enactors who make a life’s hobby out of this sort of thing. The film follows the novel closely, giving us the point of view of commanders on both sides in a balanced way while conveying the ferocity of the greatest battle ever fought in North America.

The film begins with a voiceover, showing the movements of the Union and Confederate armies in late June 1863, as the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen) moves north into Maryland and Pennsylvania, pursued by the Army of the Potomac, moving more quickly than expected. The Confederate army have been used to victory time and again, while the Union army has suffered losses and the incompetence of commanding generals. This time, however, things are different- the Southern cavalry commander, Jeb Stuart (Joseph Fuqua) is missing, off on one of his grand rides up north with his cavalry, leaving the infantry blind in enemy country. This worries Lee’s senior commander, James Longstreet (Tom Berenger), who has employed the use of a civilian scout to determine the movements of the enemy.

The Union army, meanwhile, is moving quickly; command has been given over to a new commander, George Meade (Richard Anderson). The cavalry commander in the field is a brigadier general by the name of John Buford (Sam Elliott), who brings his troops into Gettysburg the day before the battle. He’s been scouting the movements of the Confederate army, and has learned they’re turning south, perhaps to threaten Washington. Buford understands the value of the ground south of the small town, the best high ground around, and makes the fateful decision to stand his ground, summoning the infantry to come up quickly and take control of the high ground before the rebels can take it. Two senior corps commanders, John Reynolds (John Rothman) and Winfield Scott Hancock (Brian Mallon) know him well enough to take him seriously, and promise to have the army up in the morning.

Coming with that army of Union troops is an unlikely officer, a colonel with his own regiment from Maine. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) is a professor who’s joined the war effort, a scholar and a man of principle who happens to be very good at the life of a soldier, an effective commander. His brother Tom (C. Thomas Howell) is a junior officer in the regiment, and tends to call Chamberlain by his first name. One of the senior enlisted men, Buster Kilrain (Kevin Conway) is a wise, gruff Irishman who’s been in the army most of his adult life, something of a father figure to the scholarly colonel. Their regiment is brought up along with the rest of the army, where they will meet destiny on the second day of the battle.

There had been efforts for years to adapt the book for the screen, either television or movies, but it was Maxwell who brought the film to the big screen. He received the backing of Ted Turner, who has a cameo as a Confederate officer during the climactic and ill fated Pickett’s Charge. Turner loved the novel too, and wanted to see it made. The National Parks Service allowed filming and battle re-enactment to be done on the battlefield itself, which gives the film a higher authenticity, particularly since places like Devil’s Den and Little Round Top had never seen this done. It is a long film- over four hours- but the material demanded that length. And the use of re-enactors, who know the story so well, allowed for a smoother filming process. Maxwell wrote the script, which closely adapts the novel, and which in turn paid heed to the history of the battle. Shaara noted at the time that while inner thoughts and some dialogue were his own interpretation, his foundation was on fact, and certainly his interpretation of the people on the page, and how they came to life on screen certainly rings true to who they were.

Maxwell’s direction throughout is sterling. He captures the ferocity of that war perfectly through the battle sequences, particularly the desperate fighting on Little Round Top on the second day, when the entire Union left flank is in danger, but also the cataclysm of the third day’s Pickett’s Charge. We feel the movement of vast forces of soldiers on the battlefield in how Maxwell’s camera team works, but then quickly find ourselves among regiments and get the close-up view in the midst of battle. The story gives balance to both sides- enough time is given to both perspectives, even though we know in our day that one side is wrong. It doesn’t romanticize the Old South in the infuriating way that Gone With The Wind did. And Maxwell even preserves a bit of Shaara’s humour in the story, mostly at the expense of one of Longstreet’s division commanders, George Pickett (Stephen Lang), a not that terribly bright but quite affable officer whose name will forever after be attached to the turning point of the Civil War. His three brigade commanders like to poke fun at his not so stellar academic record or his dim view of science.

Filming on place allowed for great authenticity, and that is much the same for the costuming and prop people. Many of the re-enactors would of course bring their own uniforms and gear for the project, but for those members of the cast who were featured players, their uniforms look very much of the era. This applies to makeup as well- most of the men (with a couple of minor cameos, this is an all male cast) have facial hair, some enough to house bird nests, but fitting for the time, and authentic to the men they are portraying. The music comes from Randy Edelman, and remains one of my favourite scores, emphasizing character moments at quiet interludes in the film, but also ferocious, desperate, and grand when accompanying the fury of battle.

The cast is huge. Many of the roles are cameos; documentary director Ken Burns, for instance, plays a Union staff officer during the cannonade on Cemetery Ridge preceding Pickett’s Charge. George Lazenby, a one-time James Bond, turns up as a Confederate division commander, Johnston Pettigrew, one of the other division commanders involved in Pickett’s Charge. Morgan Sheppard, an ancient looking actor with a huge resume of character roles (you’ve seen this actor in at least something), plays the third division commander of that charge. He’s a gruff staff officer when we first meet him, disgusted by the ineffectiveness of another corps commander, and placed into a vital position by Lee, who needs to fill a hole. Anderson’s appearance as General Meade is a brief one- he only appears once in the film as the commanding general, but that fits the story and the history, since Meade wasn’t that much of a factor in the battle. Donal Logue has more than a cameo, appearing frequently through the first half of the film- though he’s unrecognizable under facial hair- as Major Ellis Spear, Chamberlain’s capable and serious senior subordinate. John Rothman appears briefly as the ill fated General John Reynolds, playing the role as the man must have been: a superb commander, completely calm in the face of battle.

C. Thomas Howell plays the younger Chamberlain with a certain naive quality that works. Tom is the brother who always looked up to his older brother, joined the military because that’s what his brother was doing, and seems oblivious at times to military protocol, particularly his tendency to forget to address his brother by rank. He’s been in the army for awhile, has seen a lot, and yet that boyish naivety is still there. Kevin Conway, a character actor who’s been in multiple roles in the movies and television for years, gets one of the best parts as Kilrain. He’s a career soldier, the sort of senior enlisted man who make up the backbone of military services. And he’s gruff and disgusted by the foolishness of high command, something one might expect out of such a soldier. Yet he also does his duty, and is surprisingly thoughtful and wise. A conversation along the way with Chamberlain shows the father-son relationship between the two, and Kilrain’s principles as a person. He believes that only a fool judges people by the group or race- that you take people one at a time. It’s such a good role, and Conway makes it so memorable.

Brian Mallon gets the most screen time of the senior corps commanders in the Union Army as General Hancock. The real man was one of the finest officers in the army, a tough, tenacious, exceptional officer, and Mallon plays those qualities in his performance. Hancock is a commander who’s a natural leader, an inspiration to those around him, and calm under pressure. Mallon conveys that, but also shows the other side of the man, the humanity of Hancock, and a melancholy over an old friend who’s fighting on the Confederate side.

That friend, as it turns out, is Lewis Armistead (Richard Jordan), a brigade commander under Pickett, who, as fate would have it, is facing Hancock’s lines on the third day of battle. Both men become aware of each other being across the empty space between the lines, and both aware this means these two best friends will be fighting each other. It’s a twist that weighs heavily on them both, and we see that particularly in Jordan’s performance. It is the most poignant role in the film- we like Armistead tremendously; there’s a great warmth in the character. He has a sense of humour, but there’s also tragedy to him; he expresses that to his old friend Longstreet, particularly in a explaining about a vow he made the last time he saw Hancock. And now fate has brought him to fight Hancock head on. The performance is made all the more poignant by the fact that this was Jordan’s final performance; he died soon after filming was wrapped, and the film is dedicated to the memory of Jordan and Shaara.

Stephen Lang has spent years playing various character roles, often villains, but this is my favourite role by the actor. He plays Pickett just as you’d expect the real man to be. Pickett’s not a bright guy- he finished dead last in his class at West Point- but he’s capable and reliable, able to follow through on orders. He also seems to be good company, cheerfully taking jokes at his own expense, even instigating some of them, a boyish sort of fellow engaged to a woman half his age. Pickett is a jovial officer- and so the ill-fated charge that bears his name leaves him utterly shattered. When we last see him, he’s a broken man, and Lang conveys all of those qualities in his performance.

This is one of my favourite roles for Sam Elliott. John Buford was fated to die later in 1863, and for many years was a forgotten figure in the Civil War. It was perhaps the benefit of Shaara’s novel that started to give him serious attention and credit again. A bright man with a gift for topography and the best use of the land for military purposes, it was Buford’s decision to fight at Gettysburg and his stubborn fight on the first day that allowed the Union infantry to come up and occupy the high ground. In doing so, Buford saved the battle and perhaps the war. Elliott conveys the tenacious nature of the man, his frustrations at commanders, and his tough, capable, and steady character. Buford is a man who can see what’s to come; his prediction of the battle to one of his brigade commanders is chillingly accurate, at least for the losing side.

Martin Sheen is given the role of General Lee, and he plays the role well. Looking at history, one is struck with the dignity of Lee, his intelligence, and his skill as an officer. These are qualities that Sheen brings across throughout the film. He’s still a torn man; he remembers that he once took a vow as an officer in the Union army, and that he served with many of the men fighting against him. And yet he believes his duty first and foremost is to his home state. He’s also an officer with great empathy for his men; he says that a good commander must love the army, but also be willing to order the death of that which he loves. It’s a great contradiction, but it fits in perfectly with the character of the man. Another element that resonates is his anger- it’s a quality Lee tries to keep harnessed, but it shows itself in a late night meeting with Stuart, whose absence until the battle has started has leaved the general deeply disappointed. The anger he expresses to Stuart is effective in the moment- a mark of a man who could be very dangerous when riled. Sheen takes all of these into account with his performance, and it rates as one of his finest roles.

Tom Berenger also inhabits the role of Longstreet just as you’d expect the man to be. Longstreet was a military genius, devising systems of trench warfare decades before its time. He was a methodical, defensive commander of great skill, an effective general who’d advanced to his position based on his own talent. He was also a man of gloom and frustration, with a tragic past, suffering multiple personal losses during the War. Berenger plays Longstreet with gravity and force, a man of strength. He knows what’s coming- he tries to argue with Lee about moving the army away from the field and threatening Washington directly- but to no avail. And Berenger’s Longstreet feels the loss of what happens, the responsibility for it all, very heavily.

Jeff Daniels gives his best performance as Chamberlain. The fighting professor from Maine was the sort of person who could master any subject before him, and he certainly excelled at military life, ending up as one of the most extraordinary soldiers of the war. He’s a man of scholarly knowledge and deeply held principles, a man who believes in the cause he is fighting for. Daniels brings those qualities to the role, and also comes across as a highly capable leader, trusted by his men, someone whose ability to speak can be persuasive. He also shows the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Chamberlain, whose last minute use of a textbook tactic saves the second day and the Union army on Little Round Top.

Gettysburg is one of my favourite films, if not my favourite. The tale of the pivotal battle of a terrible war captures the immediacy of battle, the desperate odds on both sides, and the ferocious nature of that war. It also gives the viewer outstanding performances all around, bringing figures from the past back to life in rich and deep ways. It is, quite simply, a magnificent achievement in film.

The Lawmen, The Cowboys, And The O.K. Corral

Some links before I get things started today. Norma has new passage at her blogs for Sam's Story and her memoir. PK wrote at her blog about the passing of Robin Williams and how to deal with depression.  And Whisk has something too tempting to pass up.

Today I'm doing a film review, the first of two reviews of films from the 90s dealing with the same people.

“Doc, you’re not a hypocrite. You just like to sound like one.” ~ Wyatt Earp

“And you must be Ringo. Look, darling, Johnny Ringo. The deadliest pistoleer since Wild Bill, they say. What do you think, darling? Should I hate him?” ~ Doc Holliday

“I’m a woman, I like men. If that means I’m not lady-like, then I guess I’m just not a lady. At least I’m honest.” ~ Josephine Marcus

“A man like Ringo has a great big hole, right in the middle of him. He can never kill enough, or steal enough, to fill it.” ~ Doc Holliday

“The cowboys are finished, you understand me? I see a red sash, I kill the man wearing it. So run, you cur! Tell all the other curs the law’s coming! You tell ‘em I’m coming! And hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!” ~ Wyatt Earp

Tombstone is the 1993 Western from director George Cosmatos, following the story of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday in the dusty Arizona town in the 1880s, recounting the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the aftermath of that incident. It was initially meant to be helmed by director Kevin Jarre and starring Kevin Costner, but creative differences ensued, Costner went off to make his own film bio of the western lawman, and Jarre was later removed from the project altogether. It is a sprawling action film that sets two opposing forces against each other, albeit with shades of gray in between. It’s tighter in scope than Costner’s bio, concerning itself with a more limited time frame, but touches some of the same territory as it goes along.

The film opens up with retired lawman Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) arriving in Arizona, meeting up with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). All of them have women in their lives, all of them are looking forward to a quieter life and the financial opportunities that Tombstone seems to have for them. They also run into Wyatt’s old friend John “Doc” Holliday (Val Kilmer) and his significant other, Kate (Joanna Pacula). Doc has come to Arizona for the climate; he suffers from tuberculosis. Wyatt and his brothers quickly get themselves started, securing a stake in a local gambling hall. Tensions start to rise with a band of cowboys, led by Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe), Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang), and Johnny Ringo (Michael Beihn), who we’ve already been introduced to earlier in the film. They’re a ruthless, vicious lot, for the most part, a band of psychotics who take pleasure in killing for the sake of killing. The one exception is Sherman McMaster (Michael Rooker), who seems troubled by the actions of his fellow cowboys.

Wyatt is occupied with his growing financial interests. His common law wife Mattie (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) is spending her time getting addicted to laudanum. He doesn’t particularly get along with the county sheriff, John Behan (Jon Tenney), who’s more sympathetic to the cowboys. He’s drawn to an actress, Josie Marcus (Dana Delany) in town with an acting troupe for an extended stay. He has little interest in returning to the days of being a lawman, despite the growing unrest in the town, the urging of the mayor (Terry O’Quinn), and the unease of his brothers in standing by while cowboys ride around drunk and getting into trouble. Everything changes, however, with the killing of the town marshal by a drunken Curly Bill, and Wyatt and his brothers find themselves drawn back into the life they used to lead, and into a vendetta that will cost them dearly.

Though Jarre didn’t last as director, the story is drawn from his script, and there’s a whole lot in it. The film was plagued by various problems at the time during production. Jarre’s screenplay was too long, with too many subplots, and that was one of the reasons the studio removed him and brought in Cosmatos, who worked closely with Russell in the filmmaking process- it might well have been a ghost-directing job, as Russell had a lot of involvement in the film’s staging. It was filmed largely on location in Arizona, and the terrain is as beautiful as you’d expect of that area. The story does take liberties with the facts, mind you. There was another brother, James Earp, in Tombstone the entire time, though he didn’t take part in being a lawman. The youngest brother in the family, Warren, took part in what was referred to as the Earp Vendetta Ride. Neither of the brothers is mentioned in this film. Another participant in the real Ride is murdered during the film, contrary to the fact that the man himself lived for many years afterwards. And there’s a pair of shootings in the wake of the O.K. Corral taking place on a single night; in fact, the two shootings took place months apart.

The film does very much set two sides against each other in its story. The cowboys, for the most part, are sadistic, with only one of them crossing the line, renouncing them, and taking the side of the Earps as the story moves along. They are very much the villains, with nothing redemptive among the rest of them. The opposing side is more nuanced. Wyatt is more self-interested when the film starts out; he’s interested in getting rich and taking what he can from Tombstone and its surroundings and cashing out. It’s quite a capitalist viewpoint, though the real Earp did concern himself with having business interests. It takes him time to return to the idea of justice; he’s had his time as a lawman, but events force him back to old habits. He’s not altruistic as far as the community is concerned, but his mindset changes as things go along. Doc Holliday is another shade of gray for the story. He spends his life as a gambler, but he has killed people, seems to enjoy provoking people with a hair trigger temper, and we sense that the only reason he’s not in jail for murder is that he knows how to kill someone within the confines of the law. That doesn’t mean he’s not willing to break the law, such as when he and Kate commit a robbery on their way out of town early on when a card game goes awry. He might be acting on the side of the angels, mostly because he’s loyal to his friends, but he has a shaky foundation where ethics are concerned. 

The crew brings the old west to life in various ways; it helps tremendously that much of the filming was done on location. The clothing feels certainly drawn out of the era, both in the fashions of those who were seeing the town as a future emporium of culture and so dressed respectably, and in the dust-covered grime of cowboys who might not bathe for weeks on end. The buildings of Tombstone, particularly inside, have a gaudy, garish feel to them, like Las Vegas before it was Vegas. It’s the mark of a frontier mining town with no sense of its boundaries, and so feels like the place might have once felt about itself. By contrast, once we’re out in the countryside, for instance, on a ranch that turns up late in the film, it’s not that hard to imagine we’re stepping onto that ranch over a century ago. It feels like a working place. Lastly, the score by composer Bruce Broughton (Silverado) is epic, romantic, and harsh when it needs to be, brooding over the entire film.

A number of old veterans of the silver screen turned up along the line during the story. Harry Carey Jr. was an old hand of many a Western, including for John Ford. He appears in this film in one of his last roles as the ill fated Marshal White, playing the part much like the man himself might have been- a reasonable man who knows he needs more help to deal with the lawlessness of his town. Robert Mitchum was supposed to play the part of the ringleader of the Clanton and McLaury gang, but a riding accident left him out of the part, and rewriting was done to delegate his lines and leadership to Boothe’s character instead. He does turn up as the narrator at the beginning and end, however. Charlton Heston also turns up in a cameo, one of his final roles. He plays Henry Hooker, a rancher who gives refuge to Wyatt, Doc, and the other Vendetta Riders late in the film. While initially hesitant to get involved, he makes a promise to Wyatt that makes us think of him as a man of his word, a stark contrast to the mayhem of the cowboys.

The various members of the Clanton and McLaury gang are populated with a cast that includes Thomas Haden Church, John Corbett, and Tomas Arana, but three of them are the most developed. Powers Boothe (24, Sin City) plays Curly Bill as a vicious drunk, mean spirited and finding amusement in killing anyone who crosses his path. He’s a sociopath, and Boothe certainly plays him that way. Stephen Lang (Gettysburg) is a splendid character actor who’s played his share of villains down through the years. His take on Ike Clanton is similar to Curly Bill, but with some other nuances. He’s a drunkard with a hair trigger temper, looking like he hasn’t bathed in months. He’s also something of a loudmouth and a bully, but when really confronted with someone who’s willing to fight back, there’s a streak of cowardice in him. Ike is a thoroughly unpleasant character, so we as an audience aren’t all that unhappy, for instance, when he gets his face cut open by a boot spur. The third is Johnny Ringo, as played by Michael Beihn. As an actor, Beihn’s never really had the career that early roles might have pointed him to, but he has a good presence as the gunman. His Ringo keeps his anger and his sadistic side in more of a check than Curly Bill or Ike, but it’s there. He plays the role almost like a rattlesnake, coiled and tense, ready to strike. There’s a particular loathing in him for Doc Holliday; something that Doc remarks to Wyatt about him rings true- that Ringo’s trying to get revenge on life, for merely being born in the first place. 

Michael Rooker’s character McMaster has to shift his loyalties as the story goes along. He starts out as one of the cowboys, but we see his unease. The suggestion has been made that the real man might have been a spy for the railroads infiltrating the gang, and in fact he did switch sides to join Wyatt, and did take part in the Vendetta Ride. His reason for the decision does ring true; an attack on the Earp women is his point of saying “enough.” Dana Wheeler-Nicholson’s role is a challenge. She plays Mattie (at least until we last see her in the film) in a way that’s emotionally distant, seeking solace in drugs; she has to play the character in an unsympathetic light; the audience doesn’t mind Wyatt’s interest going elsewhere. Joanna Pacula plays Doc’s paramour Kate as his accomplice and partner, the two of them well suited for each other- the real life couple were probably a good deal more tempestuous. But we like her anyway- she’s loyal and just as ethically shifty as her lover. Dana Delany plays Josie as a liberated woman who knows what she wants. She’s smart, outspoken, likes the idea of adventure (and room service); She’s drawn to Wyatt as much as he’s drawn to her. Delany brings all these qualities across in her performance. And Delany has good chemistry with Russell.

Bill Paxton plays Morgan as the charmer the real one might have been. He looks up to his brothers, has followed in their footsteps, and rightfully remarks that he has to back his brother’s decision when an ethical dilemma presents itself. He’s affable in the role, a friendly sort of guy. Yet there are also quiet moments in the presence of unwelcome company when we see the awareness in his eyes; this is a man who can take care of himself in a fight. That’s even more expressive in Sam Elliott’s role as Virgil Earp, the older brother of the lot. Elliott is one of those few actors who I’ve always been convinced could tear a man in half if he wanted to. He brings a hard, gruff quality to Virgil, a man who sees lawlessness in his community and decides he can’t stand by and do nothing while it happens. He’s compelling in the role, but then Elliott is compelling in whatever he does.

Val Kilmer got a lot of praise for his role as Doc Holliday. It’s generally a rule that in films about Wyatt and Doc, the actor playing Doc gets the best lines. He plays the character like a Southern gentleman, but a thoroughly dangerous one. He seems to like poking and heckling people he dislikes, goading them into a fight. He also looks thoroughly sick, though not as gaunt as Dennis Quaid’s take on the character. He does get a good many of the laughs in the film, but at the same time, we’re seeing a man who knows he’s living on borrowed time, and has a justified dangerous reputation. Like Ringo, he too is a rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike.

Russell has to take Wyatt through a process of change as the story goes along. When we first see him, he’s determined to put his past as a lawman behind him (though this doesn’t stop him from fearlessly staring down and throwing out a temperamental armed drunk played by Billy Bob Thornton from a saloon). He’s not looking for a fight, not looking to get involved in the law anymore, even argues with his brothers about their decisions to return to the life of the lawman again. Yet he’s drawn in again and again despite what he might want. When circumstance forces him back to the way of the gun, he’s forceful and decisive, utterly fearless in moving forward, giving the role a ruthless quality that the real Wyatt would understand. And as events accelerate and he’s driven by grief and rage, we understand his point of view, and we sympathize with him. We might count ourselves lucky that we’re not on this character’s bad side.

Tombstone is not the better of the two films in the 90s about the lawman and the world he inhabited, but it is an entertaining film in its own right. It follows two very different groups of people into an inevitable conflict. One is on the side of right, the other is a band of sociopaths. It features two leading characters who trust each other as friends, who understand that they can count on each other. It's a film I enjoy whenever I watch it. 

Even if it does ignore the complete existence of a pair of Earp brothers.