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Open Range
Review by Mike Furches (Mike's bio)
Directed by Kevin Costner
Novel by Lauran Paine
Screenplay by Craig Storper
Robert Duvall . . . Boss Spearman
Kevin Costner . . . Charley Waite
Annette Bening . . . Sue Barlow
Michael Gambon . . . Denton Baxter
Michael Jeter . . . Percy
Abraham Benrubi . . . Mose
Diego Luna . . . Button
MPAA: Rated R for violence.
There have been westerns over the years, but Mel Brooks with Blazing Saddles almost single-handedly destroyed the genre. It is really a shame too because the western has been replicated and used over the years to tell some of the best stories in film. With the exception of a few westerns like Young Guns, or more recently the Jackie Chan series of Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Nights, there has been little to look forward to. There has obviously been hope, but with some of the recent flops of Kevin Costner, I didn't know if this was going to be worth it or not. One of the great things about the movie, though, was the supporting cast, which includes Robert Duvall as a likeable and wonderful cattle boss called Boss Spearman, Annette Bening as Sue Barlow, and the late Michael Jeter as Percy.
The movie starts out innocently enough as we observe the epic scenery of Canada in the vast, wide-open landscapes. Four cattlemen and a dog are taking their cattle across the plains and mountain foothills, allowing the cattle to graze. Along the way, they realize the need for one of the men to go back into town, for Mose, played by Abraham Benrubi, has a run-in with a crooked marshal and a bunch of cattlemen who have taken over the town. Left nearly for dead, Mose is taken to jail, and Boss and Charley (played by Costner) go to town to find out what is going on. While there, they are reminded of the fact that neither they nor their kind are appreciated. They are told not only to leave town but also to leave the area with their cattle and not come back.
Upon their arrival back at camp, they soon realize that some of the town's folk, controlled and run by Denton Baxter (played by Michael Gambon) have followed them. The four men sent by Baxter are seen sitting on their horses on a hill with their heads covered like demons or ghosts. The men are reminders of the demons that come to haunt, steal, and destroy all life. The scene resembles the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse mentioned in the book of Revelation:
“And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. They led an army of 200 million mounted troops—I heard an announcement of how many there were. And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and sky blue and yellow. The horses' heads were like the heads of lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and the smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. Their power was in their mouths, but also in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people. But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts.” Revelation 9:15-21 (New Living Translation).
Late one night Boss and Charley decide to take matters into their own hands and visit the four that are camping not far from their own camp. They know that these men are coming to destroy their livelihood and possibly even kill them. They decide to leave their two partners at camp and go execute a little vengeance on the four for the work they have recently done on their friend and coworker Mose. However, they soon realize that there were in actuality more than four and the others have gone to execute vengeance of their own on Mose and a young cattle hand named Button, played by Diego Luna.
Upon their arrival back at camp, they see that the thugs controlled by Baxter have killed one of their friends and their dog and have left the other man for dead. Boss and Charley revisit the town to take their partner to a doctor and his female colleague, who helped Mose previously. During the journey we find out a great deal about Boss and Charley. We learn that there is much more to them than we had realized before. In many ways Charley becomes a savior not just for his friends but also for the town itself.
As it happens, the town is in reality filled by cowards who have come to accept the overbearing rule of Baxter and his thugs. With the exception of a few—such as Percy, the local livery stable hand, and Sue Barlow, the doctor's assistant—there are not many who are willing to help. Charley and Boss have a way, though, of letting the people know that they are going to stand for justice and execute some vengeance of their own. They don't want to hurt any of the townsfolk, just revenge the harm done to their friends. What happens the rest of the way is pure story telling and wonderful character study. We see Costner's and Duvall's characters, despite their objections to the way God works, as two saviors for the town. They don't realize that they themselves will be used by God to deliver a town to salvation and a devil to hell.
The truth is that this is one of the best westerns to come around in years. While the story line resembles the wonderful Magnificent Seven, there is enough story telling and uniqueness to have Open Range stand on its own. Costner, Duvall, Jeter, and Bening are wonderful, and it will be hard to overlook any of them come time for award nominations. The final scenes of the movie are breathtaking and exciting. Don't get me wrong here; for the first two-thirds of the movie we are drawn primarily into character development and good old-fashioned story telling. The last third, though, involves one of the most realistic shootouts ever filmed in movies, and it of itself is breathtaking. I believe that Open Range will become an epic that will easily stand on its own two feet.
Regarding spiritual symbolism, there is a great deal if looked for: the need to shed blood to be forgiven, the willingness to make sacrifice for loved ones, sacrifice to set others free, the need to retreat to the church for safety, and I could go on and on. I must admit, though, sometimes it is fun just to go to a movie to enjoy a great story; for me that was the case with Open Range.
If you are a western fan, you will love Open Range. Not since The Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood can I remember a better western. The only thing that comes close is another Robert Duvall film, Lonesome Dove. My wife loves westerns, and today we saw one that she loved; we laughed, we cringed, we enjoyed a wonderful, wonderful movie.
On a scale of 1-10, as a result of being the best in its genera in a number of years, a fun, fun 10.
Copyright 2003, Mike Furches. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
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About Mike Furches: Mike is the senior pastor of United at the Cross Community Church in Wichita, Kansas. The church, located in the inner city of Wichita has a unique ministry to former gang members, drug addicts, prostitutes and others often neglected by the church. Mike also is involved in freelance writing and speaks nationally. Check out his web page for more information: http://www.furches.org/ E-mail Mike |
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