Appaloosa Posted 5 October 2008 in Screening log 2008 US Dir Ed Harris Cast Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall IMDb

Harris’ western could sit comfortably next to the B-westerns of post-war Hollywood, making few attempts to update, comment upon, subvert or mix in other genre elements as others from the latest cycle of westerns have attempted to do. This is a basically judgment-neutral observation, but whether or not it constitutes a lack of ambition, I think it is fair to say the film misses some opportunities and leaves one wanting more. But if it sets out to be a traditional genre entry, with the attendant rich psychological characterizations, appreciation for natural landscapes, and clear-cut struggle between good and evil, it succeeds fantastically, and ultimately satisfies.

At its core this is a film of characters, and therein lies both the great achievements and vaguely noted disappointments. Ed Harris doubles as the tough, conflicted, quick-drawing marshal for hire and Viggo Mortensen is his longtime deputy, a more deeply feeling yet more tightly controlled man with killer facial hair and a thoughtful wry smile. Their relationship is the soul of the film: distant but deep, occasionally physical but without real hint of homoeroticism, knowing and unspoken. They have worked together for they don’t know how long and, as Everett supposes in the beginning of the film, will continue to for the foreseeable future; over time, they have developed a wonderful shorthand language of shared glances and completed sentences. It’s stated explicitly but bears itself out in unexpected and subtle ways: Virgil can remove his feelings from his duties, and Everett will never be a top-notch lawman because he cannot. Feelings get you killed.

But then the film dangles intriguing possibilities and leaves them there, untied. After witnessing Virgil’s quick and potent violence in initial confrontations with the established bad guys, the moral line is blurred when he assaults with equal mercilessness a rowdy saloon patron. Suddenly Virgil is recast as a terrifying sociopath, and becomes twice as interesting, but the issue is mostly dropped. The greatest disappointment lies in Renee Zellweger’s character — first and subjectively because she is played by the at times unbearable Renee Zellweger, but also because of her unexplored possibilities. She is the mother and the whore in one, possessing something that puts visions of hearth and home in inveterate loner Virgil’s eyes, and yet she is so desperately lonely herself that she sleeps with every powerful man who crosses her path. Her betrayal wounds Virgil, but more than anything he is confused and intrigued by it. Most of the major characters invest some time in analyzing her, but ultimately it’s a lot of wasted words.

As to the classic fight between good and evil, Jeremy Irons embodies the other half of that binary with devilish appeal. It took me the whole movie to put my finger on it, but his performance is touched with possibly unintentional shades of Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood: whatever his inspiration, he struck just the right balance of menace and charm. I can think of no reason why Irons is not cast in more westerns. But again, his is a story of missed opportunity: the classic bad guy, yes, almost cartoonishly so, and his motivations and history are barely hinted at.

All things considered, Appaloosa is for what it sets out to be an absolute winner. It is brightly paced and plotted, with the requisite amount of firearm showdowns that are never belabored, and a wonderful cast of characters whose self-contained identities, and volatile comminglings, always surprise and entertain. It is only that it gives one a taste of something more, then draws back its hand, and takes up again its more modest intentions. Appaloosa is a very good film. But it seems clear it had the seeds to be great.

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