Ed Harris
Appaloosa

Lately, the western genre has been delivering some good works, just think of Costner with "Dances with Wolves" and "Open Range" or "The Proposition" by John Hillcoat. Of course, it's very difficult if not impossible to return to the glory days of American western cinema of the sixties/seventies, but on the other hand, you can't cling to the past. And then, by chance, I found this little great gem titled "Appaloosa." It has nothing to do with Marlon Brando’s “The Appaloosa,” except for the genre: western. Honestly, I missed it: the return to that cinema which set standards (mainly thanks to our own Sergio Leone) is something I had been waiting for quite some time. Attention, we're not dealing with an epoch-making work here, but certainly, this film brings a breath of fresh air to the "gunslinger" environment that over time had gradually fallen into ruin.

The cast consists of actors whose names speak volumes about their skills. The film is centered, in fact, on four main characters: the sheriff pair (Ed Harris) and deputy sheriff (Viggo Mortensen) and the two marginal figures, with Renée Zellweger in the role of the woman who causes turmoil and the "bad guy" of the moment played by a revived Jeremy Irons.

"Appaloosa" has its strong point in its simplicity. Dialogues are never trivial and wonderfully ironic in the sheriff's search for the right term in every situation. The direction is quite essential: close-ups and extraordinary landscape shots alternate in the splendid location of New Mexico.
The screenplay, written by Ed Harris himself and Robert Knott, is tied to old western films but mixed with a consistently sharp irony and thoughtfully timed pauses appropriate to the film’s measured pace.

Moreover, the central element of the film, composed of Harris and Mortensen, is very well matched. Both have spent much of their lives helping frontier village populations, and by now, a glance or a simple word is enough for them to understand each other immediately. The arrival of Allie in town cannot undermine their bond of friendship that comes before love, before the ranks of sheriff and deputy sheriff. Their courage is balanced. Where one shows weaknesses, the other's strengths come into play.

This 2008 western recalls the great masterpieces of American cinema that made this genre something inimitable. There’s a return to that almost entirely lost atmosphere. A return to the indissoluble friendship between the two “good guys,” their code made up of courage, justice, and honor. Praise to the cast, especially Ed Harris, who managed to breathe new life into the genre most beloved of all time. Appaloosa is a fresh film, well-directed, well-acted, with a perfectly fitting soundtrack. It's not a cinematic work that will be hailed as a masterpiece, but it absolutely deserves a watch for its great ability to recreate an atmosphere not seen in a long time.

"You're not any less good than them by how you shoot, how fast or how strong you are. Your problem is you have feelings."