TOMBSTONE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 5.8
Date Released: 12/25/93 Running Length: 2:08 Rated: R (Violence)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Dana Delany, Stephen Lang Director: George Cosmatos Producers: James Jacks, Sean Daniel, and Bob Misiorowski Screenplay: Kevin Jarre Music: Bruce Broughton Released by Hollywood Pictures
Delving into the legend of Tombstone is nothing new for motion pictures. It's been done many times before, perhaps most memorably in John Sturges' GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL (with Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday). Usage of the Old West's most famous shoot-out hasn't been restricted to big screen adaptations, either. Numerous television series have presented their version of the Earp/Clanton confrontation, including a couple of science fiction programs: STAR TREK ("Spectre of the Gun") and DOCTOR WHO ("The Gunfighters"). Coming in the summer of 1994, Kevin Costner will pin Wyatt Earp's badge to his vest; until then, however, we have TOMBSTONE.
Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) have come to Tombstone, Arizona as businessmen, seeking their fortunes. Wyatt especially wants to put his lawman's past behind him. Once in the town, the Earps encounter an old friend: Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), a suave gunfighter who's dying of tuberculosis (or consumption, as it was then called). Initially, Wyatt and his brothers attempt a neutral attitude towards the "Cowboys," a local band of murderous outlaws, but it becomes increasingly apparent that there can be no peace with the likes of Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn), Curly Bill (Powers Boothe), and Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang). Following their consciences, Virgil and Morgan become marshals, and their edict that no one in Tombstone can carry a weapon leads to the infamous showdown at the OK Corral.
First and foremost, never expect a history lesson from a Hollywood Pictures film. I'm not that well-informed about all the events surrounding what actually happened in Tombstone, but it doesn't take much insight to recognize a story that's been doctored in the service of "better" entertainment. This era in America's past has been largely romanticized, anyway, so its treatment in this film isn't surprising, nor is the fictionalization necessarily a bad thing.
The first half of TOMBSTONE isn't an example of great filmmaking, but it is engaging. There's a sense of growing inevitability as events build to the shoot-out at the OK Corral. The melodramatic "serious" moments are kept to a minimum, and the various gunfights are choreographed with style and tension. Then, at the one-hour ten-minute mark, the Clanton gang and the Earps square off. From there, things get progressively worse.
Not only is the last hour anti-climactic, but it's dull. Too many scenes feature lengthy segments of poorly-scripted dialogue and, in some cases, character motivation becomes unclear. The gunplay is more repetitious than exciting. The result--a cobbled-together morass of silly lines and shoot-outs--doesn't work well.
The acting is adequate across the board. Val Kilmer gives the most energetic performance, but actors have always played Holliday with flair. Kurt Russell does a reasonable job as Wyatt, as do Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton as the other two Earp brothers. Powers Boothe seems a little out-of-place as Curly Bill, and Michael Biehn gives an emotionally flat rendering of Johnny Ringo.
The presentation of certain characters is confused. Initially, the intent seems to be to apply the "revisionist western" mentality to TOMBSTONE: the protagonists start out with their flaws exposed. However, as the film progresses, the negative elements of their personalities melt away as the Earps become the "good guys" of legend. On the other side, there aren't many redeeming qualities to be found for members of the Clanton gang. Ringo and friends are portrayed as evil, soulless scum who kill for the sheer enjoyment of it.
There are also a number of superfluous characters, including an actress played by Dana Delany, whose only purpose seems to be to present a strong- willed love interest for Wyatt Earp. Perhaps Ms. Delany's role possessed more substance before the editor trimmed the running length. The same might be true of Charlton Heston's Hooker, who has three or four lines in a minute's worth of screen time--barely more than the venerable actor's WAYNE'S WORLD 2 cameo.
TOMBSTONE is a passable western, but that's far from what one might reasonably expect from screenwriter Kevin Jarre, who penned GLORY. From the audience's viewpoint, it's difficult to assign responsibility for the most serious of this film's shortcomings, but one thing is clear: somewhere along the way, the creative process misfired. Large segments of TOMBSTONE belong buried at Boot Hill.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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