The Quick and the Dead

Why is it that the man who begs for mercy never gives it?

The Quick and the Dead is directed by Robert Day and written by Louis L'Amour (novel) and James Lee Barrett (teleplay). It stars Sam Elliott, Tom Conti, Kate Capshaw, Kenny Morrison, Matt Clark and Patrick Kilpatrick. Music is by Steve Dorff and cinematography is by Dick Bush.

In 1876 Wyoming, Duncan (Conti) and Suzanna McKaskel (Capshaw) are taking their son and belongings to start a new life out West. But driving through a barely populated tin-pot town, they find themselves beset by a bunch of outlaws run by Doc Shabitt (Clark). Luckily, help may be at hand in the form of tough no nonsense frontiersman Con Vallian (Elliott)?, that is if matters of the heart and secrets of the past do not confuse the issues to hand...

How nice it is as a big Western fan to find a television movie that shines bright in genre light. This is wonderfully old fashioned in its setting and telling, simple in plot structure it may be, but pretty much everything falls into place for a pic that for genre fans becomes more than just a time waster.

Elliott's calm rugged swagger is in full effect, Capshaw is splendidly tender yet stoic, and much to my surprise Conti proves more than capable as a Western hero in waiting - where his character's back story comes to make sense of the final quarter. The villains are a bit rote, with the usually reliable Kilpatrick barely passable as a rogue Ute Native American, while the child performance of Morrison is hardly a high point.

However, pic is set 99.9% outdoors, where we get an absolute ream of glorious Arizona locales to cloak the characters. It has shades of "Shane", which is no bad thing, and thankfully the finale - though not unexpected - is worth waiting for. 7/10

Hackneyed plot with mature insights and surprises

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Robert Day, "The Quick and the Dead" is a made-for-HBO Western starring Sam Elliott as Con Vallian, a mysterious stranger who helps a family heading West in their conflict with a group of ne'er-do-wells. Vallian's desire is piqued by the wife (Kate Capshaw), is that interest mutual? Will the family make it to the Bighorn Mountains alive-and-well or will violence and adultery destroy them?

If you don't remember Kate Capshaw, she was the blonde in 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and later married director Steven Spielberg.

I was impressed with this little-known Western. Although made for cable, it's based on a Louis L'Armour book and is actually better than some theatrically released Westerns. There are flaws, like the kid's questionable acting skills and the fact that the film was noticeably shot in Northern Arizona rather than Eastern Wyoming, but -- all things considered -- this is a solid realistic Western in the tradition of "Shane" and "Will Penny." Don't expect the mythic tone of 1995's big-budget Western of the same name.

Highlights include the breathtaking cinematography, a believable and mature approach, Kate's beauty, a hackneyed plot redeemed by quality characters (like Tom Conti as the settler husband/father), insightful drama & plot surprises and, of course, Sam Elliott as the quintessential Westerner. Really, Elliott is as good or – more likely – better than any Western icon you care to name (Wayne, Eastwood, Cooper, Scott, Stewart, Costner, etc.).

There are mature and insightful themes, like the undeniable connection of Vallian and Susanna. Most of us can relate: You stumble across someone of the opposite sex and instinctively sense a palpable connection, some kind of profound mutual fascination, yet — for whatever reason — pursuing an intimate relationship is not an option. In an entire lifetime you will only experience a handful such 'connections,' or less. These exchanges are permanent because they are so potent they are forever burned into one's psyche.

"The Quick and the Dead" may not be a top-notch Western like "Dances With Wolves" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales," but it's certainly a quality Western and well worth your time.

THE MOVIE RUNS 91 minutes.

GRADE: B