SILVERADO

US, 1985, 127 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Kline, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Scott Glenn, Brian Dennehy, John Cleese, Jeff Goldblum, Linda Hunt, Rosanna Arquette.
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan.

Silverado, along with Pale Rider, signalled Hollywood's new interest in the western in 1985.

The film was written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan, writer of the Indiana Jones films for Steven Spielberg and some of the Jedi films for George Lucas. Kasdan himself directed such interesting genre films as Body Heat and The Big Chill. This western is self-conscious in the sense that it pays homage to many of the western directors and concentrates on the genre and its well-established conventions. It presents them with entertainment value as well as with some irony and wit.

The landscapes are beautiful, the action sequences well presented. However, there is a multistar cast with the danger that some of the characters turn into star pieces. This is especially so with John Cleese's out of place sheriff.
Nevertheless an interesting development of the western in the '80s.

1. Audience enjoyment of the western? A western of the '80s? An attempt to revive interest? The homage to practitioners of
the western? The understanding of the genre and its conventions? Reworking them in a happily self-conscious way?

2. Lawrence Kasdan and his writing and direction? His knowledge of film history and practice? The quality of writing, direction? wit?

3. The colour photography, the beauty of the terrains and their range? The journey? The towns? Silverado and its detail? A capturing of the beauty and grandeur of the old West? Its squalor and violence? The rousing score?

4. The strength of the cast? The ensemble acting? The reputations of the various stars, their cult following? A successful blending of their styles?

5. Emmet: the initial ambush, the violence, the stylised fight and the flight of the gun? Emmet as a gunman, on a journey, rescuing Paden, buddies? The encounter with Mal? The man trying to steal his hat and the laconic shootout? The man about to be hanged and the irony of its being his brother Jake? In prison? The encounter with Sheriff Langston? Breaking out of jail? The travelling, the wagon train, McKendrick? and his brutality? The encounter with the settlers, the attraction to Hannah? Rivalry with Paden? His returning home, looking after Jake, meeting Kate, her husband and son? The bond with his nephew? The family sequences? McKendrick's enmity? The burning of the home? The formation of the group? The resolution of the problems? Western style? In the tradition of The Magnificent Seven (here four)! The decision to go to California? The promise to return to Hannah? The presentation of a western type?

6. The contrast with Paden, the ex-outlaw, being rescued. joining Emmet, learning from him? The encounters with Cobb and the past? The escapes and the posses? The attraction to Hannah? His decisions in Silverado? The attraction towards Stella, the strength of their friendship? The friendship and clashes with Cobb? The pressures on Stella and her urging him to attack Cobb? The shoot?out? Helping Emmet? The return to the saloon? The presentation of a western type?

7. Jake and his roughness, irresponsibility, comic touches? In action, the hanging, the escape? Relationship with Emmet, with Kate and the family? Fights? Heroism? A type of the West?

8. Cobb and his smiling style, the big man, the former outlaw, friendship with Paden, the story about the dog and his not liking it? Sheriff, the saloon, in the power of McKendrick? The power struggles in the saloon, the gunfighters, Slick? The clash and his death? 'What a waste'?

9. Hannah and the settlers, their experience, victims, being helped by Emmet and Paden, attracted towards them both, love for Emmet?

10. Linda Hunt and her presence as Stella? The saloon, wise, the symbols of the stars and midnight, Cobb and his pressures, Paden and his friendship with her, the amiable friendship, her warning him not to worry about danger to her, Cobb and his pressure? Death?

11. Mal and his being rescued, the black man in the West, his helping against the posse, with the settlers? His father and his property, the warm scenes between father and son, the grimness of his father's death? The effect on him? His relationship with his sister, her working in the saloon, relationship with Slick? Making peace with her? Fighting back, staying on the farm?

12. Kate and her relationship with Emmet and Jake, her husband, her son? The happy domestic scenes? Money difficulties? The pressure by McKendrick? The burning of the house? The reaction against McKendrick?

13. Slick and his being introduced late into the film, his relationship with Mal's sister, Cobb and McKendrick? His sinister attitudes, smooth talk? His being outwitted?

14. John Cleese as the eccentric sheriff? John Cleese's comedy style, at home or not on the range? How seriously was the role meant to be taken?

15. McKendrick? and the powerful West, villains, henchmen, violence?

16. The traditional themes of the American heritage, the 19th century West?