THE QUICK AND THE DEAD

US, 1995, 107 minutes, Colour.
Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo Di Caprio, Tobin Bell, Roberts Blossom, Kevin Conway, Keith David, Lance Henriksen, Pat Hingle, Gary Sinise, Mark Boone Jr, Olivia Burnette, Fay Masterson, Woody Strode.
Directed by Sam Raimi.

The Quick and the Dead has a very strong cast for any film let alone a western during the 1990s. Sam Raimi had been making horror films up to this time with a branching out to bigger budgets with Dark Man starring Liam Neeson and Frances Mc Dormand. After this he was to move to such mainstream films as A Simple Plan, The Gift as well as the Spider Man films.

The film is set in the town of Redemption, ruled over by a ruthless sheriff played by Gene Hackman (in the vein of his role in Unforgiven). Leonardo Di Caprio, emerging as a star at this time, plays his reckless and vain son. Russell Crowe appears in his first major Hollywood film. Thirteen years later he and Leonardo Di Caprio were to appear together in Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies.

Sharon Stone has the central role, a woman gunfighter in the vein of The Man With No Name.

The film has a very strong supporting cast including Tobin Bell before he became famous for Saw.

The film is very stylish in its setting, styles of photography and filming – with special effects like a bullet hole in the head with the camera peering through it during a gunfight. The film is an entertaining western – one of the few westerns from the 1990s.

1.The impact of the film? Drama? Western? Gunfighter competition? The work of Sam Raimi – in the retrospect of his further career?

2.The town of Redemption, in the desert, the buildings, the streets, the saloons? The style of colour photography? Darkened? The special effects for the gunfights? The spaghetti western-style score?

3.The title, life and death? The gunfight to the death?

4.The atmosphere of the opening? The prospector digging for gold, the confrontation with Ellen? Her chaining him up? The introduction to Ellen? The mysterious gunfighter? The fact that she was a woman? Her memories – and the flashbacks inserted throughout the film? Herself as a child, Herod and his men? The taking of her father, the doctor shielding her, her father hanging? Herod giving her the gun, her inability to shoot the rope? His death? Her returning to search for his grave at the end? The doctor explaining to her what Herod had done? Digging up the body, burning it? Motivation for her revenge?

5.The town, Ellen’s arrival, the storekeeper and his rudeness, her attack on him? The young girl and the prostitution in the town? Her reaction, talking to the girl?

6.Herod, his personality, his past as an outlaw? The continued revealing of his brutality? The flashbacks with Ellen’s father? Cort and his story about the priest, his help, Herod forcing Cort to shoot him? His ruling the town, his arrogance, wanting applause, the people’s hatred of him, taking their money and taxes? Their hiring a gunfighter to gun him down? His reaction to the town? His relationship with his son?

7.Fee, known as The Kid? His age, his vanity, his wanting the respect of his father and not getting it? Boasting about his shooting and speed? His interaction with Ellen? The morning after? His liking her? His friendship with Mattie and her devotion to him? His becoming involved in the competition, the shootout and his killing his rival? The build-up to the confrontation with his father? His presumption, his vainglorious remarks? The final confrontation, his being surprised in his death, reaching out to his father?

8.Cort, becoming the preacher, getting religion? His non-violent stances? Yet his being trapped by Herod, being chained? His interactions with Ellen? Hostile? Advising her for the shootout, the click before the bell sounded? His story about the priest, helping him, helping him back to a new life, Herod forcing him to shoot the priest? His not wanting to be involved in the shootout? The confrontation, the gun, his opponent not dying, calling to the blind boy to get a bullet, finally killing the rival? The relationship with Ellen? Sexual? The next morning, the confrontation between the two? His shooting her?

9.Herod, his vindictiveness, his shooting the hired gunfighter, their discussions, the death, the hole in the head?

10.The men of the town, Herod’s gang, Eugene Dred and his attitude towards the girls, setting up prostitution? The confrontation with Ellen, her killing him?

11.The range of gunfighters, the prospector at the beginning, his shootout and death? Ace, his boasting, the girl holding the card, his death?

12.The storekeeper, his attitude towards Ellen, his gratitude for her protecting his daughter? His running of the competition?

13.The marshal, the flashbacks, a good man, Ellen as his daughter, Herod as his enemy, his being hanged? The help of the doctor, especially for Ellen?

14.Life in the town, the people subdued and cowardly, Herod’s dominance? The gunfights, Herod wanting applause? The final confrontation with Cort? Shooting at him, the explosions in the town, Ellen returning, not dead, and the final confrontation and death?

15.The patterns of the traditional westerns as developed by the spaghetti western – and a western from Hollywood at the end of the 20th century?