Wahoo_Man35

The Quick and the Dead

When I was younger, I went through a phase where I wanted to watch every Leonardo DiCaprio film out there. I never finished that task because my mom wouldn't allow me to watch some of his other films, due to me only being 12 at the time. But before I gave up on that impossible mission, I was able to stumble upon this film. At the time, I remember loving it, but I hadn't yet built my analyzation skills to express why. A couple days ago, I came back home from college, and I wanted to watch something with my mom. As I was searching through the shelf of movies, I stumbled upon The Quick and the Dead. So then today, we popped the movie in and started watching. When the credits rolled, I remembered just how much I love this film. When revisiting The Quick and the Dead, I experienced a lot of disappointment. It's a peculiar form of disappointment because it's not because the film is bad (in fact, incredibly far from it), but because it comes so close to perfection, and then it trips before the finish line. To start off, I think the worst part of this film is how campy it feels, which I think can be attributed to the director, Sam Raimi. His directing approach to the spectacular material feels like it goes over the top, which results in the film feeling like it doesn't take itself seriously during its entire runtime, which absolutely sucks! However, his directing style doesn't ruin the film, in fact, there are moments where his campiness doesn't come off as silly, it actually makes moments feel incredible. An example of this is during the final showdown when a character gets shot through their chest, and then the bullet hole shows up through their shadow?! What?! Absolutely campy, but also that moment is now engraved in my mind. His unique style brings life into the movie, but it unfortunately feels overdone or it's done in moments where a more traditional approach would make the scenes have much more of an emotional impact. Something else I absolutely adore about this film are the characters. First off, Sharon Stone as Ellen McKenzie AKA The Lady is up there with one of my favorite characters out there and has had a huge impact with me that will more than likely stick with me forever (and her character wouldn't have stuck with me as well if it weren't for Sharon Stone's incredible performance). She's a fearless, bad ass gunslinger who is on a mission to exact her revenge. When men harass her, she just blows it off and insults them as if she's invincible. Except she isn't as fearless as she presents herself. Even she experiences second thoughts of her revenge and if she has it in her to commit such an act. There's even hesitation if she'll kill anyone in general. But then, this is where my problem with her arises. Just as she seems so close to being a perfect character, they pull the rug from under me. She tries to leave town. This isn't the same character I've been following. The Lady gets scared, but she isn't stupid or a coward. She fights her way through her problems. It felt like that moment was shoehorned in to fit a shitty plot line. The Lady isn't the only character I love in this film. I actually really enjoyed the main ensemble of Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russel Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio. I love these characters, not just because of their performances either, but because I deeply enjoy their character dynamics. Gene Hackman as Herod is such a chilling performance for an equally evil character. When he's first mentioned, it's all bark with no bite, but it's when he calls out Ace on his fraudulence that he actually embodies a menacing persona. And he maintains it throughout the rest of the film. His dynamic with The Kid is even stronger. The Kid is a cocky piece of shit, but he can also back up what he's putting out there. But under that mask as the town's hero is truly a kid who just wants acceptance. To prove himself to his father, that is his ultimate goal. It's a toxic and damaging relationship and it gets to a point where The Kid falls. And when he does, what does his father do? Find anyway to detach his name from him. Easily the moment I remember the most clearly from the film upon my first viewing. When I first started writing this review, I didn't think I'd have this much to say about the film. I originally was going to give this film a 7/10, but as I kept writing about how I enjoyed it and what it was specifically that I enjoyed, it has convinced me to give it a higher rating. 9/10. There's no doubt in my mind that The Quick and the Dead is a deeply important and special film to me. Even through its flaws, I can't help but love it.

breakfastcowl

The Quick and the Dead

Hell yeah Raimi. Gets in, sorts everyone's business, gets out. (And business is booming!) An assured ol' Western ramble, and still immensely entertaining.

Codeliusthe2nd

The Quick and the Dead

Sam Raimi has such a distinct style, so I was curious to see how it would translate to a western, and I’m so happy to say that it works surprisingly well. The Quick and the Dead is as quirky as you’d expect coming from Raimi. This all-star cast does a wonderful job at creating some wacky characterizations, which gives the film so much charm. It’s certainly out there stylistically, ditching a lot of conventions when it comes to western films, which makes it feel unique and fresh. It’s a riot of a watch, and one that I would love to watch again in the future, since I had such a good time with it. I hadn’t even heard of this film until my coworker told me about it, and I’m really glad that he did, since it really was a treat to get to see.

triples

The Quick and the Dead

How does he do it everytime??? What kind of film-making talent does Raimi have in his veins? This film is incredible. It has some moments where it slows down but it's never too strenuous. The second half takes on a more tragic, darker tone but the final 10 minutes launches it into pure spectacle! Don't even get me started on the cinematography, set design, music and the amount of energy there is within each shot! Gene Hackman chews up every single scene he's in too! The script isn't anything special, in fact it's very familiar to previous western films. However, Raimi takes it and just amplifies it to TEN with his distinct style All around just a great western! Another Raimi classic for sure!