A very well done western, which replaces glorification with raw realism.
I really enjoyed this film, which is very centered on the notable figures of Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday during their time as law and order in the town of Tombstone. In popular culture, they became famous due to a short but intense exchange of fire with a group of gunmen from the city, called the Ok Corral Shooting. The incident, which took place in October 1881, was widely romanticized in the early 20th century and became a symbol of the Old West.
In fact, the shooting, which appears in this film, was just one violent incident within a long feud between the sheriffs and the gunmen. The causes are still shrouded in mists that historians are trying, with difficulty, to penetrate, and the feud continued and resulted in the murder of one of the Earp brothers and the pursuit and death of some of the assassins, in a veritable manhunt. I'm a historian, but I'm not an expert on the period or the Wild West, but I felt that the film managed to put everything in its context and respect, minimally, what really happened.
If there is something in this film that deserves to be highlighted, it is the work of the actors. We have a magnificent cast, full of very competent actors who committed themselves to their respective roles. The effort deserves our praise. Of course, Kurt Russel will have a special highlight when receiving the character of Wyatt Earp, but the actor made good use of that role and managed to be very charismatic and friendly to the public. Sam Elliott, one of those veterans with a lot of attitude and personality, couldn't be better and is incredibly good in this film. Maybe it's the actor's best film. Val Kilmer is not one of those actors that makes me want to see a movie, but the truth is that he was also very good at his job, and managed to harmonize his character's fragility and charisma well.
Directed by Kevin Jarre and George Cosmatos, the film is one of those westerns that went against the classics by dismantling the glorified figure of the cowboy, the bravery and coldness of the gunslinger and the villain, and giving a more realistic and historically credible flavor to films of this genre. The script is very good, it is very well written, and the technical work of the visual effects, make-up, costumes and set design teams was truly exquisite. The cinematography does not let us down either and makes very clever use of all this, and the sets and exterior footage, with magnificent lighting and a warm color palette that is simply delightful. The soundtrack, despite not being memorable or worthy of particular attention, does a good job.
