Silverado (1985) ***
Produced by Lawrence Kasden
Distributed by Columbia
Directed by Lawrence Kasden
Distributed by Columbia
Directed by Lawrence Kasden
From the guy that co-wrote the Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, we have an ensemble western that tries very hard to capture something of the glory days but only makes it painfully obvious how impossible it is. Cinematography is top notch, award winning soundtrack, all star cast but the film is still bogged down by the conventions of the time. There is a huge 80s style body count, the obligatory "don't forget that minorities had it even worse" apology and an obsession with seeming genuine. The story is all over the place in order to force the four main characters together. It is high quality work all around but feels like Kasden missed the mark. He and his brother Mark wrote the screenplay and Lawrence directed so blame sits squarely on his shoulders.
The story brings together two former bad boys Emmett (Scott Glenn) and Paden (Kevin Kline) who head out for Silverado. On the way Emmett is reunited with his brother Jake (Kevin Costner) and new buddy Mal (Danny Glover). Once in Silverado, they find local power player McKendrick (Ray Baker) bullying the locals with the help of a lackey sheriff named Cobb (Brian Dennehy). Our four heroes come together to right the wrongs in town... John Cleese, Rosanna Arquette, and Jeff Goldblum are amongst the people along the way. There are some great performances by these actors but the overly complicated story leaves you feeling like you have been watching a western soap opera. Lots of attempts at classic western scenes are injected but feel so contrived that they lose any nostalgic value. Should you watch it? It is in the midst of a western lull chronologically so you can flesh out your western education with it but just realize it has its faults.
