The Quick And The Dead (1995)
western
directed by : Sam Raimi
featuring : Sharon Stone - Gene Hackman - Russell Crowe - Leonardo DiCaprio - Tobin Bell
running time : 1 hour 45 minutes
Director Sam Raimi brings his trademark comic book-influenced visual panache to this post-modern Western. Sharon Stone stars as Ellen, a mysterious female gunslinger who arrives in the frontier hamlet of Redemption for a contest pitting quick-draw artists against each other. The event is the brainchild of Redemption's evil, corrupt mayor, Herod (Gene Hackman), a criminal who has taken over the town and charges a 50% tax on local businesses. The pot for Herod's deadly game has swollen, attracting numerous colorful gunfighters from around the territory. As each battle thins the ranks of players, the pasts of several participants are revealed. Ellen is seeking revenge on Herod for a heinous past injustice. The fast-talking braggart known as "The Kid" (Leonardo DiCaprio) may in fact be Herod's son. The pacifist Reverend Cort (Russell Crowe), who refuses to participate in the bloodshed, is the fastest draw in the West and a former colleague of Herod's. After several spectacular slayings, Ellen and Herod stage a final showdown, but not before he has made her an unexpected proposal. The Quick And The Dead (1995) is dedicated to veteran Western actor Woody Strode, who appears in a cameo as Redemption's coffin maker, his final performance.

Raimi's hyper-stylized contemporary Western is a delightful diversion. While the cult director has taken hits for his style-over-substance format, this film boasts a taut storyline and a number of interestingly sketched characters, brought to life by the likes of Stone, Hackman, DiCaprio, Crowe, and cult favorites Keith David and Lance Henriksen. Though his absurdist tendencies have been frowned upon in purist cinematic circles, here this proclivity makes Raimi a singular director. Tackling the Western genre in an offbeat manner may have offended the Hollywood hard-line, but it proves a sure-fire formula for creating entertainment value, with Raimi's comical treatment of blood-and-gut gore reflecting a modern American desensitization towards violence. Overall, this is a superbly crafted picture with some very excusable flaws and will surely satisfy fans of Raimi's over-the-top technique; though no Evil Dead, the director's cryptic, quirky tone persists in making this an infectiously fun film to watch.