Open Range (2003)

Great Film overall

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Open Range is the type of Western I can again and again. I already have watched it several times.

Open Range is written by Craig Storper and directed by Kevin Costner. It's an affectionate throwback to classic Westerns of the 1950s. The film stars Robert Duvall as Boss Spearman, an open range cattleman alongside his hired hands Charley Waite(Kevin Costner), Button(Diego Luna) and Mose(Abraham Benrubi) as they travel the west free-grazing with their cattle herd.After an altercation with ruthless land owner Denton Baxter(Michael Gambon) in a near by town. Baxter uses his hired guns to force them off his land, resulting in a fatal casualty. Launching Boss Spearman and Charley Waite into a quest for justice against Baxter, and the corrupt sheriffs on his payroll.There's a-lot to admire with Open Range. Firstly the cinematography by J. Michael Muro(who'd previously worked with Costner on Dances with Wolves.) is beautifully shot. Using natural landscapes, and a fully realised town, the film feels authentic in its setting. Robert Duvall also gives one his best performances ever, and at times he carries the movie(He should've received an Oscar nomination).The film does have some scripting and pacing issues though. Midway through the second act things slow down considerably for a under- developed love story between Waite and the town nurse Sue Barlow(Annette Bening). The acting and on-screen chemistry from both Costner and Bening is fine. This sub-plot however felt rushed, and only there to raise the stakes in the films climax. Also Michael Gambon is completely wasted in this film. He's barely given any material to work with, other then to just snarl at the camera which he does with joyous vigour.However as the film enters into it's third act and the showdown begins the film kicks in high gear. Costner directs a thrilling shootout in classic Western style. The geography of the shootout is excellent, as Boss and Waite navigate through the town, as they fend off the corrupt officials and Baxters hired guns.Open Range is a love-letter to classic Hollywood Westerns. It's a beautifully constructed film that's largely held up by fantastic acting and its thrilling climax. In the end the film suffers from pacing issues, and has too many side plots that are under-developed which stops the film short of greatness. The film doesn't quite have the depth or introspective stoicism of a film like Unforgiven that it thinks it does, to elevate itself beyond being a well crafted genre film.

First of all this is piece of film history.Costner was just coming to the end of an extraordinary run where he was so popular with audiences that he was even playing parts which, with hindsight, were way beyond his range. (Like for example Robin Hood.) Here he was both in front of the camera and behind it. And doing great work in each position.Duvall had been working in films since the 1950s and was still carving out his legacy with extraordinary roles like this one.And Bening also was reaching the stage in her career where she would no longer solely provide the "love interest" for an entire film.But all that was yet to come. In 2003 these actors were the peak of their craft and they picked up this film and carried it to the finish line.The script is to die for. The sub-texts of loyalty, secrecy among men, and respect for your employer are rare, and to be treasured. The revenge theme is wonderful and deeply nuanced. The chocolate bar scene is unforgettable.An amazing movie and highly recommended.

Targeted by a corrupt lawman who detests "free grazers", an elderly open range cattleman decides to take action - a decision that forces his younger partner to reluctantly rekindle his violent past - in this Old West tale directed by Kevin Costner. Clocking in at over two hours long, the film drags on occasion (particularly in the scenes with love interest Annette Bening), but for the most part, the pacing is spot-on with much time dedicated to the leisurely lifestyle that cattleman Robert Duvall and his three underlings lead until their peace is shattered by the anti-free grazer attitude of a town they cross. The film additionally benefits from a rousing Michael Kamen score and Costner's directing eye when it comes to untouched natural landscapes; his performance here might not rate among his best, but it is hard to deny how good-looking a film he has crafted. What truly elevates 'Open Range' above other revenge tales though is Duvall's firm moral stance and Costner's quivering one as the man with the violent past; "justice and vengeance ... them are different things" as Duvall reminds Costner at a key point. In fact, were it not the Bening love interest subplot, this would rate as an extremely tight and tense filmic experience. That said, Bening does serve some purpose as she helps Costner's character to remember how human he is despite his checkered violent past.