Ed Harris’ second directorial feature, Appaloosa, is a far cry from his first, 2000 ’s bio-pic Pollock, as well as the sort of movie rarely made anymore, a classical Western that invites us to savor no-nonsense camaraderie between two shootists for hire. A throwback to the pre-revisionist days of Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway, the film admits few occluding shadows: There’s a clear divide between the good guys and the outlaws, little gray and absolutely no Brokeback confusion. Virgil Cole (Harris ) and Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen ) are peacekeeping partners called to the New Mexico Territory town of Appaloosa in 1882 (during the administration of President Chester A. Arthur, a fact that proves salient to the story ) after local cattle baron Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons ) guns down the marshal. Virgil, the alpha male, agrees to take over the job with loyal Everett — the more intelligent and ruminative of the two — as his deputy only if the city fathers cede him extraordinary powers. Desperate for civilization, they acquiesce to Virgil’s demands. Soon the town is as orderly as Mayberry, though just outside the city limits murderous Bragg seethes.
This stasis is disrupted by two events — mysterious piano-playing widow Allie French (Renee Zellweger ) arrives in town and immediately sets her cap for Virgil, and a young cowpoke who witnessed Bragg’s murder of the previous marshal comes forward, giving the partners legal cause to arrest Bragg.
The film’s major flaw is that it tends to explain what we can see for ourselves: Allie distracts Virgil, and though Everett doesn’t trust her, he’s loath to sabotage his friend’s chance for happiness. Virgil may be so blinded by love he can’t see what Allie’s up to, but we don’t need it spelled out.
And while it’s nice that, for once, the sidekick is wiser than the hero, Everett too often seems an expository instrument rather than an authentic character. Still, Mortensen is wonderful to behold, easy in the saddle and charmingly cocksure in his old-timey cowboy slouch. He’s around to supply Virgil with words he can’t quite find and to make it clear to us that he regards his boss as a kind of crazy god, a holy man with a big iron on his hip.
Everett is educated and brave, a trained soldier who graduated West Point, yet he’s chosen to give up his military career to become Virgil’s disciple.
Appaloosa is elevated by the casting of fine actors — Irons is so dastardly as Bragg that it’s difficult to believe he’s never been in a Western before. Harris lends Virgil not only his arctic cool but an obstinate incuriosity that may compel deep thinkers to look for parallels between the locked-down town of Appaloosa and certain contemporary events. (At a press conference at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Harris swore any similarity between Virgil and any real person was entirely coincidental. )
There are nice supporting turns by veteran character actors like Timothy Spall as one of the town’s worried leaders and Lance Henriksen as an old rival of Virgil’s who shows up at an inconvenient juncture.
If there’s a weak link it’s Zellweger, whose character is the only morally ambiguous one. (Everett says he’s only into lawkeeping because he’s good at killing, but he acts like a knight-errant bound by a code of honor. ) Her Allie is a discordant note, a complicated character in a film populated by archetypes. In any case, the movie shifts into a less surefooted mode when she’s on screen — she’s a 21 st century gal stuck in the 1880 s.
But these are niggles, and if Appaloosa is forgettable it’s also easy to enjoy. It plays like High Noon crossed with Lonesome Dove, and if it isn’t quite in the same league with those beloved horse operas it’s nevertheless charming and professionally realized. Appaloosa 86 Cast: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons Director: Ed Harris Rating: R for violence, language Running time: 114 minutes
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