The introduction of Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone It's almost perfect. Despite having relatively few Western credits to his name, what Russell lacks in quantity, he more than makes up for in quality. He is part of the holder Hateful Eight in Quentin Tarantino's dark film of the same name, and that same year saw Russell lead the cult classic Tomahawk Bone. However, Tombstone is easily Kurt Russell's best western and might just be one of the best westerns of the last 30 years, period.
THE Tombstone the cast is an embarrassment of riches and includes the never-better Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton and many, many more. The film is filled with iconic sequences and lines, although the tense production led to original director Kevin Jarre being fired. They say Kurt Russell was driven by ghosts Tombstone himselfalthough final production is credited to the late George P. Cosmatos (Snake). What's indisputable is that, in his role as star and producer, Russell was vital in keeping the production on track when Jarre was fired.
Why Kurt Russell's First Tombstone Scene Is Still So Good
Russell was forced to make Tombstone's Wyatt Earp an “aura” character
Most of the characters in Tombstone get great performances, but Russell's first appearance as Wyatt Earp comes out on top. Earp's arrival in the lawless town follows the scene in the film's prologue, where the Cowboys gang commits a massacre in a Mexican church. After killing a priest, outlaw Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) tells other outlaws the priest's dire warning that his evil deeds will be avenged. Of course, the next shot is Russell's Wyatt getting off a train, with the camera slowly panning up to reveal his face after he gets off.
After witnessing a horse being brutally whipped, Wyatt intervenes, grabbing the man's whip and hitting him. he thereforebefore asking rhetorically"It hurts, doesn't it?"By discussing behind-the-scenes issues with True West Magazine In 2006, Russell claims that to gain the trust of the film's large cast after Jarre's departure, he had to cut most of Wyatt's best scenes and make him a "aura"character. That's why this mythical introduction does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to Earp. Says the star:
In other words, you know him, you see him, you know who he is. When you see him get off the train, that's it. There's the guy. And then Doc Holliday reveals it. I said, “You’re going to do all the acting work in this movie, and I’m going to make sure it gets done.” And I saved most of other people's things to do.
Kurt Russell's tombstone entry perfectly sums up his Wyatt Earp
Tombstone Opening Says All Audiences Need to Know
Tombstone the opening lets the audience immediately know who Wyatt Earp is. He is grandiose, stands up to bullies, and immediately rejects a marshal's offer to continue his career as a lawman, as he came to the city seeking his fortune. This sequence makes it clear that Earp is a good man beneath his shield of cynicismso his conflict with the Cowboys is almost inevitable. Later, when he warns gang member Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang) that "Hell comes with me!”, is like the fulfillment of the Mexican priest’s warning in the prologue.
Wyatt Earp's introduction into Tombstone is a masterclass on how to create a mythical entrance for a main character...
Wyatt's introduction into Tombstone is a masterclass in how to create a mythic entrance for a main character, and establishes everything viewers need to know about him in less than a minute. It may not rank alongside the likes of Charles Bronson's first appearance in Once Upon a Time in the West or John Wayne in Diligencebut it is one of the best of its kind in recent times.
Source: True West Magazine