There are a few names in the film industry who know a thing or two about the western genre, and Kurt Russell
would certainly be one of them. From older films like The longest trip and Tombstoneto more recent hits such as The Hateful Eight and Tomahawk Bonethe esteemed actor has traversed his fair share of dusty plains over the years. Suffice to say, Russell has more than the right to give his opinion on what should be considered the best Western of all time, but he has a pretty positive opinion when it comes to John Wayne’s work.
The researchers is widely considered one of the best of the genre and is, without a doubt, John Wayne’s best Western. The sprawling 1956 epic features some of the most stunning landscapes in film history, providing the backdrop for an intense story of revenge and territorial conflict, with Ethan Edwards, played by Wayne, the hero at the center of it all. But, while The researchers gets it right, Kurt Russell insists his own films are much more realistic and representative of the periods and environments they portray.
The John Wayne Movie Has One Thing Wrong
While Russell takes a shower The researchers with praise, he admits he’s not convinced of the authenticity of Wayne’s film, insisting it’s a little too glossed over with Hollywood veneer. Instead, Russell is quick to point out that two of his projects, Tombstone and Tomahawk Bonehave a more interesting and unique approach that seems more suited to the real Western experience of the late 19th century.
Talking to Squire at the time of Tomahawk Bone release, Russell explained his thinking and attributed it all to the dialogue used in the different films. He said:
“The researchers. This was the normal Western dialogue of the time, which in no way represented reality. I love The researchers. I think it’s a cool film. But the dialogue style? No chance. It cannot be compared to Tomahawk Bone or something like that Tombstone. They are much more of that true flavor.
“It makes you feel like it actually could be a strange little town in 1897 that’s out there where nobody really knows where everything is. People talked that way. I believe that. I don’t think this is a Western dialogue of Hollywood movie. This has a style. It lends itself much more to the believability of reality than almost all Westerns.
This statement highlights how, for Russell, authentic dialogue goes a long way toward ensuring that a Western feels as realistic as possible.
Tombstone & Bone Tomahawk actually has more accurate dialogue than researchers
The people of the American West spoke quite eloquently
For all its technical excellence, The researchers is certainly guilty of dialogue that lacks nuance and subtlety. Perhaps this is yet another symptom of that particular era of filmmaking in Hollywood, where big, bombastic performances were the norm, and direct lines of dialogue seemed less detrimental to the immersive nature of the moviegoing experience. In any case, there cannot be much doubt that The researchers It lacks realism in several different ways.
It’s difficult to know exactly how people in the American West spoke, but a report from The BBC suggests that settlers arriving from England were likely to carry with them some of the most complex and florid speech patterns of Victorian Britain. This would correlate with the distinct and dynamic dialogue found in companies like Tombstone and Tomahawk Boneand goes against the simplistic structure of speech in older images like The researchers.
It seems, then, that Russell is right. While The researchers may have inspired countless films since then, it fails to capture the finer details of the American West, and for that reason at least, Tombstone and Tomahawk Bone should be celebrated for their intricate and engaging dialogue.
Kurt Russell gets one of the best things about Tombstone right
Tombstone is full of incredible dialogue
Screenwriter Kevin Jarre not only created a gripping and moving story with Tombstonehe imbued the script with some of the most memorable and meaningful quotes in any Western film. It’s true that most of this dialogue can be found in Doc Holliday’s best moments in Tombstoneand some of the credit must go to Val Kilmer’s extremely cool performance. His most famous quote will always be “I’m your Huckleberry“, but your delivery of the line,”Make no mistake, he’s not after revenge, it’s a reckoning”, sustains Holliday’s fierce and formidable personality.
Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp also has his fair share of strong dialogue. A highlight is his gunslinger motto, “Fast is good, but precision is ultimate,” while “Shake that pistol and go to work“, is a gloriously arrogant call to arms. Indeed, whether in Tombstoneor Tomahawk Bone, Kurt Russell always finds a way to let his screen presence shine. He’s an actor who understands that it’s not about who shouts the loudest when it comes to dialogue; it’s about delivering those lines with conviction and authenticity, and that’s an advantage he may have over John Wayne.
Source: BBC