When we think about Sam Raimi, naturally the first films that come to mind are The Evil Dead Series or Tobey Maguire’s Spiderman Trilogy — however, there is a much lesser known Raimi movie that deserves as much if not more hype than some of his most celebrated projects and that is The Quick and The Dead. It is an often overlooked western from the ‘90s that tries to reinvent the genre in a new light. The film not only boasts a stacked cast but also has that stylistic wow factor innate to all Sam Raimi movies, separating it from the crowd.
The Spaghetti Western genre of film started becoming popular in the mid-60s, with pioneers such as Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci, and Tonino Valerii releasing some of the most memorable features of the era. Most of the films had minimal dialogue, focusing more on the action and atmosphere, with iconic visuals and rugged anti-heroes clad in dusty ponchos. These fell out of popularity by the late 70s, but Raimi’s 1995 reinvigoration gave the genre a breath of fresh air, reviving the true spirit of a Western for the modern audience.
The Quick and The Dead Is a Testament to Raimi’s Versatility
Even though it’s easy to tie down Raimi to Horror-Comedy flicks like The Evil Dead or Drag Me to Hell, and superhero movies such as Spiderman or Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness, Raimi’s filmmaking is incredibly versatile. He can create a Disney-esque fantasy with Oz The Great and The Powerful if he wants, or do a more balanced and serious Sports-Romance such as For Love of the Game — or even blend his two most famous genres together to put forth a Superhero-Horror flick such as Darkman. In a similar manner, the Saturn Award Winning Director’s versatility and range really come into play when he infuses his dynamic style to the middle of a bloodthirsty Wild West town.
The Quick and The Dead embodies everything that Raimi is known for — the eccentric shot angles, the whip-pans and the constant zoom-ins keep the pace quick and help engage the audience. The focal point of any Western is its shoot-outs, and The Quick and The Dead does not disappoint in that department either, the encounters seem to grab the viewers’ attention due to the fact that there’s a lot of variation in relatively simplistic setups such as drawing and shooting. Raimi uses his familiar arsenal of tricks and successfully integrates them into the western style to produce a visual masterpiece, an example of his malleability in different genres.
The Plot Revolves Around a Gunslinging Contest
The movie offers a well-tailored plot, with the center of it all being a classic quick-draw contest held in the Old West town of Redemption. The competition is organized by a wealthy outlaw named John Herod, who also happens to rule over the town. Then there’s Cort, Herod’s former pupil and a seasoned killer who has renounced his old ways and found peace in a type of pacifistic priesthood, much to the town’s ridicule. Herod does not appreciate this and seems hell-bent on making his disciple return to his old bloodthirsty ways. The character development and overall storytelling are exceptionally well-done, which becomes more apparent with the film’s progression.
The point where the script really deviates from a standard Western film is the inclusion of a female lead — Sharon Stone as ‘the Lady’ or Ellen, a mysterious character resembling that of Clint Eastwood’s ‘The Man with No Name’ in the Dollars Trilogy. Ellen decides to take part in the competition but she isn’t there for the prize money, rather she wants to exact revenge on the man who killed her father. There’s also the Kid, a young local boy who claims to be Herod’s son and desperately wants to impress him by winning big at the tournament.
Sam Raimi is known for emphasizing more on style rather than script, despite this, The Quick and The Dead has a lot to offer thematically as the film goes on, even though the plot might seem a bit bland initially. Ellen’s backstory is revealed in a series of flashbacks that add more layers to an enigmatic character, a trope that many of the classic spaghetti westerns lack in their protagonists. On the other hand, Herod’s evil persona is also fully divulged through the same flashback mechanism. The Quick and The Dead is by no means your traditional western, with Raimi’s patented camera work and multi-faceted story playing an important role in maintaining its distinct appeal.
Th Ensemble Cast Is Impressive
In addition to Raimi’s ingenious directing, the film also boasts an exceptionally impressive cast ensemble. The outlaw mayor of the town is played by Gene Hackman, while Russel Crowe appears as his former protege-turned-priest Cort. Crowe’s stoic and non-violent character is in complete opposition to the highly cocky and enthusiastic Kid, who is played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio, foreshadowing the amount of range he would go on to have in his vast career.
Sharon Stone, in addition to being the female lead, was also co-producing the film. She wanted Raimi to direct, firmly believing in his technical and creative ability. Her judgment seems to have worked well as Raimi’s distinct touch added all the ingredients for a potential cult classic even if the film did somehow manage to remain under the radar compared to some of his other works. Overall, The Quick and The Dead bestows an experience well-suited for anyone missing the rough bustle and charm of a Spaghetti Western. This one, however, comes combined with a few modern revisions to filmography and screenplay that set it apart from others! With that out of the way, don’t forget to check out these five best Westerns of the 90s.
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