The Quick and the Dead (1995 film)

Infobox_Film
name = The Quick and the Dead


caption = "The Quick and the Dead" Theatrical poster
director = Sam Raimi
producer = Joshua Donen
Patrick Markey
Allen Shapiro
writer = Simon Moore
starring = Sharon Stone
Gene Hackman
Russell Crowe
Leonardo DiCaprio
music = Alan Silvestri
cinematography = Dante Spinotti
editing = Pietro Scalia
distributor = Columbia TriStar
released = February 10, 1995
runtime = 107 minutes
language = English
budget = $32 million USD
imdb_id = 0114214

"The Quick and the Dead" is a Western film directed by Sam Raimi, released in 1995. It stars Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lance Henriksen, and Keith David. It also marks the final film appearance of character actor Woody Strode. The script was written by Simon Moore.

Plot summary

"The Quick and the Dead" follows the course of a single elimination gunfighting contest held by John Herod (Hackman). Herod is a former outlaw and murderer who rules the small town of Redemption, Arizona, with an iron fist. Herod sponsors the contest with one goal in mind - to eliminate anyone who might pose a threat to him. The contest attracts a variety of contestants, including several outlaws, an adventurer (David), a Swedish gunfighting champion (Sven-Ole Thorsen), a trick shooter and braggart (Henriksen), Herod's alleged son (DiCaprio), and a mysterious woman (Stone) bent on killing Herod. It is revealed through a series of flashbacks that Stone's character is no crusader or savior; her mission is one of personal vengeance. As a young girl, Herod manipulated her into killing her father (Gary Sinise), the town's marshal. Herod also sends his henchmen to retrieve a man named Cort (Crowe), a fellow outlaw retired to life as a missionary. Cort is publicly tortured and humiliated when he refuses to recant his mission of non-violence, and is ultimately forced into the contest. He and "the Lady" (Stone) find they have a common enemy in Herod and devise a plan to kill him and free the town from his oppression.

This film bears no relation to Louis L'Amour's western novel "The Quick and the Dead" nor the 1963 film.

Characters in depth

Ellen aka "The Lady" (Sharon Stone)- The tournament's only female gunfighter. Has a personal vendetta against Herod for tricking her into killing her father, and finds an ally in Cort. When they have to eliminate one another, neither draw their guns, but when Cort shoots her, everyone believes she has died, but comes back to shoot Herod.

John Herod (Gene Hackman)- The primary antagonist of the film. For many years Herod and his marauding band of outlaws roamed the countryside. They then settled on the frontier town of Redemption, extorting the town's citizens in return for their own survival. Herod rules over the town from his mansion in its center. His gang members enforce his will posing as the town's "Councilors". He also develops an attraction to Ellen, and invites her to dinner one night, where he reveals that he also has a tragic backstory from his father, a judge, forcing him to watch people he had sentenced being hanged, and his wife abandoning him for another man (although it is implied he killed her in his rage). Shot in the chest and later in right eye by Ellen, in revenge for tricking her into killing her father.

Cort (Russell Crowe)- Cort used to run with Herod and his gang, but he had a change of heart and has tried to make up for his past sins (Herod made him kill a minister who had nursed Herod's gang) as a preacher in a mission. Herod insists that Cort participates in the town's gunfighting tournament and has Foy and Ratsy burn the mission to the ground and abduct Cort back to town to do so. He is arguably the fastest and most skilled shooter in the entire film (Herod knows better than to face him one-on-one, and keeps him chained up), though this is tempered by his reluctance to kill. His preacher clothing gains him the hostility of most of the townspeople, although he later wins their support after they learn of his skills and his determination to rid the town of Herod. Cort has an affair with The Lady (a scene deleted only from the American version of the film) and in the end of the film is heavily suggested to become the new sheriff.

Fee Herod aka "The Kid" (Leonardo DiCaprio)- Fee claims to be the son of John Herod. Herod denies he is the boy's father, claiming his wife (Fee's mother) had an affair with a farmer, although he does seem to show a bit of affection for Fee, displayed by his many attempts to get Fee to drop out of the contest. Fee makes a living as the town's gunsmith and enters the tournament hoping to earn his father's acknowledgment and respect. He develops a crush on Ellen, and although she claims the opposite, she deeply cares for him and is greatly saddened when he is shot and killed by Herod after wounding him in the neck in their gunfight.

Dog Kelly (Tobin Bell)- Kelly is an outlaw bent on finding some buried loot, but he seems to have forgotten its location. He tries to kill Ellen, mistakenly believing she was a rival for said treasure. In retaliation she punches him out, chains him to his cart and takes his hat to replace the one he destroyed. He joins the tournament to get a chance to shoot her. A deleted scene shows Ellen teasing Kelly about his nickname telling everyone else about how he was forced to eat his own dog or face starvation. Wounded by Ellen and eliminated.

Doc Wallace (Roberts Blossom)- Doc was the town's local doctor for as long as anyone can remember. He even remembers Ellen from long ago.

Eugene Dred (Kevin Conway)- Dred is a local pedophile and apparently a friend of Scars. Fee goads him into joining the tournament. Killed by Ellen in an unofficial duel after he rapes Horace's young daughter Katie. Shot in the groin and then the chest, after which he begs for his life and Ellen spares him despite Herod calls her to kill him. He then tries to shot Ellen in the saloon from behind but misses, and Ellen kills him with three more shots to the chest.

Sgt. Clay Cantrell (Keith David)- Cantrell is a former Union soldier of the American Civil War. Even now he still wears his old uniform. He has been hired by the town to participate in the tournament in the hopes he will eliminate Herod in the process. First disarmed and later shot in the head by Herod.

Ace Hanlon (Lance Henriksen)- Ace is a trick shot performer. He has an appearance similar to that of Wild Bill Hickok. In addition to his trick shooting he also entertains people by telling tall tales of his exploits. He is however a fraud on several accounts and far less skilled than he claims. He is easily killed by Herod, who first shots through both his hands (to taunt him for his boasts about using both hands equally well in a gunfight), and then twice in the chest.

Horace (Pat Hingle)- Horace is the proprietor of the town's only saloon and is the manager of the town's gunfighter tournament.

The Marshal (Gary Sinise)- The town's local law enforcer, who was killed by Herod and his gang 20 years before. His burnt down office is all that remains of any sign that law and order ever existed here. Ellen's father, whom she is seeking to avenge.

Scars (Mark Boone Junior)- Scars is an outlaw and a friend of Eugene Dred. He was sentenced to 35 years for murder, but was released after a mere three days. He still wears the prisoner garb from his prison time. He gets his nickname from the fact he cuts himself after every time he kills someone. He is bald, filthy, and blind in one eye. He and Dred are seen among those whom lay their hands on Ace's clothes and assets immediately after he is dead. Killed by "The Kid".

Katie (Olivia Burnette)- Katie is Horace's daughter and helps her father run the saloon. She appears to be in her mid-teens and idolizes Ellen.

Mattie Silk (Fay Masterson)- A local prostitute who has her eye on Fee.

Ratsy (Raynor Scheine)- Ratsy is an errand boy for Herod. He's not very bright and is only partially tolerated by Herod himself. Killed by Herod because he wounded Cort's hand before their duel, ruining his aiming. In reality Herod ordered him to injure Cort, but publicly blamed Ratsy.

Spotted Horse (Jonothon Gill)- Sioux gunfighter who has a reputation for being impossible to kill in a gunfight. His body is covered with old bullet wounds, and his battle cry is "Spotted Horse cannot be killed by a bullet!". Shot in the head (the force of which snaps his neck) by Cort after surviving a shot in the stomach.

Blind Boy (Jerry Swindall)- Town's bootblack and merchant of unusual things such as printer's ink, perfume, and loose bullets.

Swede Gutzon (Sven-Ole Thorsen)- Gutzon is a prideful man. He proudly states that he is a champion shooter from his native Sweden; a title nobody really takes all that seriously. Wounded by "The Kid" in the first round and eliminated.

Flat Nose Foy (Lennie Loftin)- He is a gunfighter with bad teeth and a brood of ill-tempered young children in tow. Wounded by Cort.

Simp Dixon (David Cornell)- Dred's first round opponent. Killed by Dred.

Virgil Sparks (Joseph Rainer)- A debonair southern gentleman who refers to himself as, "The Pride of Texas". In the scene where he is introduced, a poster showing him as wanted for murder and rape is visible next to Ellen. Defeated in the first round by Sgt. Clay Cantrell. Carlos Montoya (Arturo Gastelum)- Mexican gunfighter. Spotted Horse's first round opponent. Killed by Spotted Horse.

Red Ford- Scars' first round opponent. Killed by Scars.

Gun Fights

Awards and nominations

1996 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (Saturn Awards)
*Nominated - Best Actress (Film) — Sharon Stone

External links

*imdb title|id=0114214|title=The Quick and the Dead