The Quick and the Dead (1995)

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writer (WGA):

Simon Moore (written by)

Release Date:

10 February 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Western

Tagline:

In this town, you're either one or the other

Plot:

Lady avenger returns to western town owned by a ruthless gunslinger hosting an elimination tournament.

Plot Keywords:

Contest | Revenge | Anti Hero | Period Piece | Dead Boy

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Sharon Stone	...	Ellen "The Lady"
Gene Hackman	...	John Herod
Russell Crowe	...	Cort
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Fee Herod "The Kid"
Tobin Bell	...	Dog Kelly
Roberts Blossom	...	Doc Wallace
Kevin Conway	...	Eugene Dred
Keith David	...	Sgt. Clay Cantrell
Lance Henriksen	...	Ace Hanlon
Pat Hingle	...	Horace
Gary Sinise	...	The Marshal
Mark Boone Junior	...	Scars
Olivia Burnette	...	Katie
Fay Masterson	...	Mattie Silk
Raynor Scheine	...	Ratsy

MPAA:

Rated R for western violence.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

All of the actors on the set in the gunfight scenes were instructed in the art of the quick draw by a stunt coordinator. Due to his limited screen time, Gene Hackman had the most opportunity to prepare his quick draw and as a result was the fastest actor on the set.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the gunfight between Ellen and Cort, there is a close up shot of Ellen's eyes including her contact lenses.

Quotes:

Kid: The Smith and Wesson Schofield .45. Just meat and potatoes. Me and Jesse James think it's the best handgun in the world. Had the trigger guard removed, it saves drawin' time. Don't ever wear it when you're drunk, or you'll kill your feet.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Inside the Actors Studio: (#10.6)" (2004)

The Good & Bad Of 'The Quick And The Dead'

Like the western "Wild Bill" that also came out around this time, this is a pretty wild, almost cartoon-like western. It has many pluses and minuses.

GOOD - Great sound, interesting camera angles and very stylishly shot. The visuals and audio make it interesting alone. Add a simple but interesting story filled with wild cartoon-like characters and you have a fun, fast-moving film. Western purists will hate the movie because it's filled with over-the-top characters. The most interesting, I thought, was Gene Hackman as the villain and Russell Crowe as the good-guy "preacher" named "Cort." Sharon Stone's character, "Ellen," is very reminiscent of the one she played in "The Specialist," a movie which came out the previous year in which - as in this movie - revenge is her main motive.

BAD - This is only bad if you are religiously-inclined. The "preacher" in here is questionable as such. No real preacher uses the Lord's name in vain which Crowe did twice here. His theology also is not Biblically, more like clueless Hollywood stereotypes. Also, there was a bit too much of the feminist slant in here. Then again, since Stone co-produced the film, it's not surprising. Actually, her character - especially when she begins to soften a bit - is interesting, too.

OVERALL - Despite the usual bias, the movie is fun to watch and entertaining.