Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Tom Berenger | ... | Cain Hammett | |
Luke Perry | ... | Harry Hammett | |
Burt Reynolds | ... | Hunt Lawton | |
Rachel Ward | ... | Queenie | |
Michelle Forbes | ... | Rory Hammett | |
Adam Storke | ... | Dale Hammett | |
Christopher Cazenove | ... | Lord Peter | |
Jack Conley | ... | Jesse Jacklin | |
Silas Weir Mitchell | ... | Mitch Slaughter | |
Fay Masterson | ... | Clara Jager | |
Ken Pogue | ... | Wally Tascot | |
Blu Mankuma | ... | Hambone | |
William Samples | ... | Arthur | |
Stephen Bridgewater | ... | Dencil Jager | |
Adrien Dorval | ... | Timberline (as P. Adrien Dorval) |
This is a based on true events " The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893. The conflict began when cattle companies started ruthlessly persecuting alleged rustlers in the area, many of whom were settlers who competed with them for land, livestock and water rights. As violence swelled between the large established ranchers and the smaller settlers in the state, it finally culminated in the Powder River Country when the ranchers hired gunmen to invade the county. The gunmen's initial incursion in the territory aroused the small farmers and ranchers, as well as the state lawmen, and they formed a posse of 200 men that led to a grueling stand-off. The siege ended when the United States Cavalry on the orders of President Benjamin Harrison relieved the two forces, although further fighting persisted in the following months."
This movie inspired me to do further research. There really was a Johnson County war in Wyoming. A number of events in the film, which I thought had to be fiction because they were so unbelievable, actually did happen although the names of the characters had been changed. The range wars of the West were extremely vicious.
Tom Berenger does a very good job and is very much the hero. The rest of the cast are also very good, particularly Michelle Forbes, Luke Perry, and Christopher Cazenove. Frankly, the scenery steals the picture. The mountains and the surrounding forests and streams are incredible and beautifully shot by the cinematographer.