"The Quick and the Dead" would've been a better movie if two things were different.
1.) Gene Hackman hadn't played a virtually identical role in "Unforgiven" (a much better movie might I add).
2.) Sharon Stone's lines were better. I never thought very highly of Sharon Stone and this movie did nothing to help that opinion.
"The Quick and the Dead" is about a depraved town run by an even more depraved despot named John Herod (Gene Hackman). All types of unsavory characters were in town for a quickdraw contest being overseen by Herod. Like the Hair Club for Men president, Herod was not only the official of the contest he was also a contestant.
Those of note entering into the contest were Ellen (Sharon Stone), Kid (Leonardo DiCaprio), Sgt. Clay Cantrell (Keith David), Ace (Lance Henrikson), and Cort (Russell Crowe). Ellen and Kid had very personal reasons for entering the contest, Clay had pecuniary reasons, Ace seemed to have no reason, and Cort was being forced into the contest.
There were some good aspects to TQATD: the gunplay and the wide array of characters. Though the movie was hampered by the camerawork (rapid zoom-ins and zoom-outs), Ellen's anachronistic outfit (I doubt they had hip hugging jeans in the 19th century), and Ellen's horrible lines. Not only were the lines weak, the delivery of the lines was equally anemic. Sharon Stone may as well had been a robot. She wore this dour look the whole movie and spoke as though she didn't know what emotion she was supposed to project.
I love westerns, old and new, and even though I'd watch this again if it was on--and nothing else was on--I don't rank it that highly among westerns.
1.) Gene Hackman hadn't played a virtually identical role in "Unforgiven" (a much better movie might I add).
2.) Sharon Stone's lines were better. I never thought very highly of Sharon Stone and this movie did nothing to help that opinion.
"The Quick and the Dead" is about a depraved town run by an even more depraved despot named John Herod (Gene Hackman). All types of unsavory characters were in town for a quickdraw contest being overseen by Herod. Like the Hair Club for Men president, Herod was not only the official of the contest he was also a contestant.
Those of note entering into the contest were Ellen (Sharon Stone), Kid (Leonardo DiCaprio), Sgt. Clay Cantrell (Keith David), Ace (Lance Henrikson), and Cort (Russell Crowe). Ellen and Kid had very personal reasons for entering the contest, Clay had pecuniary reasons, Ace seemed to have no reason, and Cort was being forced into the contest.
There were some good aspects to TQATD: the gunplay and the wide array of characters. Though the movie was hampered by the camerawork (rapid zoom-ins and zoom-outs), Ellen's anachronistic outfit (I doubt they had hip hugging jeans in the 19th century), and Ellen's horrible lines. Not only were the lines weak, the delivery of the lines was equally anemic. Sharon Stone may as well had been a robot. She wore this dour look the whole movie and spoke as though she didn't know what emotion she was supposed to project.
I love westerns, old and new, and even though I'd watch this again if it was on--and nothing else was on--I don't rank it that highly among westerns.