"Open Range," directed by and starring Kevin Costner, is not another "Dances with Wolves." Though the 1990 Oscar-Winning film brought Costner much acclaim in his directorial debut, many will be thankful that he did not create another knockdown drag-out epic.
Clocking in at just over two hours, "Open Range" is a piece that can easily be appreciated by the casual viewer. At the same time, there's nothing astounding about it.
As the trailers made very clear, this summer's "western" is about two cowboys who seek to avenge the murder of their friend. In the trailer, Charley Waite, played by Costner, marches up to a man during a Mexican face-off scene.
"Are you the man who killed our friend?" Charley asks the accosted man, who responds, "that's right." Costner raises his pistol to the man's eye level and fires, never breaking stride.
It's a shame that the film fails to deliver that type of excitement during the first hour and twenty minutes. Instead, the predictable first half of the film focuses on setting up the death of the two men. In the 40 minutes that follow, Costner delves into the psyche of two men plotting revenge.
And he does so rather ineffectively. The plot quickly becomes distracted as Charley Waite becomes enthralled with a doctor's sister, Sue, played by Annette Bening.
The ensuing love story is not exceptional, but plausible. It remains understated and tolerable for most of the film, which is all that can be expected for a love-story subplot in a western.
Neither Costner nor his co-star Robert Duvall, who plays "Boss" Spearman, gives a career-defining performance. Costner simply walks through his lines and shows little to no flare for the mediocre dialogue. Duvall makes good on his ability to play the old wise man, as well as to stir things up with his unique staggered delivery.
"A man's got a right to protect his property, and his life, and we ain't lettin' any rancher, or his lawmen, take either," Duvall booms in his most stirring of monologues.
Unfortunately he has little more to work with script-wise. Duvall is an incredible actor when given the right part. Anyone who has seen his Oscar-nominated performance in "The Apostle" can attest to that. But as the aptly named "Boss" in "Open Range," he struggles to make more than a ripple.
A brief and embarrassing scene in which the two discuss their pistol preferences is enough to make those who bear arms chuckle and blush.
The most intriguing facet of the film is a subplot in which the rancher population of a nearby town looks down upon Boss and Charley, free-grazing cattle drivers, as vagrants. The distinction between free-grazers and ranchers lies in the manner of raising the cattle. Ranchers keep their cattle fenced while free grazers move them along the open prairie from owner to owner, allowing the cattle feed where they please.
This rivalry becomes crucial to the storyline, and places the main characters in a new situation. Costner and Duvall play the last of a dying breed: weary nomads who nobly and dutifully attempt to do their job without disruption. This automatically puts the audience on their side, as the characters become powerless underdogs, save for the black powder in their holsters.
The rivalry also paves the way for Denton Baxter, played by Michael Gambon ("The Insider"). Baxter is the top rancher in a small, developing town, and as a result, he unilaterally runs the town, from grocery shops to law enforcement. Gambon played the same type of heavy-handed character in "The Insider" and does an equally wonderful job in this supporting role.
In addition to creating a stimulating subplot, Costner is conscious of the demographics of the time period, wisely steering around a common mistake made by other Western directors - giving the characters Southern accents. There are a number of first-generation immigrants who rear their heads in "Open Range." The film features impressive accents from Ireland and Eastern Europe. Costner wins points for thinking this through.
The casual observer will be quite moved by "Open Range." Those who like to watch great actors perform will be disappointed. Action fans will be shifting with boredom until the concluding-and worthwhile-gunfight. The film runs like a mini-epic: half the time with half the drama.
