Appaloosa (2008)

My Review

The western town of “Appaloosa” is terrorized by an evildoer rancher and his goons, who kill their marshal and his deputies. The town folk hire two former lawmen to clean up the situation, with the heavy drama proceeding from there. Director Ed Harris (“Pollock” 2000) put together an engrossing drama from an excellent screenplay he co-wrote with Robert Knott. It was adapted from a 2005 novel of the same name by Robert B. Parker.

Harris cast himself in the lead role and Viggo Mortensen as his partner, Renee Zellweger plays a mysterious widow, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall, Lance Henriksen, Ariano Gil, James Gammon, Tom Bower, Timothy V. Murphy, Rex Linn, and Bob Harris (the director’s father) as Judge Elias Callison. The very watchable and complex horse opera “Appaloosa” was only a modest hit at the box office for producer Ed Harris, New Line Cinema, Axion Films, Groundswell Productions, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was filmed in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Austin, Texas.