The Western has a long and storied history in American cinema. Though the height of its popularity may have been decades ago, every few years a new one seems to still hit the big screen or be produced as a television miniseries. These more recent looks at the Old West may feature different takes than classic Westerns, but when done right they still make audiences want to saddle up and right off into the sunset. One of these latter day westerns, Silverado, is now making its way to Blu-ray.
The film features an all-star cast including Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Brian Dennehy, Linda Hunt, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, John Cleese, Kevin Costner, and Rosanna Arquette. It also features classic Western characters – law & order sheriffs, evil sheriffs, villainous cattle barons, gunslingers, men with pasts, and families just looking to carve out a new life for themselves in the wide open country.
The basic story revolves around four men — Paden (Kline); Emmett (Glenn); his brother, Jake (Costner); and Mal (Glover) — who, for various reasons, are on their way to the town of Silverado. Though they're all looking for something different, they end up finding their paths crossing as they decide to battle a dirty lawman, Cobb (Brian Dennehy); his band of deputies; and cattle baron, McKendrick (Ray Baker) who, even though he already has a lot, needs more.
Directed and written by Lawrence Kasdan (Mark Kasdan also co-wrote the screenplay), the film is quite careful to give backstories to all these men. The good guys are going up against foes from the past, Cobb and Paden used to be outlaws together and Emmett killed McKendrick's father, and writing current, personal wrongs, McKendrick stole Mal's father's land and has the old man murdered.
Silverado is most notable however, not for its plot, but for the superb characters in it, a combination of the Kasdans' writing and the actors in the roles. The best performance is given by the lead in the film, Kline. His Paden more often than not remains relaxed and funny, even when left in the desert to die with nothing but his union suit. Though Paden does crack some jokes, Kline is able to convey the character's wit mainly through looks and the way he carries himself. Paden is, unquestionably, a killer and one-time thief, but he's also a man with a conscience and a deep-seated sense of right and wrong. Kline is able to make Paden not only likable and amiable, but more than a little scary as well.
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