"WHAT A PRETTY day to put things right," says Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), a wizened cowboy whose life consists of driving cattle across the gorgeous, open country of the late 19th century.
Boss and Charley Waite (Kevin Costner) are "free-grazers," men who have no homes to speak of but enjoy the run of the country wherever they roam. Along for this particular ride are young hands Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and Button (Diego Luna), who have signed on with these two rugged men.
Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall and Diego Luna in Costner's
(Chris Large - Touchstone Pictures)
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But in "Open Range," director Costner's marvelously old-fashioned western, their horseback lifestyle has just been threatened by Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), a nasty landowner who despises free-grazers and whose henchmen have drawn first blood. Violence has destroyed the fabric of Boss and Charley's independence, and they mean to "put things right" in a blaze of gunfire. If they're still standing at the end of the day, they'll get back in the saddle and ride the country that, so far, still belongs to everyone.
This is conflict resolution, American western style. But in this context, the violence has a mystical, sacred quality. It's the oldest -- the first -- way of fixing things, and it's hard not to get swept up in the bloody nobility of this cause as a country begins to define itself.
"Open Range" is the kind of movie that Costner knows how to make, whether he's acting in it or directing. It's about the big things and the small details, a movie about America as a nation but also the specific habits and behavior of individuals. The story takes place at a crucial turning point in America's social history. Isolated settlements are becoming expanding towns and, more and more, the lone riders are being asked to identify themselves with a particular locale. Rugged heroes -- and wandering varmints -- are becoming obsolete.
As for the details, the film exults in them. This is an actor's feast, with finely honed performances from Duvall and Costner. Boss is a man who sees things clearly, no matter if it's the past, present or future. He can see the times changing. He can measure a man's worth. And he can understand the difference between violence and honor.
Charley, a former sniper in the Civil War, has painful memories to forget. He's a step behind Boss in terms of moral development, but he's catching up fast. The proof of that will be his relationship with women, particularly with Sue Barlow (Annette Bening, in one of her finest roles), the doctor's assistant who patches up bleeding men and sends them back into town. For Charley, it's not going to be enough to run cattle and kill those who threaten him. He won't be complete until he reaches and accepts the woman waiting to embrace him.
But forget that heavy stuff. This is also a grand old shooting-party flick, in which the bad guys are bad guys and the good guys have higher purpose. Boss and Charley aren't just coming to Baxter's town for revenge, they're coming for justice. And they're competing for the hearts and minds of the townspeople, the future of America. There's a lot in this movie, simple, big, small and exciting. It's the year's first serious contender for big prizes. What's not to like about this picture?
OPEN RANGE (R, 138 minutes) -- Contains violence. Area theaters.
