Weekend Buff

Appaloosa (2008)

We are delving again this week into the pantheon of great westerns. This uniquely American genre often embodies our country’s spirit of ruggedness and bravery, often portraying film-noir flawed figures, where good and evil are not clearly outlined, and the law is often defined by who has power.

Appaloosa (2008) is one such movie and is our recommendation for this installment of Weekend Buff. The film takes place in 1882 New Mexico, where the law has not yet fully arrived. The town of Appaloosa is terrorized by Randall Bragg, a vicious but well-connected rancher, who runs the town. In the opening scene, Bragg kills the Marshal of Appaloosa and his deputies when he comes to arrest two of his ranch hands for rape and murder. Bragg boasts of a personal relationship with President Chester A. Arthur, one of our more unlikely Presidents and the former corrupt Collector of the Port of New York. Bragg is violent and seemingly untouchable.

The town is at a loss for what to do. Much like in High Plains Drifter, there is no man in the town with the guts to face Bragg and his men.

Enter Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, two former soldiers now working as lawmen for hire. They take the job, but with the stipulation that they have complete power in the town. They are the law, and what they say goes. They are authorized to make their own rules. The townspeople are willing to give up their liberties to the pair out of fear, fulfilling Benjamin Franklin’s oft quoted line, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Cole and Hitch are violent, courageous, and intolerant of dissent. They are not cold-blooded killers, but they are not exactly versed in the finer points of de-escalation. Their method of dealing with perps is obey or die.

Uncharacteristically, Cole strikes up a romance with Allie French, a problematic local widow. She is a wildcard in the law enforcement routine that Cole and Hitch are accustomed to.

Cole and Hitch find a witness to the killings of the former Marshals and arrest Bragg for the murders. It seems like a resolution based on good policework, but Cole’s personal life becomes intertwined with his job with disastrous results.

The film is based on the book of the same name by Robert B. Parker. Parker is a well-respected crime author, but the screenplay leaves a bit to be desired. It is not a bad story, but a little unimaginative and predictable. What makes this a great film is the acting.

Ed Harris plays Virgil Cole and Viggo Mortensen plays his partner Everett Hitch. They are two of the finest actors of our day and both deliver excellent performances. Randall Bragg is played by another legend of the silver screen, Jeremy Irons. Renee Zellweger plays love interest Allie French.

Cole and Hitch exemplify the relationship that we in law enforcement partners across the country today. Whether it be riding a horse in the old American west or riding in a radio car in 2026 New York City, steady partners have a special relationship. Decades after riding together, I still refer to the cops I worked with as my “partner”. It is a bond that cops understand.

Appaloosa focuses on this bond between the two lawmen. That might be the most compelling part of this film. The pair have worked together for a long time. Cole usually takes the lead, and Hitch complements him. One intrinsically knows what the other is thinking and what they will do next. Words are not necessary. They trust each other implicitly, each man betting his life on the competence, courage, and coolness of the other. It is a relationship based on mutual respect.

Appaloosa runs a little under two hours. You can catch it for free right now on YouTube. There are some slow spots in the film, but an appreciation of the fantastic acting makes it an engaging watch. Although this movie has some minor flaws, I found it to be a great study in policework and partnership that may have been overlooked by critics. Enjoy.

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