Seen: April 24th, 2007
Format: HD-Net (HDNMV)
Rating: 7
This is a western. If you don't like westerns, this one won't change your mind. But if you do, you may see something new.
I like westerns.
John Wayne is such an icon that any time I watch one of his performances, I need to overcome my own stereotype of him. The ease with which this is done depends a great deal on the individual film. In this one, he gets shot in the back by a girl. This character, I'm interested in.
Most of the characters in this film are anti-stereotypes. Each represents a character you've seen before, but adds a flaw to keep them interesting and the film honest. We have a sheriff who's prone to bad relationships. The young, avenging angel who can't shoot to save his life. The father who believes that his child's death was an accident,despite the circumstances. The scarred bad-guy gun hand who has nothing but polite words and respect for his enemy.
All these things help turn a story you've seen before into something interesting. These characters are fallible. Their danger becomes more real because given their flaws, we're not quite sure that everything will turn out OK in the end. We're not quite sure what will happen next in most cases. Things don't go quite the way we expect, but our heroes show resolve and tenacity. And in the end, getting the job done is actually what matters.
I'm not going to tell you that El Dorado is a masterpiece, but I was expecting a simple shoot 'em up with the characters aligned to one side or the other. Instead, I got a thoughtful piece of writing and acting that I really enjoyed.
P.S. Now that I've seen El Dorado, it's time to go watch Rio Bravo again. Both done by Howard Hawks, El Dorado is the re-make.
The Good: Nobody's perfect
The Bad: Some characters are a bit thin and could stand some more exposition
The Ugly: Shotgun safety
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