Open Range (2003) User Reviews

A traditional, well-made western

[Chris_Docker · 8/10 · 20 March 2004]

A traditional, well-made western - suitable for most ages, features good guys herdin' cattle, bad guys tryin' to steal the cattle, codes of honour, a corrupt sheriff, a fantastic shoot-out, and Annette Bening being lovely in the wings. Open Range doesn't do anything particularly new, it just does it particularly well. For actor/director/producer Kevin Costner, it seems to have been a labour of love and one that has paid off handsomely. The characters are well fleshed out, it has plenty to appeal to adults (men and women) rather than being just a boys-with-guns film. The qualities of the main heroes are likeable - they value the trust, respect and confidence that is given them and realise the value of these things. Open Range is no high and mighty moraliser however; there are plenty true-to-genre one-liners, such as "You're nothing!" (grim-faced, cornered bad guy) - "Maybe so," (good guy pointing a gun at him), "but I'll still be breathing in another minute!" Towards the end of the film they also battle with their own inner demons. What starts out with all the flavour of a Boys' Own adventure (complete with cutesy dog) turns out to be a well-rounded minor classic. Long live the Western!

Excellent western film magnificently performed and directed by Kevin Costner

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 16 July 2004]

¨Open Range¨ is a classic western. It's spectacular and riveting. The movie centers about facing off between settlers and cattlemen.

In the cowboys group we find an ex gunslinger(Kevin Costner), an old man (Robert Duvall) and a younger (Diego Luna). They'll have to fight against a landowner (Michael Gambon), a corrupt sheriff( James Russo), an assassin (Kim Coates), among others . Meanwhile the ex-gunfighter will fall in love with a spinster (Annette Bening).

The final showdown between the contenders is breathtaking, gunfight is likeness to "O.K. Corral duel¨.

The film is awesome , sets are extraordinaries and landscapes are wonderful.

The movie blends action, violence, a love story ,drama ,shootouts and is a fascinating film.

Direction by Kevin Costner is of first rate as ¨dancing with wolves¨. Cinematography by Michael Muro is glimmer and Michael Kamen's musical score is atmospheric. Runtime film is overlong however is neither tiring , nor boring but entertaining.

Rating: 7'5 /10 above average. Well worth watching.

4 Reasons Why I Love This Film

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 24 January 2006]

They don't westerns that much anymore, at least on the big screen. People in the Baby Boomer generation grew up with them on television. Western films were big at the box office in several decades, too.

Well, at least Kevin Costner must have a heart for the genre as he been involved with several major western productions in the last 15 years, this the latest.

The best thing I can say about this film right out front is that it may be the best western I've ever watched. I can't give it higher praise than that! Since I've seen so many, for so long, it's especially high praise.

I make this bold statement because of the following:

1 - Fantastic scenery and beautiful cinematography. If it looks spectacular on my 24-inch flat-screen, I can't imagine how awesome it would be a big plasma set.

2 - Characters you really care about, led by three actors who almost always give solid performances: Robert Duvall (the best in here), Costner and Annette Bening. Duvall, by the way, gives one of the best short "speeches" I've ever witnessed in a movie. It was nice to see Bening actually play a wholesome woman for a change. The two men who are out on the range with Duvall and Costner also were excellent.

3 - Just the right amount of action. When the action does occur, such as gunfire, the sound is incredible. This might be one of the best movies, audibly-speaking, I've ever heard, which is another reason for ranking it Number One. There are no lulls but not a ton of action, either.

4 - Just the right amount of romance. It doesn't get sappy, it doesn't overshadow the basic story, but it adds a nice, soft touch to what could be a very rough and unpleasant tale. And, in a different twist, it's the romance, not the usual climactic gun battle, that ends this film.

I can't say enough about this movie except that I'm sorry more westerns like it aren't made today.

Costner as Director

[dcyoung354 · 9/10 · 2 October 2005]

When this film reaches the climactic shootout, it is a real cinematic treat. Costner has a great feel for creating and choreographing complex action scenes. There is one wide shot in particular that contains many actors involved in a number of separate interactions carried out in a masterfully-planned sequence. It is worth watching several times and paying close attention to each individual shootout going on within the larger scene. Costner has mastered the art of filling the screen with complex action.

The cast is outstanding and the love story is compelling and not typical Hollywood. As a real Western fan, I enjoyed this one enough to watch it several times. I think the plot offers something for everyone and I think it is one of those rare films that appeals to both men and women. It is certainly worth checking out.

A modern classic Western.

[psychprofessor · 2 September 2003]

Personally, I didn't find it long. I've seen many great Westerns--such films as "Will Penny," "Shane," "The Unforgiven," and several other Eastwood movies spring to mind--and this was right up there with them. My thanks to Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall (of course), and Annette Bening for giving me a wonderful experience at the movies. It doesn't happen all that often anymore. To those who say, "They don't make 'em like they used to," my response is "This one's better."

Old fashioned western with heart

[rosscinema · 7/10 · 16 September 2003]

Why studios don't make more westerns is beyond me. Some of them are downright unwatchable like "Young Guns" and its sequel but there have been some extremely well made films like "Unforgiven" and "Tombstone" so I'm at a loss as to why more are not made. Thank you Kevin Costner! This story is about four men who are herding their cattle through a certain area and they stop near a town to get supplies. The crew is headed by Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and his second in charge is Charley Waite (Costner). They send Mose (Abraham Benrubi) to get supplies and after a day or so he doesn't return. Boss and Charley go to find him leaving Button (Diego Luna) to watch the herd. In town they find Mose beaten badly and locked up in the local jail. A rich rancher named Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon) hates "Freegrazers" and tells them to take their man and keep moving. Baxter controls the sheriff (James Russo) and also has many thugs on his payroll. Back at the herd some of Baxters men have been following them so Boss has an idea of going after them instead of running. That night they confront them and smash their rifles but when they get back Mose has been killed and Button is wounded badly. They take him to the local doctor and meet his sister Sue (Annette Bening) and Charley takes a shine. Boss and Charley don't like to be told where to graze their cattle and they want revenge for the death of Mose. A final gunfight in town is inevitable and Charley reveals that he killed many men in the war. This film was directed by Costner and its very well made. He seems to have found his mark as a directer with this genre. Costner allows the story to unfold on its own terms and the pacing is deliberate which is welcomed after watching so many Hollywood films and their quick edits. The film should be seen on the big screen to be appreciated. The scenery is beautiful and their are so many shots with skylines and mountains and wide open prairies and these shots help tell the story in the film. The scenery is important and gives the film a look that helps you relate to the characters when they speak of not wanting to be told where they can go. The characters are well written and they let out things about themselves little by little as the story is told. Duvall's character is a man of high pride and also a stubborn side and he's not afraid to stand up for himself even if it means he might die. Costner plays a man with a hard past and he seems to be living his life and coming to grips with his experiences in the war at the same time. Charley states that he doesn't have a problem with killing and we believe him. The romance between Costner and Bening seems forced and Bening looks a little to old to be a woman that never married. The film goes on about 15 minutes to long and Costner has not one, but two goodbye scenes with Bening. This is a minor complaint because this is a very entertaining film and after a summer of watching hyper-kinetic Hollywood junk, It's a movie that is very welcomed. Hear that Hollywood?

One of the best

[dave_martin2008 · 10/10 · 22 December 2016]

I never get tired of this movie and I don't even want to count the times that I have seen it. Beautifully written, great acting, costumes, scenery. I cannot think of anything I didn't like about it. Annette Bening is definitely one of my favorite actors right along up there with Robert Duvall. Costner was great in this too. I was drawn into this from the opening and maintained the same level of interest until the end credits. I think this is one of the must see westerns and rate it up there along with such classics as The Searchers, Shane and High Noon. I am a huge western fan and when I come across a great one, I can be entertained by watching again as though it were the first time because with great writing, there is always a small part you might pick up the next time you see it that you missed the first time.

One Of Costner's Best Films

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 26 September 2005]

It's probably well known that Kevin Costner once had Republican party sympathies , something that wasn't to fashionable in the Hollywood of the late 80s/early 90s . What might not be so well known is that he switched his allegiance to the environmentalists / greens at the turn of the millennium . This perhaps isn't so surprising because if you watch a film either directed by or starring Costner there always seems to be a running theme of the characters existing in a wilderness away from civilisation such as DANCES WITH WOLVES , PRINCE OF THIEVES and WATERWORLD alongside the philosophy that guns don't kill people , people kill people , or to be more accurate bad people kill people then good people kill bad people as seen in THE UNTOUCHABLES and THE POSTMAN with PRINCE OF THIEVES and WATERWORLD also coming into this category also

OPEN RANGE continues this Costner philosophy as we're shown men or horseback against a breath taking panorama of the untouched American wilderness . You can't help thinking that Costner would like nothing better to see the end of industrialisation and when landscapes are this remote and beautiful who can blame him . The story itself may be rather old fashioned almost in the vein of John Wayne but that doesn't stop it from being the best film with Kevin Costner for a very long time . The cinematography helps of course but the director's best idea was to employ Robert Duvall as co-lead Boss Spearman . Duvall of course is the type of very rare actor who can make a shopping list come alive and Michael Gambon is memorable as bad guy Denton Baxter

Some people might be put off by the fact that it stars and was directed by Costner and therefore expected a three and a half hour epic about nothing in particular . I also had these reservations but was glad I saw this . Duvall's performance and the bloody shoot out at the end had a lot to do with my positive opinion

Some people get better at acting with age

[klindon-38400 · 9/10 · 20 April 2023]

Costner admitted early in his career he was not an "artist", but rather a commodity, or star. I don't disagree. He was a handsome face but he always had an authenticity in his performances too. Very natural on camera. In Open Range, he's at his best. He's the type of guy who is just comfortable in front of the camera and you look at him and feel he's being honest. An honest performance that makes you feel he's not acting in any way. He reminds me of Gary Cooper in that way. A guy who isn't bullsh**ting and you believe every word he says. I love him in this movie. I love the way he speaks to the woman he can't express his love to. I love her in this too.

Duvall great

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 27 May 2015]

Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) leads Charley Waite (Kevin Costner), Mose Harrison (Abraham Benrubi) and Button (Diego Luna) to drive their cattle across free grazing open range. They go into the town of Harmonville and are confronted by corrupt sheriff Poole and land baron Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon) who hates free grazers. Mose was severely beaten and arrested. Boss and Charley bring him to Dr. Barlow (Dean McDermott). Boss finds a kind soul in the doctor's wife Sue Barlow (Annette Bening).

This is an old-fashion western with a great open landscape and a compelling performance from Duvall. The plot meanders a bit going from romantic melodrama to brutal violence. The violence is brutal and realistic. I think shortening the over two hour running time would help increase the intensity.

Great Cast and Great Story

[johnmburchfield33 · 10/10 · 9 July 2016]

There are those who will disagree, that is fine. I believe everyone should be allowed to voice their opinion. So this is mine. "Open Range" is in my opinion one of the best movies I have seen on the silver screen since John Ford's westerns. It is definitely Kevin Costner's best performance and Robert Duvall, well, he is great in anything he plays in. Ever since his portrayal of "Boo Radley" in "To Kill a Mockingbird" I have been a fan. This movie is an absolute delight and the very best of western cinema. The character of Baxter (Michael Gambon)is spot on. He does so well at his craft that you cannot help but to hate him and enjoy what he is about to get. I watch the movie every time it is on. Great cast and great story.

I like this movie

[alanmcaras · 8/10 · 18 February 2014]

I've seen this movie at least ten times. I watch it whenever I stumble across it scheduled on a cable channel. I think it is the best movie Kevin Costner has ever made. I would not call myself a big Kevin Costner fan. I think he too often over reaches. This movie however he nailed. Duval is positively superb. I do not recall Duval ever bad, well except maybe his brief turn in To Kill a Mockingbird. I am not enough of a movie buff to be able attribute his performance in this film to Costner's direction or Duval's feel for the character. I cannot recall Costner ever playing a role as subtlety as he does in this. I think he understood this character and was willing to share the screen with his costars. I give MS Benning huge props for playing this film without apparent makeup. All credit to Costner for the mood of this movie never wavering. The cinematography was excellent.

A tight and rewarding modern Western

[Keith_beard66 · 7/10 · 25 October 2015]

It is sometimes easy to forget that Kevin Costner once had a reputation as an understated and smart Hollywood leading man, due to overbearing epics such as Waterworld and Robin Hood: Prince of Theieves. This tight, and character driven Western is a return to form, and once again shows his keen eye as a director, and his engagement with fellow actors.

I was impressed with the chemistry between Costner as Charley Waite along side Robert Duvall's seasoned 'Boss'. There was some fun knock about humour and sparks between the two, but also a gentle intimacy, and Costner deserves credit for his understated turn in allowing Duvall space to dominate the screen. Duvall has an air of subtle menace and charm as always, its a carefully built and commanding turn. It was also interesting how Boss become the more likable character of the two, having started out as a bit of a grumpy bore.

There is a nice earthy look to the visuals, and the pacing is cool and breezy, with a care to detail, but not overalLy fussy. It is also a rare aspect of the Western that there is only one major action sequence and as a result it feels like a more dramatic and crucial scene. Another surprising thing is that the romance between Annette Bening's Sue and Charley is not rushed or underwritten as it maybe in other films of this genre. It is a credible part of the narrative which is given time to build, and another plus is that Sue is invested with much greater agency than is the norm for female characters of the genre.

Its not all plain sailing, some of the dialogue felt jarring, Diego Luna's supporting character was a tad underwriter and felt like a plot device, and Michael Gambon's Irish accent was cartoonish.

However, for the most part, this was an enjoyable mix comedy, drama, and romance, neatly shot, and grounded.

A simple, familiar plot...done with excellence.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 5 February 2022]

"Open Range" is a very slow movie. I mention this upfront in case you are the type who won't watch a slow and deliberately paced film. But, and this is important, the film is pretty amazing.

The plot is one that is rather familiar to old B-westerns. There's a local rancher who controls everyone and when a cattle drive comes by HIS town, he sets out to destroy the cowboys and steal their livestock. The surviving members of the party (Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner) are naturally angry...and the local sheriff is bought and paid for by the evil boss. So what are these two proud, wronged men to do?

This movie works very well for a variety of reasons. The biggest one is that the acting is just superb...top notch. On top of this, the cinematography, music and setting all work to make a terrific movie...one that works very well if you give it a chance.

New Appreciation for a Slow Pace

[Johnny-125 · 7/10 · 4 June 2013]

Last night as I started to watch this I almost stopped during the opening scenes. The pace is slow, real slow. I tend not to tolerate slow moving stories very well. Yet as soon as I met Boss Spearman and Charley Waite I was hooked. Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner did a fantastic job of convincing me they were driving those cows through the open range. In fact by the time the two hours and nineteen minutes rolled by, I didn't feel it. I'm not saying that slower paced westerns are all I will watch now, but this one was worthy the viewing. May even find itself reviewed a few years down the road.

Great entertainment, and a movie to help one appreciate the slower pace.

Most realistic film gunfight I've ever seen.

[polarbeardad · 9/10 · 7 September 2003]

Once again, Robert Duval deserves Oscar consideration for this one. The dialogue was crisp so kudos to the writing team. The attention to detail must also be applauded. During the first walk through of the town, the realism was mind blowing. The detail of the main characters trying to cross the street as the water rushed by was incredible well done. Who couldn't relate to that?

This one is a must see. A true period film

One of the better westerns in quite some time

[gregsrants · 7/10 · 29 May 2004]

Westerns have run their course in Hollywood. Gone are the glory days of Sergio Leone's The Man Without a Name films or Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch. In the new age of film, it now seems we run years before we get mediocre films like Young Guns they seem to do enough harm to put the genre in a back room for another lengthy stay. It's not that any western produced within the past 20 years has been incredibly bad, it's just that the new generation of moviegoers don't seem to care. Kids on the street now play spaceman and aliens rather than the cowboys and Indians that we used to partake.

Then in 1985, Clint Eastwood tried again with Pale Rider, which was a moderate hit grossing in about $41 million dollars domestically. But still Hollywood did not jump on the chuck wagon to exploit the genre. Over the next few years, there were a handful of good western films (Dances with Wolves, Silverado) and a whole lot of bad ones (Trigger Fast, Bad Girls).

It took Clint Eastwood to come to the rescue again in 1992 with the critically applauded Unforgiven. The story about a retired gunslinger went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and many people, including myself, thought that the flood gates for the western/frontier film was wide open.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the local saloon…years passed and no one studio seemed to greenlight any further westerns. Were there no good stores? Were they too expensive to make? Or was it simply that Schwarzenegger would just look stupid in chaps. Who knows?

One thing I do know for sure is that Kevin Costner's Open Range is one of the better westerns to be produced in many a Dakota moon. Starring Costner, Robert Duvall and Annette Bening, Open Range tells the story of two free grazers who take the law into their own hands after members of their posse are shot and left for dead. Sue Barlow (Bening) is the sister of the local doctor that cares for the harmed ranchers and soon finds herself the affection of Charlie Waites' eye (Costner). Together, they stand up to the sheriff and his local henchmen in hopes of seeking revenge for their fallen comrade and ensuring their right to free graze in the open country.

What made Open Range so unique is its honest depiction of the wild wild west. When a gun battle is about to erupt in town, the townspeople flee to the treeline rather than sit in their homes and become victims of stray bullets. And when the gun fighting begins, people actually don't get hit with every bullet leaving a gun. Even just ten to fifteen feet from each other, bullets fly by from the hands of nervous gunmen which is a far cry from the every bullet has an owner movies to which Eastwood has made famous.

Even the characters are more realistic than portrayed in most westerns. Our heroes are conflicted individuals whose actions are sometimes less than acceptable recourse. When Charlie shoots the bar mirror after being denied service, it reinforces the notion that in a lawless time, everyone just looked out after themselves and went to great lengths to see their own form of justice handed out.

Maybe most refreshing however was in the simple casting of the film. Costner and Bening as love interests are far more an acceptable possibility than having an almost 50-year old chasing down a twenty-something like we see in almost every other movie out there. And Bening, to her credit, also uses very little make-up to hide the fact that she too is in her forties. This lead to a more plausible affection, all do respect to Jack Nicholson and his harem of high school costars.

Kevin Costner had to put up a majority of his own money to get this film made, and although not a breakthrough success, the movie did make back its $40 dollar budget with a few extra coins for everyone to put back in their pockets with DVD and video rentals. However, this will do nothing to get the western back in our local theaters on a regular basis. Unless someone can produce a western with Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Keanu Reeves and Leonardo DiCarprio directed by Steven Spielberg, then I am afraid we are in for another long drought before we get to see our heroes ride into the sunset to cue the credits.

Open Range

[shavid · 8/10 · 21 January 2005]

Open Range is without doubt one of the best family movies I have seen for a long time. Although not quite as good as "Dances With Wolves" Open Range, funnily enough, not only stars Kevin Costner but is along the same theme in as much as it tells a story about the early American way of life. This time about the "Free Range" cattlemen and the different hardships they had to cope with. And for once my family could sit down and watch a movie without all the smut, swearing and extreme violence that unfortunately, all movie makers of late, seem to think is necessary to sell them. The storyline was simple and easy to follow at the same time as it retold a fine piece of early American history.

Although the actors had a simple storyline to work with, I felt their performances made the movie all the more realistic. Kevin Costner in my opinion is a fine actor, but put him in with an under-rated master such as Robert Duvall, and you can't go wrong. Their easy going,straight from the hip portrayal of the main characters was one of the reasons that as soon as I had finished watching the video I rewound it and the whole family watched it again.

I Have Been Violated

[Vitamin-O · 1/10 · 11 March 2004]

It makes me sick to even waste the time on this write-up, but it's in my generous nature to protect those innocent & unwitting souls who are thinking of renting this film tonight.

Open Range is a joke. I found it painful and embarrassing that I shared my

living room with Costner and Duvall. For the first hour, you will simply watch two actors rehearsing their lines on location.

(Luckily, the location is breath-taking southern Alberta, and cinematographer James Muro deserves credit for lingering over my province's open skies and

rolling contours with painterly dedication.)

The last half of the movie offers a mildly exciting gunfight, but then spirals into a cardboard romance that makes Anakin & Padme look like Bogie & Bacall.

Craig Storper's screenplay lacks the character and detail that could have

elevated Open Range above the archetype. You will scratch your head over

specifics like the Great Dog Rescue, Annette Bening's disappearing accent, and the cookie-cutter romantic subplot. You will wince at the majority of the

dialogue. You will then plummet into madness as Costner slowwwwwly focuses

his lens on details insignificant to the story. While a tale of this nature could be wrapped up in `High Noon"'s 84 minutes, Costner allows himself a soul- destroying 140 MINUTES. Gentle video renter, try to remember Waterworld and

The Postman. How many times will you allow Costner to insult you?

Mustachio-Twirling Corrupt Lawmen? Check. Big Solemn Pronouncements?

Check. Cornball. Cliched. By-the-numbers. So then why did Open Range

gross $58 million in its 16-week run?

My theory is that critics and the public saw the film as a potential revival of a genre which had lain mostly dormant during the past dozen years. Finally,

Hollywood was opening up the Old West once more as prime movie territory.

People forget, however, what WAS released all those dozen years ago.

Unforgiven is the definitive, quintessential, prototypical, archetypical, last, best western. There is a REASON why Hollywood has released no westerns of note

since 1992. There is simply no need. Nothing more can be done with the genre since Clint, Hackman, Freeman & Harris lit it up in that year's Oscar winner for Best Picture. There are not enough superlatives for Unforgiven; just let it be said that Eastwood's epic is the bookend for the genre.

Open Range just can't compete. Not only is it a bad movie, but following - and sharing the shelf with - a work like Unforgiven, it's inherently flawed for even being CONCEIVED. Open Range is a parody, by a pretender who wants to

cash in on the work of the masters.

The Best Since Unforgiven

[FilmFlaneur · 7 July 2004]

Costner's third film as a director, his fourth if you include his work with Kevin Reynolds on Waterworld (1995), is another Western. One says 'another', but upon reflection it is obvious that it's a genre that, creatively, he's hardly left. After the highly successful Dances With Wolves (1990) he directed with Kevin Reynolds - albeit in uncredited fashion - the critically mauled The Postman (1997). The latter was nothing less than a reworking of the familiar Pony Express story, and for good measure threw in explicit references to John Ford along the way. Waterworld's ocean setting did nothing to disguise the fact that that was a film that owed another massive debt to the great American genre: sea fort, lone riders, wide-open watery frontier and all. Costner also did sterling work as Wyatt Earp in Kasdan's 1994 film of the same name - a substantial project, and one close enough in manner to his own to suggest more than a passing creative influence from its star.

In Open Range, Costner again has the lead: as Charley Waite, former gunfighter, now sharing ownership of a free grazing cattle drive. Together with Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), and two others they reach Harmonville where they soon encounter a corrupt town Marshal (James Russo) and rancher (an excellent Michael Gambon) who threaten their way of life. They also discover others who prove sympathetic to their cause, like the sister of the town's doctor Sue Barlow (Annette Bening). There's growing suspense as an inevitable showdown looms ("Men are gonna get killed here today, Sue, and I'm gonna kill 'em...") Waite's personal life, and his romance gradually comes to the fore until its crisis, as well as the combat, mark the end of the film.

On screen Costner shares equal honours with the septuagenarian Robert Duvall, whose personal philosophy that "Man's got a right to protect his property and his life, and we ain't gonna let no rancher or his lawman take either," informs much of the main action. Crusty and fearsome, Spearman's dauntless words recall those of John Wayne's J.B. Books in The Shootist (1976) who expressed broadly similar sentiments: "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." In either case its an old man speaking, one fiercely independent after a life of hardship and who won't be trifled with. Open Range takes its main impetus from exactly that sort of unwelcome interference, and resembles Eastwood's Unforgiven in that a good deal of the narrative consists of a determined settling of accounts, an unrelieved search for moral recompense outside the law after an initial trespass against the innocent. What is started almost casually is finished deliberately and by the authority given the wronged: "Ours ain't writ by no tin star, bought and paid for, Marshall. It's writ by us, and we aim to enforce it," says Boss. Like Eastwood's film, Open Range also features a retired gunman who has recourse to his skills to help salvage a situation, and some of the best scenes with Costner's character concern his dispassionate and professional preparation for gunplay. Like William Munny before, Charley Waite has something of an avenging angel about him, whose cold consideration of his trade is filmed completely without irony.

Open Range has all the hallmarks of Costner the western auteur: an expansive, almost leisurely tone, supporting roles for loyal canines, a certain solemnity and respect for his conservative cinematic predecessors being foremost amongst them. As others have said, Costner directs as if Peckinpah and Leone had never existed, and the present work is no exception. Characteristically, it contains none of the self-indulgent nostalgia or cynicism common in the genre since the 1960s. Despite a visual quote from The Wild Bunch (1969) for instance, as men take their long walk abreast to the confrontation, the final shootout of Open Range owes far more to the traditional showdown of Gunfight At The OK Corral (1957) than the apocalyptic finale of Peckinpah's masterpiece. Slow burning, character driven and ruminative, Costner's latest has been criticised by some for its too-deliberate narrative pacing. For an MTV-generation viewing audience, unused to an older, more leisurely way of showing things, such issues are understandable, although no one used to a filmmaker taking his time to tell a good story will complain. Indeed, part of the great success of Open Range is the way it single-mindedly sustains an atmosphere of fateful suspense.

One thing that no one disputes: Duvall is magnificent in his part, a performance that may well prove a capstone to a long and prestigious career. Costner apparently had the actor in mind for the part from the first, a decision justified entirely and one of the highlights of the film. In fact if the film's has a weakness it can be put down to that fact that Spearman holds the stage so successfully, and for so long. Waite's own romance, starting so tentatively, is somewhat overshadowed by the more urgent prerogatives of his partner and when it finally flowers, it leads to some scenes which could have, with prudence been cut back to greater effect. Having said that, Costner's awkward farewell to Miss Barlow, saying so much with so little, just before the fight begins, is another memorable scene where sentimentality is kept happily at bay. It is once the violence is over, and the great tension is dissipated, that matters are drawn out a little too much. A little stoicism might have led to a more memorable close.

Like many good westerns, Open Range's central concerns lie around personal freedom and moral rectitude - the balance between which gives a good deal of the narrative its necessary tension. Like crossing the flood, which pours down the main street of Harmonville, the participants have to choose one side or the other. It's a film ultimately less about a gunfighter settling down, than of how men abide their self-justified actions. In the disc extras, Costner draws an illuminating parallel between the scene in his film in which Spearman and Waite confront the jayhawkers and The Oxbow Incident. In Wellman's 1943 classic, a rushed lynching leads to a disastrous error and mutual guilt. In Costner's film, to whom guilt is assigned is never in doubt, and indeed Spearman initially has to hold Waite back from overstepping the mark - an action which he comes to regret. "I never had any problem with killing," says Waite at one point. Like Eastwood's Munny, once justified he seeks stark retribution without compunction.

There's only one gunfight in Open Range, but it is worth the wait. Spread out almost as leisurely as the rest of the film, Costner and his cinematographer James Muro use a range of shots throughout the violent events to achieve effects both chaotic and planned at the same time. (Incidentally for a filmmaker who prides himself on accuracy, Costner has his hero 'fan' off shots, a notoriously inaccurate way of discharging a gun, but that's a minor distraction.) It's a notable confrontation, an extended set piece sequence that is one of the director's best and confirms his film the finest western since Unforgiven.

One of the GREAT Westerns.

[patherwill · 10/10 · 26 September 2014]

There is absolutely nothing I can criticise or find fault with in this movie which I genuinely believe to be one of the greatest Western films ever made.The two leads Robert Duvall (Boss Spearman) and Kevin Costner(Charlie Waite) are so convincing as 'freegrazers', and are firmly supported by a host of other players,Abraham Benubi as 'Mose'and Annette Bening as Miss Sue, among the most standout characters.The cinematography is beautiful, the music score is so wonderfully apt and really there is little more to say other than these 2 consummate actors who have previously turned in some really fine performances really surpass themselves in this.Costner has had one or two unfortunate mishaps along the way but more good than bad and Duvall who was brilliant in The Godfather was over-shadowed by two of cinemas all-time greats,Pacino and Brando.

Beautiful and memorable in every aspect

[benhere60 · 10/10 · 16 March 2008]

This is one of those few(for me)films that I can watch several times each year. I still feel it is Kevin Costners best work,either in front of,or behind the camera. I feel that it is Annette Benings best supporting role in her career,and only her turn in "American Beauty" was as good,leading,supporting,or otherwise. Robert Duvall is fantastic,completely nominatable-but is'nt he always?. He is,to me,a treasure. Seemingly always considered strictly a supporting player,he is a better actor than a slew of "best actor" winners that come to mind. Oops,that sounded biased. The writing is beautiful,adopting a "less is more"character that is absolutely necessary for people from this time and circumstance. Honesty,loyalty,bravery,guts and most important of all,love,are all woven into this beautiful movie. I have been a movie fan my entire life,was given this gift by my father,who owned a business in L.A.,not far from Culver city. I have watched a lot of films. I was thinking about how many films I really DO watch multiple times per year. The number is roughly 10. This is one of them. It is a beautiful piece of work(did I mention the cinematography?beautiful!)in every way and it does the one thing that any film that I am going to call "good" must do...it moves me.I love it. B.E. Hews 3-16-08

Open Range Review.

[Ben-Hibburd · 7/10 · 12 September 2017]

Open Range is written by Craig Storper and directed by Kevin Costner. It's an affectionate throwback to classic Westerns of the 1950s. The film stars Robert Duvall as Boss Spearman, an open range cattleman alongside his hired hands Charley Waite(Kevin Costner), Button(Diego Luna) and Mose(Abraham Benrubi) as they travel the west free-grazing with their cattle herd.

After an altercation with ruthless land owner Denton Baxter(Michael Gambon) in a near by town. Baxter uses his hired guns to force them off his land, resulting in a fatal casualty. Launching Boss Spearman and Charley Waite into a quest for justice against Baxter, and the corrupt sheriffs on his payroll.

There's a-lot to admire with Open Range. Firstly the cinematography by J. Michael Muro(who'd previously worked with Costner on Dances with Wolves.) is beautifully shot. Using natural landscapes, and a fully realised town, the film feels authentic in its setting. Robert Duvall also gives one his best performances ever, and at times he carries the movie(He should've received an Oscar nomination).

The film does have some scripting and pacing issues though. Midway through the second act things slow down considerably for a under- developed love story between Waite and the town nurse Sue Barlow(Annette Bening). The acting and on-screen chemistry from both Costner and Bening is fine. This sub-plot however felt rushed, and only there to raise the stakes in the films climax. Also Michael Gambon is completely wasted in this film. He's barely given any material to work with, other then to just snarl at the camera which he does with joyous vigour.

However as the film enters into it's third act and the showdown begins the film kicks in high gear. Costner directs a thrilling shootout in classic Western style. The geography of the shootout is excellent, as Boss and Waite navigate through the town, as they fend off the corrupt officials and Baxters hired guns.

Open Range is a love-letter to classic Hollywood Westerns. It's a beautifully constructed film that's largely held up by fantastic acting and its thrilling climax. In the end the film suffers from pacing issues, and has too many side plots that are under-developed which stops the film short of greatness. The film doesn't quite have the depth or introspective stoicism of a film like Unforgiven that it thinks it does, to elevate itself beyond being a well crafted genre film.

Great "modern" western

[dorotka24 · 8/10 · 21 November 2007]

Good westerns are hard to find these days, or any westerns at all for that matter. There are a number of made for TV movies and series, as well as the infamous "Deadwood," but as a whole this is a genre from a different time. It is therefore hard to compare "Open Range" to any other recent material, so it will need to stand on its own merits.

Strong performances and actors with genre experience are always necessary for a good western. Both Kostner and Duvall have considerable western experience and it shows. I was particularly impressed by Duvall's performance. He is in his 70s by this point and can still play a very believable, rough and tumble character. Very impressive. Kostner also holds his own as well and looks like he hasn't aged a day since Dances With Wolves (at least until he takes off his hat), over 13 years ago. Both actors have remarkable chemistry.

The story set up is fairly original - the protagonists are neither lawmen nor loners/drifters but hard working cattlemen. The antagonists are all relatively one-sided and unlikable if not downright despicable, as are most western villains. It's a time tested formula that almost always helps the story, even if it is cliché.

I am a bit of a biased lover of the western, so I cannot find too much to fault here. Although the set up is not something I've seen in a western, the development of the story is not very original and the progression predictable. This is more of an observation than a flaw, since I was interested the whole time and in the end more than satisfied with the experience. Recommended for any who enjoy the genre.

Great modern western

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 21 July 2017]

I wasn't really sure if I was going to like this movie, mainly because I didn't know what it was going to be. It started out as a slow, rancher movie, but then it became a western rivalry revenge movie, and then a romance showed up! Turns out, Open Range is a lot like its title. It's a mixture of different western elements, and the hodgepodge totally works.

Kevin Costner also directed this one, and he gives the same slow, steady hand to this movie as he gave to Dances With Wolves. The beautiful open country is captured with a realistic touch, and the small western town Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall travel to looks very authentic. Nothing is painted out to be more than it is, a theme in the filming as well as the storyline. Revenge is revenge, murder is murder, and love is love.

Even if you're not really a fan of Annette Benning—it's okay, I'm not, either—she won't ruin the movie for you. Her character is written well, and even though her acting chops are better shown off in American Beauty, she's easy to root for here.

I liked seeing Michael Gambon playing an unmistakable bad guy. I've never found him likable, anyway, so being able to root against him guilt-free for a change was very fun. And his Irish accent was really good! So, if you like westerns, shoot-outs, Kevin Costner, or Robert Duvall, watch Open Range during the next dusty fall afternoon.

DLM warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, there's one scene in this movie that won't be your friend. Kevin Costner has a nightmare, and the camera gets a little fuzzy so it might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"