# Deadwood Movie



## Al Jackson (May 31, 2019)

Since 2005 HBO is one of the few channels that has entertained me , ROME and Game of Thrones …… and Deadwood.
Westerns as movies or TV run at a low ebb these days , I think mainly because the Standard Western had been done to pieces, just gets to be been-there-done-that.
There have been some since 1990, my favorite film is the new adaptation in 2010 of True Grit, a real gem, other favorite is the 1992 Unforgiven , a bit of a surprise , a remarkable screenplay by David Peoples, there have been some other good ones along the way too. On TV the real surprise was Deadwood, I loved it's cockeyed characters many of which were historical figures and its off-the-wall story which is a characteristic of real history in the West in the 19th century.
Deadwood was supposed to last 5 seasons but the showrunner  David Milch let it slide for other projects.
He decided he could 'finish' the story with a TV film, so we shall see:


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## -K2- (May 31, 2019)

I really enjoyed the Deadwood series (actually, it is one of the foundation series that really launched the cable TV series market), and will not be missing the movie... although, such things rarely meet expectations.  *That said...*

You CANNOT list out more recent made for TV or feature film Westerns without listing the *absolute finest* 'Cowboy' (not Western, but Cowboy) movie of all time!  *Monte Walsh : 2003, w/Tom Selleck by TNT films.*   Every single aspect of it, the jokes, ranch-life, hardships, fights and so on are genuine feeling, simple yet deep.  The romance in the movie is wonderful.  Subdued but incredibly intense.  For the most part, it's a quiet movie, calming and makes you feel at ease, the action is never over the top, but is right where it should be.  Again, this is a movie about 'cowboys in the not so distant, turn of the 19th to 20th century West.'  NOT a Western in the classic sense.  It is a must watch film.  Sorry to butt-in, yet I'm something of a 'Western _common-sewer' _

But yeah... hehe, I'm looking forward to Deadwood 

K2


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## Al Jackson (Jun 1, 2019)

-K2- said:


> I really enjoyed the Deadwood series (actually, it is one of the foundation series that really launched the cable TV series market), and will not be missing the movie... although, such things rarely meet expectations.  *That said...*
> 
> You CANNOT list out more recent made for TV or feature film Westerns without listing the *absolute finest* 'Cowboy' (not Western, but Cowboy) movie of all time!  *Monte Walsh : 2003, w/Tom Selleck by TNT films.*   Every single aspect of it, the jokes, ranch-life, hardships, fights and so on are genuine feeling, simple yet deep.  The romance in the movie is wonderful.  Subdued but incredibly intense.  For the most part, it's a quiet movie, calming and makes you feel at ease, the action is never over the top, but is right where it should be.  Again, this is a movie about 'cowboys in the not so distant, turn of the 19th to 20th century West.'  NOT a Western in the classic sense.  It is a must watch film.  Sorry to butt-in, yet I'm something of a 'Western _common-sewer' _
> 
> ...


Yes I liked Monte Walsh that was very good. I was more thinking of feature films for the big screen. Interesting how TV produced some classic Westerns. I liked Lonesome Dove the best , interesting that Simon Wincer was film director on Walsh too.

There are two Western types the 'the Hollywood classic sense' ,  the John Ford - type, tho that includes Howard Hawks and others, for me Ford did the very best ones, The Searchers being his best.... interesting Wikipedia lists 22 Western subgenres.

…. and the 'revisionist western' , one of the best examples Mccabe and Mrs Miller.... not sure why 'revisionist' because it's actually 'authentic' that should be used. First off the best stories from the Real West are as odd ball as hell , and the newer westerns did their best to get away form Hollywood costuming. Photos from the 19th century show people in different styles especially hats. I really remember the 1972 film The Culpepper Cattle Co. for its attention to detail and period atmosphere. 

Seems one cannot return to the 'Hollywood' western, at least as a serious drama, I note a little gem from 2014 called The Homesman, which had a very gritty real feel to it and very twisty strange story such as one would find in real history.


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## Al Jackson (Jun 1, 2019)

I liked the Deadwood movie, it's story is a little better than the 3rd season of Deadwood.
It did seem a bit Grand Hotel-ish, trying to get all the characters back in touch, it worked but seemed a bit strained at 110 min. a number of characters got a bit shorted.
The only real major character missing was Cy Tolliver  played by  Powers Boothe who died in between , never seemed explained in the movie as to what happened to Cy , seemingly Kim Dickens character became owner and manager.
It got alternate universe tho , George Hearst never had that adventure in Deadwood!
A good finish for the Deadwood story.


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## -K2- (Jun 1, 2019)

For the most part, I agree with your summation.  Roughly 80% of it felt to me like we were simply reintroduced/reminded of each character's highpoint moments that established their character's identity.  Superficially, I thought to myself, 'why? I remember.'  Logically, however, I realize it has been 15-years since it started and 12-years (really 13) since it ended!   The reintroduction became tiring, yet in retrospect, I suppose it was needed.  It even forced me to open up a bunch of photos of myself back then, and some of now... and baby, I am not getting better!   We even saw that actually well portrayed with the characters.  Sol Star struck me most of all (physical aging).  Shockingly, I don't recall seeing Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) as young as he was in the flashbacks.  Sure, he was, but he has one of those faces (like Will Sanderson ~ E.B.Farnum) that looks older when younger.

More so, having given it a number of 80% (which I think is reasonable), the last 20% making up the events of the movie... I oddly found refreshingly appropriate.  We didn't need a new story, but were given one (more on that in a minute).  The critical aspect we all needed was better resolution, or dare I say it 'revenge' for the ending of the series... GoT fans, there is hope in a decade for you!   In the series we were left with a stark reality... Very often, the bad guys simply win.  That burns like acid and here in the West, we want to keep at it until the bad guy gets his, and the good guy prevails.

That just goes to show how iconic the series was... that we, or perhaps just I, could accept a two hour movie which only really gave us perhaps fifteen minutes of resolutions to a story we had long put aside.  Deadwood, really helped launch the wave of 'made for cable series.'  Series that frankly, I typically find MUCH more in depth and entertaining than box-office movies or standard TV shows.

Perhaps some of you can look back to when 'series' types of novels resurged.  I'm curious if it began around the same time.



Spoiler: In any case...



Personally, I found the meat of the show fitting.  The highpoint being when Hearst was dragged down the street and we see a bit of vigilante justice begin.  I've studied the old West in depth... That was the one aspect which was hardest to overcome.  Lawmen taking over for 'Vigilance Committees' and demanding their activities ended.  As an example, we always hear about the  gunfight at the OK Corral as though it was simply the Earps/Holiday vs. the Cowboys, but truth of the matter was, John Clum and his vigilance committee was the real power to be feared.  Same in Montana and elsewhere.

Bullock giving them some time first, and then only stepping in to wrest control was ideal.  That left me with a sense that I don't need to know if Hearst got himself out of it or not... he got his, and the people gave it to him.  In fact, we are given a sense of, 'change is coming, like it or not.'  The old guard falls and the less-old take over.  And life goes on.  Things change, yet the conflicts remain the same on different terms.

Swearengen died perfectly in my opinion.  In fact, his refusal of his new young employee was appropriate vs. his typical crude self.  Wu's grandson will lead that group, already translating from the old to the new.  Trixie and Sol Star will make the Gem evolve (oddly, prostitution existed until recently throughout the West), Hearst and his ilk will continue to be bad, but are warned with impact, Joanie will fade away as will Jane and a host of others as the West grows.  Although it somewhat ignores my personal identity, it was also appropriate that we don't hear lick about Native Americans.  Now all but a memory as planned.  Old Samuels concerns over being beaten and hanged just because... Well, that's how it was.  Anti-Chinese and Anti-Colored leagues were everywhere throughout America until the end of the 1800's, and continued until today in other forms.

Those brief few new aspects wrapped it up nicely for me.  Everyone shouted about the old ending like with GoT, for not as good a reason.  As said, sometimes the black-hats win.  We saw the old guard pass, the bad guys got theirs-- somewhat-- Wu's pigs got fed, and all is right with the world 









I'm satisfied... Time for some new Westerns, or perhaps I'll keep watching the old.

OH!  BTW, check out the first season of Paramount channel's 'Yellowstone.'  There is an excellent modern western for you.

So-long little saddle pals 

K2


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## Al Jackson (Jun 1, 2019)

-K2- said:


> I'm satisfied... Time for some new Westerns, or perhaps I'll keep watching the old.
> 
> K2



There is one 'Western' that may never get made Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. The option is still owned by someone …. that Western is like nothing I have ever read. .. it would take a cast and creative team the likes of which I don't know is about.


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## -K2- (Jun 1, 2019)

Al Jackson said:


> There is one 'Western' that may never get made Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. The option is still owned by someone …. that Western is like nothing I have ever read. .. it would take a cast and creative team the likes of which I don't know is about.




I just read up about all that... if you like that, my Half-Breed novel set in the early 1870's sounds up your alley.  Now, I'm not saying I'm as fine a writer as McCarthy (which I have not read and especially with mine in its current state), but I have a fair chunk that revolves around an illegal (to the Shoshone and Crow treaty) mining camp run by regulators, led by a man called, Cain 'Two-Bulls' Durham,' on the Stinking Water River (now called the Shoshone).  It sounds similar, albeit, my novel is an epic ultimately covering 60+ years (of which we only see a few).  Plus, mine is from the other side of that coin, or really, stuck in the middle.

I'll look further into that one.  Thanks for the heads up!

*EDIT: I just read the first chapter.*  So, I'll correct my statement and say 'I KNOW I'm not as fine of a writer.'  That's some good stuff!  Then again, I write differently I suppose.  I'm not a fan of brief-- blunt-- descriptions line after line.  But, that doesn't make McCarthy's style less, just different.  To be sure, however, his skill exceeds mine.

K2


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## REBerg (Jun 9, 2019)

This wrap-up, although welcomed, seemed like too little, too late.
I appreciated the sporadic flashbacks from the series to refresh the dangling stories, but they served more to remind me of how much younger the actors were when the series initially ran. Perhaps 13 years from series end to movie presentation was a gap that simply could not be bridged in 110 minutes.


Spoiler



I would have been more satisfied if Marshall Bullock had let the angry mob have its way and beaten Hearst to death. No doubt the marshal's wife would have forgiven him for his inaction, but perhaps not for his obvious feelings about Mrs. Ellsworth.
I was surprised that Ian Shane has survived long enough in real life to die as Al Swearengen in the final movie scene. Clearly the 76-year-old Shane has hit the bottle a bit less than the character he played.


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## -K2- (Jun 10, 2019)

REBerg said:


> This wrap-up, although welcomed, seemed like too little, too late.
> I appreciated the sporadic flashbacks from the series to refresh the dangling stories, but they served more to remind me of how much younger the actors were when the series initially ran. Perhaps 13 years from series end to movie presentation was a gap that simply could not be bridged in 110 minutes.
> 
> 
> ...



It's my understanding that Ian 'McShane,' has not drank alcohol in decades.

K2


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