If there are two words that can adequately describe Director Lawrence Kasdan's (Wyatt Earp) 1985
Western
Silverado, those words would be "fun" and "quirky." An ode to the genre but at the same
time a film
with its own unique identity, Silverado takes the Western, digs up every cliché in the book,
and assembles them into a rollicking good time that's the ultimate in escapist entertainment.
Corrupt lawmen, outlaws turned heroes, mysterious characters, revenge, shifting allegiances,
stampedes, six shooters, lever action rifles, saloons, dusty center-town standoffs and, yes, even
tumbleweeds, all make an appearance. It's a laundry list of classic Western motifs, props, and
settings, but it's all delivered here with an obvious yet nevertheless decidedly understated wink and
a nod to all that have come before it in the genre that's as American as baseball and apple pie.
The showdown.
Silverado tells the story of four individuals that find themselves banding together to free
a small frontier town from corruption. Emmett (Scott Glenn, Training Day), recently
freed from prison, is on his way to California but first must bust his brother Jake (Kevin Costner,
The Postman) out
of prison before he's executed. On his way, Emmett stumbles across a man
named Paden (Kevin Kline, Wild Wild West) who has recently been robbed and left for
dead on the desert floor. The two team up and head to Turley where Emmett finds his brother,
Paden finds the man who took his horse, and they both meet Mal (Danny Glover, Saw), a black man
that's denied service at a local saloon because of the color of his skin. Eventually, the four team
up
and head to Silverado for their own reasons: Emmett and Jake to say goodbye to their family
before heading off to California; Mal to reunite with his father; and Paden to consider an
opportunity with the town's sheriff, Cobb (Brian Dennehy, First Blood). Instead
of finding peace and quiet, they discover a town on the edge and under the thumb of
corruption. Will they band together to save the town of Silverado or put themselves first and
ignore the troubles that they've unwittingly walked into?
A far cry from the wave of gritty Westerns that both preceded (The Wild Bunch) and
followed (Unforgiven) it,
Silverado recalls the genre at its most basic, embracing a happy-go-lucky,
tongue-in-cheek,
rough-and-tumble, goodhearted approach to its material, presenting a serious story in a
semi-serious tone thanks to its insistence on reveling in the classic themes that made the
genre great. Though one of the least-innovative pictures of its kind, Silverado stands
apart from the crowd for just that reason. There's an allure here -- despite some missteps -- that
makes the movie a special experience. It manages to make for a refreshing two hour ride in the
midst of a semi-complicated plot and well-developed, wonderfully acted, yet mostly recycled
characters, two strikes that could represent certain death for a picture in the hands of a lesser
cast and crew. Not in Silverado. There's a laid back feel to the movie; it really matters
not if the plot's just a bit too convoluted for its own good or if the characters represent an eclectic
yet stereotypical bunch. What matters is that the movie hits all the right notes along the way,
and that's what makes Silverado work through the unoriginality.
The film's breezy pace and cheerful demeanor supersede the shortcomings and at the same time
inject a lightheartedness into the film that lends to it plenty of levity, but not necessarily in the
traditional sense. It's
a stretch to label Silverado a Parody or even merely a Comedy, even if it does seem to,
on
occasion, take on elements of each. It's not all that funny in
the
traditional sense, particularly when compared to Mel Brooks' brilliant Blazing Saddles,
though there is an underlying current of humor that resonates through the picture that
emanates from the aforementioned broad use of clichéd settings and plot devices and stereotyped
characters that populate the film. Paden's pajama-clad revenge shooting near the beginning of
the film serves as a prime example. Accompanied by menacing yet breezy music with a classic
Western flair, Paden purchases a rust-bucket of a gun that barely holds together. A youngster in
the town square excitedly points to the violence-to-come with a smile on his face and a
pointer-finger pistol ready for action. Paden hurriedly loads the gun, gets shot through the crotch
of his pajamas, takes down his target with one shot, and in the next scene is lip-to-lip with
his stolen horse. Every character plays their parts seriously but with a twinkle in their eye that
reinforces the film's oddball yet incredibly alluring and highly entertaining concoction of serious
Western with tongue-in-cheek undertones.
Film lovers, get ready. Silverado dusts off for Blu-ray and reveals a stunning 1080p,
2.40:1-framed transfer. There's no single aspect of this transfer that disappoints, and it currently
represents one of the best-looking Blu-ray catalogue titles on the market. Colors -- though the
film sports a predominantly brown hue that reflects the dusty leather saddles, the wooden rifle
stocks, worn out jackets, and the sandy terrain -- pop off the screen with lifelike clarity. Bolder
colors -- the red of an American flag in one scene or green shrubbery in the middle of an
otherwise
barren landscape in another -- offer superior vibrancy. Fine object detail, too, is fantastic. The
terrain that's dotted with gravel, dust, and weeds, takes on an absolutely lifelike appearance with
the transfer resolving each and every speckle on the ground with precision. Viewers will
note the wear and tear on clothing, saddles, and rifle stocks, while close-up shots of the actors
showcase nice texture and clarity. Blacks are generally superb, though flesh tones take on a
decidedly red tint.
Grain is present throughout, and while it spikes here and there, it lends to the transfer a superior
film-like appearance that, along with the scope widescreen presentation, seemingly puts viewers
in the middle of the movie theater. There is no sign of noise reduction, smearing, waxy faces, or
any such atrocities with this one. The transfer is simply exquisite, taking on a first-rate cinematic
look and feel that's a prime example of just how fantastic a format Blu-ray can be. With transfers
like
Silverado and Glory, Sony shows
they know how to recreate the look of film with their catalogue titles for home viewing pleasure.
Silverado rides onto Blu-ray with a strong Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. From the
film's opening seconds it becomes clear that this track means business. Loud gunshots ring out
from inside and out of a small wooden hilltop shed. Shots crackle, wood shatters, and the track
features a strong sense of spacing as sound maneuvers about the soundstage effortlessly. Not to
be outdone, the marvelous presentation of the title sequence's scored music -- a rousing, good
old-fashioned Western theme -- plays with superb clarity as it seamlessly flows through the entire
front
half of the soundstage. Such strong attributes remain throughout; later shootouts feature bullets
whizzing and ricocheting through the back half of the soundstage, and many shots are accompanied
by an appropriately hefty thud. Directional effects on the whole are superb, too, as sounds often
travel seamlessly from side to side and front to back. The track also features a realistic atmosphere;
a few saloon scenes deliver a superb sense of environmental ambience and outdoor shots often
feature the sounds of nature floating through the soundstage. Completed by superior dialogue
reproduction, Silverado's soundtrack does all it can to match the quality of the video
presentation, and it never fails in that lofty endeavor.
Following in the footsteps of Dr. Stragenlove or: How I
Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Midnight Express,
and
A River Runs Through
It, Silverado arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures as an attractive
DigiBook release. Contained within its full color, glossy pages are plenty of photographs; an
introduction to the film; production notes; theatrical poster reprints; and cast biographies for
Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Rosanna Arquette, John Cleese, Kevin Costner, Brian Dennehy, Danny
Glover, Jeff Goldblum, and Linda Hunt. As to the on-disc supplements, things get started with
Along the 'Silverado' Trail: A Western Historians' Commentary which features Frank
Thompson,
Paul Hutton, and Steve Aaron, historians all that come together to speak on "the last of the old
style Western." They discuss the genre's ability to cheat death over its history, the varied styles
within the genre, the cast, shooting locations, costumes, and more. What's truly great about this
track is that it's not the usual pat-on-the-back style commentary. The participants don't
always agree, don't always say wholly positive things about the film, and show a broad depth of
knowledge but don't necessarily flaunt it. It makes for a must-listen commentary for Western
fans.
A Return to Silverado with Kevin Costner (480p, 21:01) features the actor recalling his
love of Westerns, the character he played in Silverado, the quality of the script, the work
of his fellow actors,
and more. The Making of 'Silverado' (480p, 37:01) is a solid piece that covers the
expected angles, showcasing behind-the-scenes footage and retrospective interviews with cast
and crew. Silverado also represents the debut (alongside The Quick and the
Dead) of Sony's "MovieIQ" that offers live, up-to-date details about every scene,
including cast and crew filmographies and biographies, soundtrack listings, and more. Also
included are 1080p
trailers for The Da Vinci Code,
Casino Royale, Ghostbusters, A River Runs Through
It, and Damages: Season
One.
Indeed, "fun" and "quirky" represent what Silverado is all about. A classic Western that
hearkens back to the genre's glory days but injects a subtle but not at all difficult-to-spot sense of
humor into its clichéd story and stereotypical characters, Lawrence Kasdan's most memorable
directorial effort continues to impress nearly a quarter-century after its initial release, and this
Blu-ray breathes new life into the picture that makes it feel brand new all over again.
Sony's gone and done it again, producing a first-rate Blu-ray presentation that defines what the
format is all about: bringing high quality film-like transfers into the home. With grain left intact,
color and detail to die for, and the scope presentation preserved, Silverado looks marvelous,
and the video transfer is matched by a robust and sensory-pleasing lossless soundtrack. With a few
good extras and the introduction of Sony's new MovieIQ feature, Silverado makes for a
must-own Blu-ray disc. Highly recommended.
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