There are a few names in the film industry who know a thing or two about the Western genre, andKurt Russellwould certainly be one of them. From older movies likeThe Longest DriveandTombstone, to more recent hits such asThe Hateful EightandBone Tomahawk, the esteemed actor has traversed his fair share of dusty plains over the years. Suffice to say, Russell is more than entitled to have his say on what should be deemed thebest Westerns of all time, but he’s got a pretty hot take when it comes to John Wayne’s work.
The Searchersis widely regarded as one of the best in the genre, and is undoubtedlyJohn Wayne’s best Western. The sprawling epic from 1956 features some of the most stunning vistas in movie history, providing the backdrop for an intense tale of revenge and territorial conflict, with Wayne’s Ethan Edwards the hero at the heart of it all. But,whileThe Searchersgets plenty right, Kurt Russell insists his own movies are much more realisticand representative of the periods and settings they depict.
Kurt Russell’s Comments On Tombstone & Bone Tomahawk vs. The Searchers
John Wayne’s Movie Gets One Thing Wrong
While Russell showersThe Searcherswith praise, he admits he is not convinced by the authenticity of Wayne’s picture, insisting it is a little too varnished in Hollywood veneer. Instead, Russell is quick to point out thattwo of his projects,TombstoneandBone Tomahawk, have a more interesting and unique approach that feels more befitting of the actual Western experience of the late 19th century.
Speaking toEsquireat the time ofBone Tomahawk’srelease, Russell explained his thinking, and pinned it all down to the dialogue used in the different movies. He said:
“The Searchers. That’s the normal Western dialogue of the time, which in no way represented reality. I loveThe Searchers. I think it’s a cool movie. But the dialogue style? No way. It can’t compare toBone Tomahawkor something likeTombstone. They are much more of that true flavor.
“This makes you feel that this could actually be some weird little town in 1897 that is just out there where nobody knows where everything really is. The people talked this way. I believe that. I don’t think this is a Hollywood Western dialogue movie. This has a style to it. It lends itself much more to the credibility of reality than almost all Westerns. It doesn’t have a modern day sound to it.”
This statement highlights how, for Russell, authentic dialogue goes a long way toward ensuring that a Western feels as realistic as possible.
Do Tombstone & Bone Tomahawk Really Have More Accurate Dialogue Than The Searchers
The People Of The American West Spoke Rather Eloquently
For all its technical excellence,The Searchersis certainly guilty of dialogue that lacks nuanceand subtlety. Perhaps that is more a symptom of that particular era of filmmaking in Hollywood, where big, bombastic performances were the norm, and on-the-nose lines of dialogue felt less harmful to the immersive nature of the moviegoing experience. Either way, there can be very little doubt thatThe Searcherslacks realismin a number of different ways.
Why Kurt Russell Says Bone Tomahawk Isn’t A “Horror Western,” But Still Compares It To His Classic Horror Movie With 85% On RT
Kurt Russell has claimed that Bone Tomahawk is not a “horror western,” making it hard not to wonder why he compared it with an 85% RT horror flick.
It is hard to know exactly how people of the American West spoke, but a report fromThe BBCsuggests settlers coming over from England will likely have carried with them some of the more complex and flowery speech patterns of Victorian Britain. This would correlate with the distinguished and dynamic dialogue found in the likes ofTombstoneandBone Tomahawk, and goes against the simplistic structure of speech in older pictures likeThe Searchers.
It would seem, then, that Russell has a point. WhileThe Searchersmay have inspired countless movies since, it fails to capture the finer details of the American West, and for that reason at least,TombstoneandBone Tomahawkhave to be celebrated for their intricate and engaging dialogue.
Kurt Russell Nails One Of The Best Things About Tombstone
Tombstone Is Packed With Incredible Dialogue
Screenwriter Kevin Jarre not only crafted a thrilling and emotional story withTombstone, he imbued the screenplay with some of the most memorable and meaningful quotes of any Western movie. Granted, most of that dialogue can be found inDoc Holliday’s best moments inTombstone, and some of the credit there has to go to the exceedingly cool performance from Val Kilmer. His most famous quote will always be “I’m your Huckleberry,” but his delivery of the line, “Make no mistake, it’s not revenge he’s after, it’s a reckoning,” underpins Holliday’s fierce and formidable persona.
Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp has his fair share of strong dialogue, too, though. A standout is his gunslinging motto, “Fast is fine, but accuracy is final,” while “Jerk that pistol and go to work,” is a gloriously cavalier call to arms. Indeed, whether it be inTombstone, orBone Tomahawk,Kurt Russellalways finds a way to let his screen presence shine. He’s an actor who understands it’s not about who can shout loudest when it comes to dialogue; it’s about delivering those lines with conviction and authenticity, and that’s one advantage he might just have over John Wayne.
Bone Tomahawk
Cast
Bone Tomahawk is a Western film that follows Sheriff Franklin Hunt, who gathers together a group of fighters to save three kidnapped victims from a clan of cannibals. After the town’s doctor is kidnapped along with two others, forcing the sheriff to partner with the town’s Native American professor and find the tribe before it’s too late.
