Silverado is an odd western, as it doesn’t simply follow one frontiersman, a group of outlaws, or the posse on their tale, but instead tells three distinctly separate yet interconnected stories revolving around the films four heroes and their different disputes with a corrupt sheriff and the violent gang that employs him.
The film begins rather slowly by introducing two of the films heroes together; generous ex-con Emmett (Scott Glenn) and down on his luck ex-con Paden (Kevin Kline); setting them on a journey towards the town of Silverado, along the way meeting up with Emmett’s juvenile, romantic and always in trouble with the law, brother Jake (Kevin Costner) and Mal Johnson (Danny Glover), a travelling loner that’s constantly being dumped on by the world because of his skin colour.
A variety of things happen on the road to Silverado, including Paden finding and killing the men that stole his horse and hat, Emmett having to break Jake out of jail after he was sentenced to hanging for a killing despite it being in self defence, and Mal getting into a bar brawl and being thrown out of a town simply because he didn’t look like everyone else. Due to their misfortunes occurring at essentially the same time the lads are thrown together as they are chased out of the small town of Turley, forming lasting friendships, and helping other less fortunate people they meet along the way.
However, despite everything that happens early on, the story only really heats up when the gang reach Silverado and begin their own separate journeys. Mal left the group early on, returning home to find that his father had been run off his own land by a rather unfriendly, and somewhat murderous, gang led by the son of a man that Emmett spent five years in prison for killing, so needless to say there is tension on both sides. On top of that Paden is offered a job by an old friend and ex-con turned corrupt sheriff who just happens to be getting paid by the same gang that is at odds with his three friends, putting him in a somewhat awkward position.
Needless to say, there’s a murder or two, some double-crossing and a good deal of rescuing and soul searching needed before the inevitable large-scale town centre shootout and eventual quick-draw duel outside the saloon, all classic western clichés, but all perfectly executed and perfectly fitting to the story. The finale, like the rest of the film is a rousing success as the tension is constantly growing from the films outset, and by the end there have been enough big events and enough of a back story provided to make anyone really care about the characters and think of them as real people, something which is made easier by the fact that no-one is presented whiter than white and only a couple of the bad guys as shown as pure evil.
Not only does the script provide a solid, eventful and easy to follow plot, as well as a host of believable characters, but the characters are made even more believable due to the solid acting talent, of the surprisingly big name cast, which includes the likes of Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, and Kevin Kline, as well as Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum (Silverado’s resident gambler), Brian Dennehy (Silverado’s corrupt sheriff) and a short but important role filled by Monty Python’s own John Cleese (sheriff of the small town of Turley).
Every one of the actors mentioned above gives stellar performances that perfectly fit the script, and world, for which they were written, and while they may not all be original characters or exceptionally original portrayals (Brian Dennehy’s is essentially a replay of the sheriff he played in First Blood, but in cowboy clothes), they are all solid and completely believable.
Direction is also not original or spectacular, and the set design, whilst not reaching the grimy realism of HBO’s Deadwood, would have been superb for a 1985 feature, and showcases all of the traditional elements expected of the genre to an exceptionally high standard.
In short Silverado is just about everything a western should be; tense and eventful, with some believable characters that aren’t afraid to step outside the law when it serves a moral purpose, a corrupt sheriff and murderous gang terrorizing a town and just begging to be sorted out. It’s got a hugely impressive cast that are near faultless in this film (despite the annoying hollering and childish looking costume sported by Kevin Costner) and supported by a terrific score and some impressive set pieces that all add to the experience making it truly immersive and a film that is sure to be loved by any western fan, and many that aren’t too keen on the genre.
Picture:
Silverado’s newest transfer is nothing but inconsistent; the majority of the film (particularly indoor shots) looks clear and crisp with a surprisingly high level of detail considering the year it was released, however it is clear which scenes were shot on location and which were studio based as exterior location shots suffer from extremely heavy amounts of grain that are not be unexpected when watching a film that is now 25 years old.
Colour levels are more than satisfactory, as whilst blacks aren’t especially bold or deep compared to some newer releases they are impressive for the year the film was made, and flesh tones are very natural despite the overall colour leaning very slightly towards the yellow end of the spectrum.
There are a few minor print errors evident on the film, but on the whole it is an impressive transfer considering the age of the print, and is certainly the best that Silverado has ever looked, being miles ahead of the standard DVD quality.
Audio:
Unlike the picture, Silverado’s new audio track (a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix) is consistently brilliant; from the films opening shootout it is evident that it will be impressive, as with each and every shot emanating from the old fashioned pistols used there is just the right amount of bass used, and the shots pan and echo through just the right speakers at precisely the right time, making all action scenes and shootouts an impressively immersive affair.
The films score also booms out of every speaker at appropriate moments and sounds fantastic, adding to an already brilliant track, that is just as impressive on the quiet scenes as on the loud ones, as there is plenty of ambient noise resonating from the surround speakers, including wind, hammers, goat noises, and the obligatory rustle of some old west tumbleweed.
Dialogue levels are also faultless, and the volume levelling overall is to be commended. The only problem with the sound mix is the occasional placement mistake, where a small sound may come through the wrong speaker, but overall this is an remarkable soundtrack that would be sure to impress if it were included on a film released this year, let alone one that is now 25 years old.
Extras:
Silverado comes with the same extras that were included on the DVD edition, minus the shootout compilation, meaning that there is a 37 minute informative making of featurette littered with film clips, behind the scenes snippets and interviews with various cast and crew members all discussing their own contributions to the film, from concept through to location scouting and acting.
There’s also an interview with Kevin Costner (lasting over 20 minutes), filmed several years after the films initial release, which appears very honest (even saying how he was disappointed in the role to begin with) and again interesting and informative, looking at the film from his unique perspective, and discussing his childhood interest with western films, there’s a commentary track provided by a western historian (fairly interesting, but only one for real fans or people that are very interested in the history of the old west), and finally BD-Live connectivity providing the possibility of future updates.
The Bottom Line:
Putting it simply, Silverado is everything a western should be, it’s got classic dysfunctional heroes, bad guys that are easy to hate, and a good deal of whiskey drinking and gunplay, not to mention a solid and easy to follow story centred on morality and corruption, and scenery that looks as good as any other western.
This superb film also comes via a excellent disc, as the picture quality is amazing considering the year it was filmed, with the only real problem being the inconsistency in grain levels between indoor and outdoor shots, and the sound quality is simply breathtaking even if the films release date were to be forgotten. There’s not many extras, but the features that are included are worthwhile inclusions, with no mindless filler; particularly the making of and Kevin Costner interview will be of special interest to fans as they are lengthy yet easy to watch, and surprisingly informative.
In short Silverado is about as good a western as you will find, lying just short of classics like Unforgiven and Dances With Wolves, but providing a solid story, some believable characters and some surprisingly good action sequences (even if the fistfights do look somewhat dated now), making it a must for any western fan, and even a good blind buy for anyone who isn’t generally a fan of the genre, and with a disc this far ahead of the DVD in terms of quality, you can’t go wrong.
