A new Western you might enjoy: "Bone Tomahawk"

vigil617

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Wife and I streamed a Western made this year that went straight to DVD called "Bone Tomahawk." You'll have to search for it -- think we found it through Amazon Prime -- but it's worth a look.

This is another Western with Kurt Russell playing the lead, and he does a good job with it. "Bone Tomahawk" is a rescue-journey-into-the-heart-of-darkness story, as the sheriff of a small town and three other local citizens ride off to find a deputy and the wife of one of the searchers, who have been kidnapped by savages.

I say "savages" advisedly, for as the Native American resident of the town tells the group, "these will look to you like Indians, but they are not." They are remnant tribe of cave dwellers in the nearby mountains, renowned and feared for their violence, inability to communicate except through haunting, guttural screams, and worst of all, cannibalism.

Most of the movie is what you might call traditional Western, with the characterizations of the four men explored in great scriptwriting as they journey toward the lair of the savages, encountering almost crushing defeats along the way. The final encounter with their quarry is action-filled and at times gruesome, and though the film ends predictably it is satisfying nevertheless.

Watch especially for the performance of Richard Jenkins as "Chicory," an old man and "back-up deputy," who gives the group a heart, soul, and conscience. Russell's performance is solid as well, and the director (who is new to Westerns), includes some John Ford scene-making and also some understated references to other films I'm sure you'll recognize.

Four stars out of five, and it's good to see another Western coming out of Hollywood, even if this one didn't make it to the theaters after having a run at some of the local film festivals here and abroad.
 
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I was told about this movie by one of my bosses.He said parts were very violent and not for the faint of heart.
 
Thanks for the excellent review. I was wondering what this movie was about. And I had no idea it was on Prime.
 
I'll be seeing it once wm gets the DVD in. I've always enjoyed Kurt Russell, and love good Westerns.

BTW, The Magnificent Seven was on last night and loved every second of it.
 
It's been called a western horror movie, and as with all fiction, a "willing suspension of disbelief" is helpful. I liked the first 3/4 of the movie the best.
 
Watched this last night. Good western with a slight zombie style twist. I thought is was good due to the actors, Russell, the. Chicory character, as well the actor who played the husband of the abducted woman. He was the MN state trooper in Fargo. Plays a good low key strong stand up everyman character.
 
Watched this last night. Good western with a slight zombie style twist. I thought is was good due to the actors, Russell, the. Chicory character, as well the actor who played the husband of the abducted woman. He was the MN state trooper in Fargo. Plays a good low key strong stand up everyman character.

My wife recognized that actor as one who played Sam Houston in one of the Alamo movies not long ago.

It was interesting to me that the director chose to depict the fiends in the movie as about as bad a breed of human being that could be imagined. Maybe it's 21st Century sensibilities about how to handle the "cowboys and Indians" stories. Even though it did give a "zombies" feel to the movie, and I scoff at that kind of thing usually, this time it seemed right to have villains who were evil incarnate. I liked what the Native American resident of the town said after describing the cave-dwellers to the sheriff, who was starting to count how many men he could take with him. "It won't matter how many you have," he said. Which turned out almost to be true.

The suspense that built as the band got closer and closer to the cave dweller's valley was palpable. The only way, aside from the primal screams echoing from the surrounding hills, that the good guys knew the savages were around was when the arrows started suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

The more I've thought about the movie today after watching it last night, the more I like it.
 
Just finished - that was a doozy. Cowboys and cannibals, two of my favorite things.

Also, it was nice to see a Merwin, Hulbert & Co revolver in a movie.
 
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