One of the most evident signs of the shift in movie-goers' tastes over the years has been the decline of the Western. Once among the most popular of film genres, it now ranks near the bottom. If there's a benefit to this downturn, it's that modern Westerns rarely go into production unless they possess a complex or challenging quality.

 

In many ways, Ed Harris' Appaloosa is one of the most traditional examples we have seen since the genre underwent a shift during the early 1990s with Oscar wins by Dances with Wolves and Unforgiven. It is not as compelling as three recent Westerns – The Proposition, Open Range, and 3:10 to Yuma - but there's enough quality material to be found bookended between the opening and closing credits to make this compulsory viewing for those who retain a fondness for what the Western can bring to the screen.

 

Appaloosa is more of a character-based Western than a shoot-'em-up, although that's not to say there aren't gunfights. Instead, the film's action-based set pieces are relegated to short, staccato bursts widely separated by lengthy segments that are heavy on dialogue and dramatic interaction. One of the most important aspect of any Western - the ability of the filmmakers to re-create a world that has been blown away by modernism like a tumbleweed by a high wind - has not proven to be an insurmountable obstacle to Harris.

 

His vision of 1882 New Mexico is rich in period detail and atmosphere. Appaloosa does not feel like a town that has sprung up on a studio backlot (as was the case with many '50s and '60s Westerns). Instead, it's as if the cast and crew have stepped into a time machine to get their shots.