Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-22 06:48:25

Bridges shines, but plot fizzles

The opening scene of 'Wild Bill' is standard. A flashback movie based with an emotional back story; which makes up the majority of the movie. This western truly stands out as different which becomes its major advantage and flaw. Jeff Bridges plays the main role of James Butler Hickock (a.k.a. Wild Bill) and HE is what makes this movie entertaining. Bridges uses all his tools to show the hindrances of a lost, but determined man. His body language is brilliant, as is his line delivery, but that can't save a flimsy plot which is also horrible inaccurate.Ellen Barkin does a great job playing Calamity Jane and the rest of the support cast also show their mettle; excluding a horrible performance by David Arquette; who can't work with a skilled actor like Bridges.All in all, 'Wild Bill' is a different western, but relies too heavily on the lead role with a story that seemed to be written backstage at a 'Doors' concert.

lord woodburry 2012-05-22 03:22:50

Welcome to Deadwood

Welcome to Deadwood: The best that can be said of it comes in thisinterchange.Charley Price: This town reminds me of something from the bible. 'WildBill' Hickok: Which part? Charley Price: The part right before god getsangry.Jeff Bridges excels in his portrayal of the legendary Wild BillHitchcock, plainsman, cavalry scout, US Marshall and Don Juan of thewild west. Jeff Bridges follows in his his father's footsteps into therole. Nearly forty years before this 1995 film, Lloyd Bridges hadstarred as Wild Bill in a 1964 episode "Wild Bill Hickok - the Legendand the Man" out of the TV anthology The Great Adventure, a regrettablyshort lived series. Although the Lloyd Bridge's version stuck closer tohistorically accepted facts, Jeff's attempt at one of his father'sroles, though accomplished by toying with the truth and exaggeratingthe finale, was exceedingly well played. It was interesting that our cynical era improved upon Bill's actualending.

2012-05-16 15:50:51

Superb Performances And Excellently Directed; BUT Poor Production With Little Historical Accuracy

This review is from: Wild Bill (DVD) I first viewed "Wild Bill" because it sounded like a great western, and at the time I was watching DVDs non-stop to help distract my attention from the extreme pain I was experiencing prior to surgery. I must have been more medicated than I remember, as I just watched the movie again, after purchasing it based on the fact that I "remembered" it as being a really terrific and enjoyable western, and I was appalled at the production errors and "historical bunk" in the film. Yet, while I did not enjoy it as much as I "remember" enjoying "Wild Bill," I still think that the film is terrific thanks to some truly memorable performances and crisp direction.When I compare it to other films out there, and keep a "healthy thought" that "Wild Bill" is a movie about the "Legend" and not the "real, historical person," I find myself wanting to give the film five stars. Beyond a doubt, the film is one of Jeff Bridges finest performances; and the drama and action are awesome.Then I remember counting the number of times Wild Bill fired his two pistols (which were pron to misfires) in the shoot out in the livery and I cringe. I cannot be certain, since the film does not actually always show Wild Bill's shots (you frequently just hear them, and see their effects), but I got a count of 29 rounds--more than double what he could have realistically fired. Nonetheless, the scene is pure excitement and deepens the "Legend" of Wild Bill. Conversely, I think the director did a marvelous job of editing in the great use of black and white "dreams" that help "recall" Wild Bill's "legendary life."On the other hand, Charlie Utter, Hickok's friend and life-long companion is denigrated--or so I see it--into John Hurt's completely fictional character Charley Prince, an English gentleman who self proclaims himself, through Prince's narration of "Wild Bill," to be a fellow "drunk and gambler," who has become a "friend" (and traveling companion) to Wild Bill. While the funeral scene is better than many, it still failed to capture the true impact of Wild Bill's death on the community of Deadwood; and Charlie Utter's efforts to give the funeral dignity. Despite the fact that Wild Bill had been in Deadwood only a few days, according to historical accounts nearly every person in the camp--as well as many from elsewhere--attended the funeral; for even on August 3, 1876, it seems that "everyone" knew that a "true legend had come to an end."Update--1 July 2008: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks.

2012-05-16 06:41:55

Elegiac Western tells the myth with style

Jeff Bridges is magnificent as the eponymous "Wild Bill", he takes the overblown legend of Bill and breathes life into the man as myth and as character, the dream like direction of Hill fits the subject spot on. If you have studied the "facts" of Bills' life, some things may jar (such as the "romance" with Calamity Jane, they hardly knew each other in reality, only meeting shortly before Bills' assassination). The film re-creates the Myth of The Wild West to perfection, dust and mud, gun play and dying, hard living and easy death seem to be the order of the day....Jeff Bridges is one of those "still" actors who are perfect for these sort of parts, getting deep under the skin of his characters. I enjoyed this film. It stayed with me for a long time, prompting me to buy a "biography" of Wild Bill to learn more. The mark of a good movie in my mind is that it lingers in your thoughts. The only niggle I had is that Ellen Barkin as Calamity Jane was just a bit too scrubbed up, she looked a bit too fragrant! Jeff Bridges though owned this character from beginning to end, a bravura performance, he never once makes a false step. Walter Hill's direction and the script do not glamorise the gun play, it is shown for what it was, sordid and cruel, an insight into the Amerika of today and why it has developed into what it is.

Joseph M Tyson 2012-05-11 01:40:11

Ole' Wild Bill shoots a bunch of guys who had it coming!

Hard to say what happened here. Barkin and Bridges are fine, good even. Thelook is right and so is the supporting cast, even if the characters are abit underdeveloped.The film leaves us with more questions that it answers. Does Hickock regrethis life? Why can he not love Calamity? Why are his friends soloyal?

samkay1 2012-05-10 12:22:05

Someone should put a bullet in this one

Perhaps I love Deadwood too much; the critically praised, HBO seriesfor which director Walter Hill appropriately won an Emmy for the pilot.I clearly set my expectations a little too high of this one, whichpredates the Deadwood series by eight years or so. Coming from WalterHill, the man behind the Warriors and The Long Riders, there is no waythat Wild Bill should have been this sloppy. His portrayal of the life and death of James Butler Hickok results in amotion picture that self-destructs in spectacular fashion. It is vastlyunderwritten, poorly acted, edited as if it were a labyrinth of junglevines to be cut down by a machete, and on top of that the movie is alsoseverely anti-climactic.All that Hill gets right is that parts of the movie are well shot, andhe is able to capture the look of the times on screen, but on thepages, it is a different matter. The opening twenty minutes (give ortake) are especially excruciating. What we see is almost a joke,totally amateurish and more oriented towards obnoxious gunplay thanexposition. It is like watching kiddies play cowboys and Indians on thestreet with little wooded pistols. Hill should know better than that, as should Jeff Bridges, whoseportrayal of Hickok is devoid of talent. It is so obviously aperformance, and he delivers most of his lines in a hammy fashion, andthere is nothing remotely human about this character. The movie does apoor job of showing his misery and self loathing.When all is said and done, Wild Bill is a dud. It is clumsy andcareless, and is easily one of the worst westerns I have ever seen.

Dark Swede 2012-05-10 19:30:50

Great Gunslinger Shooting Action

Great gunfight scenes and exquisite costuming highlight this fast-pacedstory of Wild Bill Hickok, man and myth. The film illuminates some of themost exciting and legendary characters of the untamed American West. One ofthe better Wild Bill portraits on film. Remember.. "You shouldn't oughtatouch a man's hat!"

2012-05-09 21:24:39

Exaggeration Not Required.

It goes without saying that the life of Wild Bill Hickok, along with several other frontiersmen, has become legendary to the point where it becomes caricature. Therefore, it is useful and informative to read some of the early accounts of these men's exploits - told before their stories were embellished unduly. When examining the lives of Hickok, Cody, and Custer the truth is more than enough. These men really were larger than life.This film follows what seems to be a fairly typical pattern of telling considerable factual material, and then "completing" the story with invention. That is not my preference, because as mentioned above, the truth is more than enough. However, I'm glad just to have these movies made, and the Westerns of recent years are vastly superior to the "Classics" when it comes to authenticity.Getting some feel for the real Hickok, and then seeing Jeff Bridges in the role with the artistry of modern Hollywood to create the character, left me agape. Surely, this is Hickok come to life! The people creating the time-piece sets and historic characters of these recent movies are good! Do yourself a favor and don't take this artistry for granted.There is one scene in this movie I would like to single out for its exceptional artistry. That is the dream-like reminiscence of Hickok, along with California Joe, meeting a party of "Dog Soldiers," i.e. Cheyenne warriors. (The word Cheyenne comes from the French chien, meaning dog). The way in which these warriors and this meeting are portrayed creates a scene of haunting, mystical power.The tales of the American frontier are stuff of great fascination. So much so that it was realized even back then, in "real" time. It is so wonderful to see these stories told with considerable authenticity that I can't begrudge the makers a bit of license with some facts, even though it just isn't necessary.Just keep making these films. I'm far from tired of them.

tigerrick 2012-05-09 12:09:31

Better than average western, with some very nice touches.

I wasn't expecting much from this one, but Walter Hill's directioncredit during the opening title sequence sucked me in - and I was gladit did.A very capable cast and an interesting cinematic style gave this film aunique flavor, although some of the characters bordered on unbelievableat times.Loved the interaction between Wild Bill and Calamity Jane on the saloontable, although the conversation seemed too modern for the late 1800s.But overall, the film was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon,especially when compared with some of the lesser films available at thetime.

agsconnolly 2012-05-09 07:39:32

Enjoyable but rushed

I was really looking forward to seeing a movie about Wild Bill Hickockwith a top cast and proper budget. I wasn't necessarily disappointed bythis film, but felt it could have been done differently.I think one of the difficulties with a film of this nature is that youare building up to an ending which everyone is aware of and there areonly a few ways you can build up the background to the climax. In afilm such as 'Wyatt Earp' for example, everyone knows the gunfight atthe OK Corrall is coming, so the film builds up the background for youas best it can pretty much chronologically.The angle with this film is that the background is set with a series offlashbacks, which don't entirely work and become slightly tedious. Itwould have been easier to watch them as a chronological story, but youfeel sympathy with Walter Hill for wanting to mix it up a little.Ultimately, it comes out as a slightly rushed mish-mash. The flashbacksare not long enough to really set the scene for you, whereas the earlypart of the film which goes from 1867 through to 1875 is a bit garbledand doesn't make complete sense until later. There are also very briefreferences to Hickock's time in the army, which could and probablyshould have been expanded on. I didn't really understand this as thefilm is only an hour and a half long and could have done with anotherhalf hour.With regard to the actual content, Bridges is superb and imposing asHickcok, and I personally liked the choice of Arquette as Jack McCall(considering I'm not a fan of his generally). Much of it is fiction orexaggerated fact, but that is par for the course with Westerns and ifwe're honest with ourselves that type of romanticism is what draws usto the genre.All this notwithstanding, it is an easy watch and by no means asdemanding as 'Wyatt Earp' or even 'Young Guns'. The scenes whereBridges is in full flow are quite excellent and recall all the greatWestern leads. I would very much recommend this film to all fans ofHickock or Westerns generally, as it certainly has its entertainingmoments, even if the presentation is not all it could be.

garotycoyote 2012-05-05 21:02:39

The acting is key in this movie

I thought this movie to be a truly great one and the key here is reallygreat acting especially from Jeff Bridges. For that reason and thatreason alone its worth seeing this movie. To actually experience therealism created by this level of acting is truly a feat that movieactors strive to achieve. Jeff Bridges has achieved that in thisrendition of Wild Bill.I really do not have anything more I can say about this but its thesort of film that leaves you wishing there would be a sequel. If thiswere to become a TV series I would probably put money on it to say itwould be a winner. So find it rent it sit back and watch one of themost enjoyable movies of all time.

2012-05-05 07:51:44

Great performance wasted

I bought this film hoping for a biography of Wild Bill Hickock. The first ten minutes, which presents a short series of vignettes of his experiences, plus a few flashbacks throughout the story, was as close as I came to my wish. This muddled piece of filmmaking supposedly focuses on the last few days of Hickock's life before his shooting by Jack McCall. The only reason I gave this movie two stars is the performance by Jeff Bridges, simply the best portrayal of Hickock to date, only to be wasted. Had they used Bridges to give a life story of the best shootist of the West, they could have patted themselves on the back for a great achievement in Westerns. If you like 'quirky' or 'camp' films, by all means this is for you. But for historical enlightenment--skip it. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is the portrayal of Calamity Jane as more of a soiled dove than a Doris Day. The real Jane was a 'camp follower' and sometimes hooker. My best recomendation--if you must see it, rent it for the sake of seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his better performances.

Bob-45 2012-04-29 22:11:50

Loved the Movie, Would Probably Love the Man

James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock: Soldier, buffalo hunter, lawman,adventurer, wastrel, whoremonger, opium user, syphilis-carrier,brawler. Wild Bill wasn't just worldly, he was world-class worldly. Yetthere was a boyishly but noble, almost sensitive charm to this ragingbar fight of a man. His murder by the hand of a coward smacks of Greektragedy, though he was spared the final indignities of disease andself-abuse. "Wild Bill" pretty well accurately chronicles the life ofthe man. Walter Hill has beautifully established the enigmatic poetryof him. Jeff Bridges perfectly embodies his spirit, while his friends,"Calamity Jane" (Ellen Barkin), Charley Prince (John Hurt) and"California Joe" (James Gammon) provide letter perfect foils, thematicanalyzers and comic relief. With the success of "Deadwood" on HBO,"Wild Bill" would probably be a deserved hit with audiences now. At thetime, a movie whose gaminess made a Leone western look positivelyDisneyish by comparison was probably too off-putting for audiences.Now, it's time to examine the beauty of the performances amidst theaccurate ugliness of actual conditions in mining towns like Deadwood in1876. This is Barkin's best performance, Gammon's most charming andHurt's most beautiful line readings. Who could ever forget the hauntinglook on the face of Song Lew (Karen Huie), proprietress of the opiumden after saving the doped out Bill. Or Bill's disgust with the "opiumof the masses" Marjoe Gortner (himself a former evangelical preacher)doles out to the suckers in the form of religion. How the moviebeautifully integrates the old joke that "the best way to find a whoreis follow the church bells" into the storyline. Christina Applegate iseven very effective in her peripheral role, with her baby face andvoluptuous body, a child whose eyes already reflect a soul dead fromsurrender to his conditions. "Wild Bill" is strong stuff indeed. If Ican fault writer-director Walter Hill (and I believe it is still toosoon to render a final judgment on this movie), I would fault hisdecision to shoot the flashbacks as erratic dreams, with unstablecamera and black-and-white. I'd have chosen one OR the other, not both.No matter, "Wild Bill" will continue to haunt me, as great films do.for years to come. I just wish he'd added at least one flourish soeffectively used in "The White Buffalo," another less well made, butimpressive movie about Hickock. That would have been to include thescene of Bill passing the mountain of bleached Buffalo bones. ForBill's passing was perhaps a fitting climax to the death of that era;and, with it, the death of the "American West" of legend.I give "Wild Bill" a "9".

2012-04-29 15:48:00

Walking With Wild Bill Hickock

This fine portrayal of Bill Hickock's Times is a must for any adult whom enjoys a bit of fact mixed with fiction. Jeff Bridges does an Academy Award representation of the man feared by most during the 1870's.( That is, I would have given him the award.) His talk and demeanor bring you to the core of an uneducated man whom learned survival the hard way. Ellen Arkin also shines as Calamity Jane with her strong character and fears for Bill. The movies town set and other characters place you in the rough and tumble days at the end of the old West, when civilization was just beginning to open up the wild frontier. If you enjoy the sight of a crack shot with blazing guns and the acting of Jeff Bridges, you need to see this " hidden jewel ".

2012-04-26 21:38:52

Wild Bill

It was somewhat of a letdown. I expected a more true to history potryal.

RC 2012-04-26 10:17:41

"The worst western of all time"

My overall rating is soley affected by Jeff Bridges' acting. I do not like Jeff Bridges and am an avid western fan. I thought the story was decent and the direction, too but wild bill should have been portrayed by someone else.

2012-04-26 14:31:34

Makes "Tombstone" look like a documentary

I couldn't wait to see this video, but found it to be a muddled mess of historical inaccuracy. It strives to be the story of how Hickcock, a major celebrity of his day, allowed himself to believe in his own legend, only to be reminded in the final hours of his life what he missed in trying to live up to it. It is a noble idea, but ultimately fails. I had hoped it would be along the lines of "Wyatt Earp", a sometimes plodding but at least historically accurate film, but it doesn't even get close.

2012-04-26 02:46:11

A caricature of a movie

This review is from: Wild Bill (DVD) I am not an expert on the historical accuracy of this account of Wild Bill's life. It seems to be a bit off. Overall, this movie is disjointed, uneven, poorly written, moderately well acted given the material,and very badly directed. None of the characters feel genuine. None of the settings feel authentic. Wild Bill's character has no depth. Jane seems to clean and pretty to be the hard drinking person she was. David Arquette's performance as Jack McCall is out of the blue and terrible. I gave this film 1 star for the people in the cast I like, namely Jeff Bridges and Ellen Barkin. Avoid this portrayal of Hickok at all costs.

Torchy 2012-04-21 20:59:37

An Unrecognized Masterpiece

I've been checking out the comments on this film and they seem to be inlinewith most of the other reactions I've heard. It's important to say upfrontthat this is not a film for Western fans. It's not a film for action fans.It's not for history buffs who care only about the facts. It's not a filmfor people who want to see a good story told simply.Wild Bill is one of the richest and most disturbing films ever made aboutthe American West. It shows us a complicated man without trying to explainor rationalize the contradictions in his character. He's capable of love,but he also commits acts of brutal violence. He cares for his friends buthe holds them all at arm's length. And he feels compelled to play the partof the living legend to the end, come what may.I suspect that Walter Hill chose this subject because he identifiedstronglywith Wild Bill himself. But whether or not this is true, thecontradictionsin Hickok's character are a part of this country's character. Hill waslucky to have Jeff Bridges in the lead. It's one of his finestperformances. Though Wild Bill doesn't voice doubts about his life outloud, Bridges' face shows us that he doesn't understand himself the reasonsfor many of his actions.The story is not told in chronological order, but the organization of thesequences is not haphazard. In fact it's beautifully thought out. This isnot a film for everybody, but I think it deserves a lot more attention thanit's gotten so far. I feel like fans of Walter Hill's work will see thesame thing I do: a beautiful and haunting meditation on why this country isthe way it is.

ccthemovieman-1 2012-04-21 07:32:58

A Psychedelic Look At 'Wild Bill'

If there was ever a psychedelic western movie, this has to be it. It'sso bizarre, at least compared to most westerns, that it was tough forme to write this review. I stopped and re-started several times. Whereto start?I just found it great fun, an entertaining film that's always a kick toview, and what more you can ask? Being someone who is very much intovisuals, great cinematography and unique approaches to camera-work,this film provided all of that and more, such as an interesting storywith whacked-out characters.I love narration and John Hurt's description of the goings-on here wasjust great to hear. He played "Charlie," an Englishman with agentleman's vocabulary that was in stark contrast to the hardenedoutlaws, led by 'Wild Bill' Hickok himself, played by Jeff Bridges.Ellen Barkin plays "Calamity Jane," and few women of the 1980s and '90splayed foul-mouthed, hard-but-sexy women as convincingly as Barkin.In addition to Hurt, Bridges and Barkin, other fun characters included"California Joe," Hickok's gravel-voiced friend who doesn't say muchbut when he does, you hear some some of the longest sentences everuttered. Daid Arquette plays a very strange villain, the man who becamefamous for shooting Wild Bill. He acts strange and talks as if he has amouthful of marbles. James Remar, another mean-looking tough guy, is ahired killer. Christina Applegate, Bruce Dern, Margoe Gortner, KeithCarradine and assorted other characters all add to this strange tale,strange in its telling and even stranger in its visual style.Some of the film is in flashback, which is seen in startlingblack-and-white and mainly features Diane Lane, who is flat-outgorgeous and maybe the most intriguing person in the film. One of theflashbacks has the film deliberately overexposed with wild dream-likeimages.No western "purist" admits to liking this but I love the genre and Iput this near the top of my list of favorite westerns. So, sue me!