The ’90s were a groundbreaking time for cinema, and this bold cultural shift didn’t only arise in revolutionary films likePulp FictionandJurassic Park—it also emerged in Westerns. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the 1993 filmTombstone, whose brilliant ensemble brought a vibrant energy that both entertained audiences and changed the genre forever.
Unlike the Westerns of Clint Eastwood, which favored slow-burning narratives,Tombstoneembraced the pulpy aspects of its genre,leaning into the larger-than-life myth of Wyatt Earpto deliver a fast-paced, stylized drama. Though this choice has often pitted the film againstKevin Costner’s more historically accurateWyatt Earpbiopic, the gamble paid off, asTombstoneis today regarded as one of the greatest Westerns.
Tombstone’s Stylized Approach Was Unlike The Westerns That Came Before It
Figures Like Wyatt Earp And Doc Holliday Never Looked Cooler
BeforeTombstone, Westerns were similar to baseball: fun, full of exciting bursts of drama, but often long and drawn out. In contrast, the 1993 Western opened with a violent bang akin to the first thrilling notes of a Jimmy Page solo,seizing the audience’s attention with a savage executionat the hands ofTombstone’s main antagonists, Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) and The Cowboys.
Whereas previous Westerns featured gritty antiheroes,Tombstonebears superheroes, like gruff Virgil Earp (Sam Elliott) and the enigmatic Doc Holliday.
While one could argue that this violence isn’t unique toTombstone, the swagger of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) certainly is,whose presence cracks like thunder in a hurricaneas he strides confidently across the screen. Whereas previous Westerns featured gritty antiheroes,Tombstonebears superheroes, like gruff Virgil Earp (Sam Elliott) and the enigmatic Doc Holliday,which is often hailed as Val Kilmer’s greatest performance.
Tombstone Began A Trend Of Increasingly Stylized Western Movies
Everyone Tried To Recreate The Film’s Style
It’s hard to picture a more iconic Western image from the ’90s than Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Kurt Russell, and Bill Paxton strutting toward the O.K. Corral like deputized, black-clad undertakers—though that didn’t stop filmmakers from trying. Indeed,movies likeThe Quick and the DeadandMavericktried to capitalize onTombstone’s success throughlarge-ensemble pictures that strove to recreate its bold, stylized magic.
Furthermore, this direction in filmmaking continued into the 2000swith Western remakes like3:10 to Yumaand Josh Brolin’sTrue Grit, though none were able to truly capture the charm ofTombstoneuntil Quentin Tarantino’sDjango Unchained, a film that built off the film’s template and steered it into the trademark territory that’s defined his career.
It’s Hard To See Westerns Returning To The Original Style
There’s No Going Back After Tombstone
FollowingDjango Unchained,demand for Westerns among audiences slowed down for several years, with far fewer films garnering the attention the genre once enjoyed. However, with the release of Taylor Sheridan’sYellowstoneand popular spin-off series1883and1923, Westerns are back and better than ever, with the precedentTombstoneset remaining the standard for stylized stories of the Old West.
Though the films of Wayne and Eastwood will always hold their place as a hallmark of Western cinema, the days of slow-burning, steely narratives are gone, for good or ill.
Though the films of Wayne and Eastwood will always hold their place as a hallmark of Western cinema,the days of slow-burning, steely narratives are gone, for good or ill. In the digital age, audiences with rapidly-decreasing attention spans—this writer included—crave swift, stylized drama, and if filmmakers can accomplish this through the example ofTombstone, then the genre’s future will continue to burn bright.
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