Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
Augustus McCrae: A whore that won’t give credit deserves to get pecked by a snappin turtle.
Directed by Yves Simoneau
David Arquette as Augustus McCrae
Jonny Lee Miller as Woodrow F. Call
Jennifer Garner as Clara Forsythe
F. Murray Abraham as Col. Caleb Cobb
Keith Carradine as Bigfoot Wallace
Brian Dennehy as Maj. Randall Chevallie
Patricia Childress as Mattie
The Plot / Story
Dead Man’s Walk takes place in The Republic Of Texas, 1842. Two young men, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call join the Texas Rangers in the fledgling Republic. The first thing that the Texan government does is form a group of men that will hunt down and kill renegade Indians in the territory. The two young men join as privates in this new paramilitary outfit. They are lead by a Maj. Chevallie (Brian Dennehy) and serve with a small band of additional Texas Rangers, two mountain men, an Indian scout and a whore. It’s quite a rugged and diverse bunch to say the least. The Texas territory is plagued by a band of renegade Comanche’s who are lead by an exceptional warrior by the name of Buffalo Hump.
Later in the film the two Texas Rangers and now both Corporals volunteer to serve on the Santa Fe expedition. Before leaving on this new expedition, Corporal McCrae falls head over heels in love with Miss Clara Forsythe. This is the same Clara that we hear Augustus and Woodrow often speak of during Lonesome Dove. During this expedition the Comanche Indians really reap havoc. The Expedition never has a chance, they get ran over a cliff by a wild fire, The Comanche’s steak all of their horses, half the party is captured. Things do not look well for the Santa Fe Expedition. The film brings us along on several escapades with two young Texas Rangers. This is a fairly good introduction to the blockbuster, Lonesome Dove.
Final Thoughts
Dead Man’s Walk is the prequel to the Lonesome Dove film and the first book in Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove series (Dead Man‘s Walk - Lonesome Dove - Streets Of Laredo). Lonesome Dove is among the best westerns ever made, so I was very much looking forward to the release of this prequel as well as the sequel. Western writer, Larry McMurtry is one of the best all time writers of American frontier era.
One of the things that I like about the Lonesome Dove series is the authenticity of the stories. McMurtry knows his history and as a result creates some very convincing and enjoyable books and films. The dialog in the movie is intelligent, funny and interesting. For the most part, the cast performed very well. The acting is good and convincing. The casting was excellent. Finding two actors to portray Woodrow F. Call and Augustus McCrae must have been a real issue. However, they hit the nail on the head with David Arquette. Arquette had to portray a young Texas Ranger who had previously been portrayed by award winning and veteran actor, Robert Duvall. In the film Lonesome Dove, Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones play the two aging Texas Rangers. They both performed exceptionally well in the film. I was surprised at how ell they were able to cast the two characters in this prequel. Both Arquette and Jonny Lee Miller do an outstanding job, portraying these two characters. The all around acting in the film was very good.
The costumes in Dead Man’s Walk is authentic and convincing. Everything from mountain men to wild Comanche Indians. The special effects in the film were adequate and were an asset to the believability and authenticity of the movie. The cinematography was well shot and the scenery is beautiful. Sunsets, sunrises and wide open plains in the Republic of Texas. The skies are something to see, even on film. The film is very long, over four hours. If you do not enjoy westerns, this would be too long to watch. On the other hand if you do enjoy a good western it’s an excellent movie. Not as good as Lonesome Dove or Dances with Wolves, but those are hard to top! Most people are disappointed with this film because they are expecting something as good as Lonesome Dove, it’s not that good. There’s something for everyone in this four hour western adventure. It’s a good mixture of humor, drama, and action. The acting is very good. There are several actors from the movie, O’ Brother Where Art Thou?. I would recommend this film to anyone who liked the Lonesome Dove movie. I purchased the entire Lonesome Dove series myself. I give Dead Man’s Walk four of five stars.
Quotes from Dead Man’s Walk
[Mattie asking Shadrach to marry her]
Shadrach: Mattie, What would you want with an ol berry like me? My pod’s all shriveled…
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