When audiences think of Western cinema in the ’90s, one of the first films that comes to mind is George P. Cosmatos’ Tombstone from 1993. The epic telling of Wyatt Earp’s friendship with Doc Holliday and the events that led up to and followed the “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” is one of the most entertaining films from that decade. It was an interesting time for Western cinema because the genre was just coming off one of its worst decades in the ’80s, when a fatigue had set in for audiences. Since the classical Westerns were no longer appealing and revisionist Westerns were no longer being made as often, audiences became delighted to have a new kind of contemporary Western in the ’90s. However, it was also an interesting time for the character of Wyatt Earp because he appeared in two Westerns in back-to-back years.
Right after Tombstone, Kevin Costner starred in Wyatt Earp, which told the exact same story in its own way. It was definitely interesting to basically have the same movie in back-to-back years, but fans have forever debated which one is their favorite. Even though Wyatt Earp is entertaining, it does not have the same kind of dramatic flair that Tombstone delivers. The revenge element of the film is essential (despite the historical inaccuracies), which makes it more of an action-filled epic than Wyatt Earp. Most of all, the cast is electric in Tombstone and the audience can really feel the emotions of each character. Wyatt’s revenge doesn’t have the same effect without the presence of a Michael Biehn Johnny Ringo, who proves in more ways than one throughout the film that he is one of the best Western villains of all time.
The Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo Feud Makes Tombstone Better
Both Men Understand Each Other On Multiple Levels
It’s important to point out that Tombstone greatly dramatizes the events that take place during the film. In real life, Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo didn’t have an epic feud with one another that eventually concluded in a gunfight (at least not one that was confirmed). In fact, that entire element of the film is fictionalized to add extra depth to the revenge-filled tension that permeates the entire story. However, one of the most irritating arguments about Tombstone is that it is inaccurate to history, as if that somehow gives it less purpose or entertainment value.
Not every interpretation of history has to be accurate to have an effect on the audience. Some films aim to be historically accurate to enlighten the audience on what occurred. Some films craft exhilarating fiction using bits of history to entertain the audience to the fullest extent. Ask fans which Wyatt Earp movie from the ’90s was more exciting to watch, and then ask them to guess which one is more accurate. Then ask if they care. Adding the Johnny Ringo and Doc Holliday feud to Tombstone gave the amazing cast involved in the film a lot more substance to play around with. This became a key aspect of the entire story and slowly built tension to a satisfying conclusion.
As Tombstone intricately designs a cool feud between outlaw Johnny Ringo and anti-hero Doc Holliday, it also designs an archetypal hero vs. villain sub-plot that makes the film more compelling. When this kind of dynamic is portrayed on screen, it should include multiple confrontations that detail the hatred each character has for one another, the skills they possess and their personalities. Furthermore, when a rivalry has this much heat, it should also include an air of respect for one another, regardless of wanting to kill one another.
That doesn’t always seem apparent because Doc is much more witty than Ringo, which makes Ringo look bad on more than one occasion. However, Doc understands Johnny Ringo as much as anyone and vice versa. Their dynamic can be summed up perfectly in their “cup dueling” scene because the subtext underneath the action does all the work. At that moment, Doc knew what kind of man Johnny was and exactly how to beat him when the time finally came. Everything is intentional in portraying their rivalry, and even the tiniest details have a big impact.
A Quick Throwaway Line In Tombstone Deepens Their Rivalry and The Movie’s Main Theme
It Also Proves That Johnny Ringo Is a Brilliant Western Villain
The main theme of Tombstone is revenge, and quite frankly, every character embodies this theme in some way. It’s actually a big part of Tombstone’s success that the film captures a moment in history and then turns the story into a conventional revenge epic set in the Old West. This has a lot of value for fans who just want to spend time in that world and with those kinds of characters. Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell, is the protagonist of Tombstone and leads a vendetta against Ringo and the other outlaws after they kill his brother. However, even Doc wants revenge against the world in some way for being cursed with a terrible fate that he can’t do anything about.
It’s the dichotomy of his entire character that he is this feared gunslinger who has control over everything in his world except the one thing that will take him out: his body (lungs) rejecting him. The TB-ridden Doc takes up every opportunity in the film because they are the only things left he gets a say in. For other characters, the revenge they seek is a bit more subtle and symbolic when taking into account their backstories and personalities. Specifically, Johnny Ringo has a reason to be mad, but it’s not in the way fans think.
There is a line in Tombstone that speaks to how revenge takes form in the character of Johnny Ringo, and it is explained by none other than Doc Holliday. The friendship between Doc and Wyatt is the ultimate driving force of the film, and when they need to overcome the darkness, they do it together. In one scene, Wyatt is trying to understand Johnny Ringo, and only Doc is able to explain a person like him to Wyatt. They have this exchange about why Johnny does what he does, and Doc explains that he’s got a big hole in the middle of him that can never be filled. No matter how much killing and stealing he does, Johnny will always be mad and wild, unfulfilled by the life he lives. Doc then explains how he’s a man who needs revenge, but when Wyatt asks “for what,” Doc replies with “bein’ born.” This moment adds extra depth to the Doc and Johnny Ringo rivalry as it details just how much Doc understands Ringo.
As far as Doc is concerned, Johnny Ringo is a mad dog that is evil for the sake of being evil, and the only cure for him is to be put down. Perhaps Doc can relate a little bit, or perhaps he just feels sorry for him. Nonetheless, this moment really exemplifies just how bad Johnny Ringo really is, and it makes him even more dangerous than he was originally perceived. Johnny Ringo becomes more than an icon in Tombstone, he becomes a villain of folk lore that can only be defeated by folk hero Doc Holliday.
One of Doc’s Final Lines to Johnny Ringo Thematically Weaves Everything Together
It Will Go Down as One of the Best Lines In a Final Gunfight
Fans remember the final gunfight very well: Johnny Ringo thinks he’s meeting up with Wyatt Earp for a final confrontation when it turns out to be Doc Holliday in disguise that shows up. This moment is chilling and gripping, but it also shows just how much Johnny Ringo knew Doc Holliday. At that moment, Johnny Ringo reacts with fear in his eyes as his face drops, and it tells the audience that Johnny Ringo knew all along that he couldn’t defeat Doc and never wanted to face him. However, Doc’s line brings everything full circle concerning what he believes about Johnny and what Johnny’s fate will ultimately be. Doc says, “Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave.”
This line opens up their final duel, which turns into a battle of will and intelligence as much as a battle of pistols. The line is brilliant for a couple of reasons, including adding depth to the film and the dynamic of the two characters. Firstly, it implies that Johnny Ringo is about to meet his unfortunate fate because Doc is about to take his life. However, it also weaves together Doc’s philosophy about Ringo in relation to his conversation with Wyatt. If Johnny Ringo really is mad at the world, he shouldn’t be living anymore, and additionally, if someone did walk over Johnny Ringo’s grave, he’d find a way, even in death, to be mad at that too. He’s a mad dog who hated “bein’ born,” and he’ll be just as equally mad at “bein’ dead.” It remains a crucial line in an iconic gunfight that will forever go down in cinema history. It also proves just how great a Western villain Johnny Ringo really is.