Actor Kurt Russell reflects on Tombstone being one of the “greatest Westerns ever made.” Directed by George P. Cosmatos, Tombstone is a 1993 film about a lawman who, when attempting to have a peaceful retirement in Tombstone, Arizona, finds his plans disrupted by a band of outlaws. Tombstone’s cast includes Russell alongside Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, and Michael Biehn.
In an interview with GQ, Russell reminisces on Tombstone and its legacies. Russell noted that he has heard that Tombstone is “considered one of the greatest Westerns ever made.”
He thinks that is partially a testament to the “dialogue” that “people can recall” incredibly well, in comparison to other Westerns. Russell also went on to praise his time working with co-star Kilmer on Tombstone. Check out the full quote from Russell below:
Now it’s being considered one of the greatest Westerns ever made, so I’m happy about that. I can’t say that, but I like hearing that. And more and more people are saying that now. The impact of the movie, well, I give that to one story. And I don’t mean to say that as in any way a put down, although there were certain people involved, Kevin Costner not being one of them, Kevin being a good guy, but there were other people involved in that that were not good guys to me.
Once I said, ‘hey, how about if we do this and that, maybe we can do some things together?’ I said ‘I could kill you and yours and you could kill me in mine.’ This one individual said ‘Oh we’re going ot kill a lot of people in Wyatt Earp. And there were some people standing around me, and I thought ‘f*ck you buddy, I’m going to take you on full force. Full frontal nudity, let’s go. You’re now going to run into Wyatt Earp. So those movies came out very close to each other, Wyatt Earp and Tombstone. Great things about both.
AdvertisementBut there’s one undeniable thing. You name me another Western where you can recall as much of the dialogue as people can recall from Tombstone. It’s not even close. Much more so than any other Western. That’s undeniable. If you’re asking me if it was great working with Val Kilmer, who played Doc Holliday on Tombstone, the answer is absolutely.
Understanding Tombstone’s Stellar Production Team and Legacy
Part of Tombstone’s legacy lies in not just the dialogue, but in the outstanding cast who deliver those memorable lines. The Western is considered one of Kilmer’s best roles, showcasing his acting abilities in a way that his other action films, such as Top Gun, had not been able to fully embrace.
Tombstone was underappreciated in its time, but over the years, it has become increasingly recognized as a classic in the Western genre. Tombstone’s clever dialogue and characters were crafted by screenwriter Kevin Jarre. Jarre produced writing for everything from the Golden Globe-nominated film Glory to Rambo: First Blood Part II, which “won” a Razzie for Worst Screenplay in 1986. Tombstone was one of Jarre’s last screenplays, but is widely deemed the best in his career.
Tombstone not only created a unique feel for a genre film, but it became a definitive moment in the careers of multiple of its cast and crew members. It was the penultimate film by director Cosmatos and can be considered his magnum opus. So, while Russell might not be willing to make the assertion himself, Tombstone is seen as a masterpiece in the cultural zeitgeist.