The Quick and the Dead
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Frequent gun violence in quirky '90s Western.
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The Quick and the Dead
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What's the Story?
Ellen (Sharon Stone) is a stranger in a dismal Western town run by a ruthless criminal named Herod (Gene Hackman). While drinking in a tavern, Ellen witnesses a preacher named Cord (Russell Crowe), who is tied down in chains because Herod wants him to return to his ways as a gunslinger and all-around bandit. Cord is nearly killed by his refusal to take part in a tournament in which gunfighters show down at appointed times until the winner is the last man alive. When Ellen saves Cord's life, she is thrown into this competition, and as she shoots her way to victory from round to round, she schemes to find a way to kill Herod and get revenge for Herod helping to execute Ellen's father when she was a little girl.
Is It Any Good?
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD is very aware of the tropes and conventions of the classic Western and has fun using those elements to their fullest, as well as turning those conventions on their head. Although it's as violent as other Westerns -- and perhaps even more so at times -- there is an element of dark humor at play, both in the different gunslingers competing in the barbaric showdown competition against one another and in the way many of these gunslingers die.
As Ellen, Sharon Stone brings a "strong, silent" character to life and presents a strong female lead not often seen in Westerns. As the bandit/warlord of the rather depressing Western town, Gene Hackman brings a strong sense of wicked style as the evil Herod. The action is unrelenting, and although it treads heavily on familiar territory, The Quick and the Dead still manages to take a familiar genre and make it into something entirely its own.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Westerns. How is this movie similar to and different from "classic" Westerns from the 1950s and 1960s?
How is Ellen different from the way woman are usually portrayed in Westerns?
Does the violence seem necessary to the story, or does it seem gratuitous?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 10, 1995
- On DVD or streaming: July 15, 2004
- Cast: Sharon Stone , Gene Hackman , Russell Crowe
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Genre: Western
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 107 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: Western violence.
- Last updated: June 2, 2023
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