Tom Horn
by William Wiard
List Price:
Our Price: $9.51
You Save: $10.46 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.99 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Billy Green Bush, Elisha Cook, Linda Evans, Pickens Slim, Steve Mc QueenDirector: William Wiard
Brand: Warner Brothers
Producer: Steve Mc Queen
Other Contributor: Ernest Gold
Producer: Fred Weintraub
Writer: Thomas Mcguane
Writer: Edwin (bud) Shrake
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Widescreen, 2.40:1
Running Time: 98 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-05-31
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of Tom Horn
Movie Review: Steve McQueen brings the story of Tom Horn to life
Summary: 5 Stars
I decided that today would be a fitting day to write the review for 'Tom Horn' and 'The Hunter' seeing as how today marks the 30th anniversary of Steve McQueen's untimely demise in Juarez, Mexico on November 7, 1980. Even more fitting in the fact these two cinematic gems were McQueen's final two finished movies both released just a few mere months before his passing. The premise of Tom Horn is one I can't help but to like: A phenomenal leading star in McQueen, a Wild Western setting replete with sweeping landscape visuals, impressive score, and a fascinating story of real Wild West hero that is part-biopic, part-love story, and part-legal drama. The result is an extremely well-produced and poignant, if elegaic, motion picture that I've been compelled to watch again and again. And, its drama is all the more potent due to the fact that its strange and nearly incomprehensible events are essentially true.
Legendary Hollywood screen icon Steve McQueen (who was also excutive producer here) gives a truly remarkable performance as the equally legendary Tom Horn, one of the Old West's lesser-known but most storied figures. For those unfamiliar with Tom Horn (as I was), he began as a Missouri farmboy with a love for the outdoors who became a master hunter and champion competitor of early rodeos. In the army cavalry he was a was a mule packer who ultimately fought in combat as a tracker and played a major role in the final surrender of Geronimo in the bloody Apache Wars. The film basically traces his final days from 1901-1903 when he made his indelible reputation as feared hired killer of cattle thieves. When we're first introduced to Tom in the film, it's apparent that his glory days are behind him, as he has been reduced to an aimless drifter and is evidently down on his luck. The Wild West he knew from two decades prior has become progressively more civilized, and fearless, pioneering gunmen like Tom are in demand (or aren't wanted) much any more. After arriving in the town of Cheyenne, Wyoming, he is recognized by wealthy cattle rancher John C.Coble (Richard Farnsworth)who meets Tom just after he's been roughed up off screen by a pompous pugilist and his gang of cronies who've picked a fight with him in a local bar. Out of admiration and also possibly pity, Coble offers Horn employment as a stock-detective (basically a legally-sanctioned killer) to scare off and drive away the growing problem of cattle rustlers which have plagued Coble and his fellow cattle associates. This allows for some truly spectacular chases across the plains and fierce gun battles as Horn methodically eliminates various rustlers one-by-one, juxtaposed in a genteel counterpoint with his gentle romance with a local schoolteacher (Linda Evans). The story takes an odd twist, however, when in the following year of 1902 Tom is bafflingly accused of the murder of a 14 year-old boy tending to his goats. This leads to a new passageway in the story that sets the stage for an early American legal drama in which Tom Horn is arrested, put up on trial and ultimately hanged on dubious charges one day before his 43rd birthday. We get the sense that Tom is innocent, but oddly enough we never actually hear him say so directly.
The screenplay abounds with questions, most of which director William Wiard wisely leaves open to the interpretation of the viewer. What possible reason could Tom have had for killing an innocent young goatherder? Why doesn't Tom ever directly deny the charges against him and vehemently proclaim his innocence? Was he suffering from some sort of mental fatigue from so many years of the West's early lawlessness? Why wouldn't the cattle ranchers simply inform Tom that his services as a stock detective were no longer required, rather than try to frame him for murder? (if they did) Why WOULD they try to frame him? And more importantly, why didn't Coble and others who knew Horn speak up for him more vociferously in his defense, even when Tom himself doesn't?
There's even a late scene in the film where Horn makes a short-lived escape from his jail cell in Cheyenne, making a mad dash for the hills. As Tom himself is advised in the movie, escaping from jail is not likely something that a truly innocent person would do. Was he really guilty and looking to escape the hangman's noose, or was he just merely so deliriously in love with the freedom of the wild, open plains that he sought to get back to them at any cost??? Whatever the case, we know at this point in the film that he isn't thinking clearly.
Most of the answers are likely lost forever to history and the true story of what really happened will probably never be known. We can also infer that the now-antiquated legal system of the early 20th century was also prone to many mistakes and flaws that left very wide margins for error and doubt.
But the dubious nature of the real-life historical account of Tom Horn in no way overshadows Steve McQueen's phenomenal performance, made even more amazing by the fact that he still managed to not only sell but BECOME the character, even at the point when his own health was declining. A remarkable western featuring an outstanding lead actor which effectively pays tribute to one of the West's unsung heroes. Still worth seeing today. Also includes a very fine supporting cast of Richard Farnsworth, Linda Evans, Billy Green Bush, Slim Pickens and Geoffery Lewis.
Summary of Tom Horn
TOM HORN - DVD MovieSimilar DVD Movies
The Wild Bunch - The Original Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2006-01-10; DVD
Best price: $5.01
Price in other shops:
The Mountain MenMountain; Release date: 2002-06-18; DVD
Best price: $5.83
Price in other shops:
Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon : Dark History of the Murderous Cattle Detectiveby Chip Carlson
High Plains Pr; Published: 2001-09-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.50
Price in other shops:
Lonely are the Brave (Universal Backlot Series)Universal Studios; Release date: 2009-07-07; DVD
Best price: $12.55
Price in other shops:
HombreNEWMAN,PAUL; Release date: 2007-05-22; DVD
Best price: $7.46
Price in other shops:
Junior BonnerSony; Release date: 2004-05-25; DVD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
Nevada SmithNevada; Release date: 2003-04-22; DVD
Best price: $19.98
The Sand Pebbles (Two-Disc Special Edition)Fox; Release date: 2007-06-05; DVD
Best price: $10.45
Price in other shops:
Monte WalshPAR; Release date: 2010-11-16; DVD
Best price: $13.11
Price in other shops:
Steve McQueen Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Papillon / Bullitt / The Getaway / The Cincinnati Kid)WHV; Release date: 2010-09-07; DVD
Best price: $9.44
Price in other shops: