The Quick and the Dead (1995)

In 1881, ‘The Lady’ (Sharon Stone) rides into the desert town of Redemption. She aims to exact revenge upon the mayor, John Herod (Gene Hackman), who was responsible for her father’s death. First, however, she must compete in a shooting tournament. The supporting cast is comprised of Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Keith David and Gary Sinise.

Finally, The Quick and the Dead refreshingly sees the long-overdue casting of a female gunslinger protagonist. That said, much like the rest of his filmography, Hackman’s shockingly cruel, dominant performance is the movie’s prime virtue. Akin to his biblical name, Herod serves as a synecdoche for tyrannical authority figures all over the world. Through him, the innate immorality and unfairness the establishment imposes upon its subjects is exposed and critiqued.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio’s characteristically brilliant acting foretokens the success to follow later in his career. What is more, Sam Raimi’s creative, idiosyncratic direction sets The Quick and the Dead apart from similar westerns. This is pertinent in the cartoonish cinematography, incorporating zooms, Dutch angles and sepia colour grading. With Evil Dead II’s (1987) flair, Raimi paints both a homage to and a parody of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy.