DEADWOOD

US, 2019, 110 minutes, Colour.
Ian Mc Shane, Molly Parker, Timothy Olyphant, Kim Dickens, Brad Dourif, Anna Gunn, John Hawkes, Robin Weigert, Gerald Mc Raney.
Directed by Daniel Minahan.

Deadwood was a very popular series on television for several years. This television movie come several years after the popularity of the series, brings together the main cast and characters.

Deadwood is associated with Calamity Jane – and she makes an appearance in this story. However, the focus is on Ian Mc Shane as the proprietor of the local saloon and Timothy Olyphant as the marshall. The film includes quite a number of character actors reprising their roles.

The dialogue of the film is a strange mixture of 19th century English and 21st-century swearing.

While the film uses many of the conventions of Western plots, there is also a critique of politics, land grabbing and social unrest in the later part of the 19th century.

While the film can stand on its own for audiences, it is mainly geared to those familiar with the television series and who want more.

1. The popularity of the television series, the seasons? The characters, situations, the American West? Considered a classic

2. The finale, feature length film? The characters, the situation in Deadwood, past threads brought together, the central character and his death, the Marshall and his wife and family, the future of the town?

3. The elaborate set, the streets, hotels, interiors? The streets, processions and confrontations?

4. The screenplay, the use of 19th-century English – and the prolific (excessive?) use of 20th-21st-century swearing? The blend of anachronisms?

5. Audience familiarity with the characters? Ian Mc Shane as Al? Look, manner, his establishment, ownership, management? His drinking, the doctor? Confined to his room? On the balcony observing? Trixie, the attack on the senator? His concern, her being pregnant? The wedding? Observing the confrontation with the senator? His death – and the final words of the film spurning God?

6. The Marshall, his role in the town, the past relationship with Alma, the flashback, her arriving to work for the bank, her daughter, her role in the option, buying the land? The Marshall, his wife and family? His friendship with Al? The concern about Charlie, the senator and the land, Charlie’s death, Sam as witness, in the jail, his being bashed, almost lynched? The senator, the accusations, the arrest, allowing the senator to be bashed? His going home to his family?

7. Trixie, her past, the attack on the senator, pregnancy, going out on the balcony, shouting, giving birth, the delight in the child? Her relationship with Saul? Al and his protection? The senator wanting her arrested? Preparation for the wedding, the Jewish component, the ceremony, everybody attending, the celebration afterwards, the intrusion by the senator?

8. Calamity Jane, her reputation, older, tough, relationship with the women, the prostitutes, the reconciliation? With the gun, in the town, shooting?

9. The girls, the brothel, in the bar?

10. The doctor, his role in the town, warning Al about his health?

11. The senator, from Deadwood, going to California, land grabs, the lumber for the communication poles? The procession, his defiance, Trixie’s attack? His thugs, his talking with Charlie, Charlie’s refusal to sell, his being murdered, the funeral? In his hotel room, getting the sheriffs from the next town, the confrontation, the Marshall taking his stand, the
arrest, Calamity Jane shooting? His being bashed by the townspeople?

12. The American West, the 1880s, transitions, more law and order, the future and Telegraph, phones?

13. The transition to the 20th century in the American West?

14. The strong use of Waltzing Matilda – before it was written!