191: My Darling Clementine

US  97m  Dir: John Ford  Key Cast: Henry Fonda

Based on: Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal by Stuart N. Lake (Novel)

The title here is misleading as this film tells the story of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the events leading up to it. 

Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) arrives at the lawless town of Tombstone with his brothers. He's the only man in town who is prepared to deal with a drunken man shooting at people and is offered the position of Marshal. When he discovers his heard of cattle has been stolen and his brother murdered he decides take up the offer. He clears up the town, meeting hot-tempered Doc Holliday (Victor Mature) and his former lover Clementine (Cathy Downs) before an inevitable conflict with the Clanton family. 

The film's accuracy in terms of history is limited to say the least, despite director John Ford actually encountering Wyatt Earp when the latter was advising on film sets. Characters are invented, including the titular Clementine and facts are changed. I'm normally keen for films to strive for historical accuracy but the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral has a unique place in American history to the point it's pretty much a myth and there's nothing wrong with interrupting a myth differently. 

Wyatt Earp is a great character here, a really cool guy who perfectly fills the rogueish hero role. It's a more romanticised take on the character than most versions with the gradual development of a romance between him and Clementine. Despite the title this is only a small portion of the film and the key relationship is the one between Earp and Doc Holliday. It constantly flits between the pair being rivals and being friends and I think in the end the pair are more similar to each than either would care to admit. 

The cinematography here is just excellent. It successfully evokes the Old West and uses it to accentuate the emotions of the characters. There's an early scene where Wyatt sits by the graveside of his deceased brother James and talks to him which is so beautifully done. This is a film where every single shot is cared about and thought through to most effectively achieve it's purpose. 

A superb Western that tells a deeper and more emotional story than most whilst still being entertaining.