There isn’t a single historical figure of the 19th century whose life has been more mythologized via motion pictures than Wyatt Earp.
Several great Westerns have been dedicated to his exploits.
John Ford’s “My Darling Clementine,” John Sturges’ “Gunfight at the O.K.
Corral,” and George P.
Cosmatos’ “Tombstone” are widely considered the best of the bunch.
As for Lawrence Kasdan’s “Wyatt Earp,” a three-hour, swing-for-the-bleachers epic that hit theaters six months after the release of “Tombstone,” the consensus holds that it is a film in search of a greater purpose.
It’s the whole Earp story, but to what end? One of the most fascinating facets of Earp’s life is that he moved to Los Angeles, and served as a technical advisor on silent Westerns made by Tom Mix and John Ford.
You’d think a cinephile like Kasdan would want to delve into this subject with antiheroic vigor,
Read full article