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Tombstone Rashomon is a western documentary-like movie about the infamous O.K. Corral Gun Fight in 1881 Tombstone, Arizona.
The Mockumentary sees a modern-day film crew travel back in time to film the infamous gunfight between four Lawmen and the outlaw group called The Cowboys. However, the film crew arrives two days late and interviews the survivors of the gunfight instead, each of whom gives a different take on the events.
General Thoughts
Now I’m a fan of western movies, but I have to say that Tombstone Rashomon is not a good movie.
While Tombstone Rashomon claims to be satire, I found nothing funny about the film, as it was mostly dull and boring.
The movie’s runtime felt longer than it actually was, but it was the poor acting from the cast that made the western film even worse. Some characters’ accents felt forced, and in most cases, it felt like the actors were making impressions of western folks rather than acting.
Tombstone Rashomon felt like a bad episode of comedy central’s drunk history.
The only aspect of the western documentary-like movie that piqued my interest was its story, which uses the storytelling style of the classic 1950s Japanese movie titled Rashomon.
One Showdown Different Perspectives.
Honestly speaking Tombstone Rashmon’s story is probably the only good aspect of the entire movie.
In the classic Japanese Rashomon, four people recount different versions of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife.
However, in the Tombstone Rashmon’s case, the witnesses recount the events of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Hence the name Tombstone Rashomon.
Now I’m a sucker for stories told from multiple perspectives. So when I finally understood Tombstone Rashomon’s story format, somehow, I found the will to power through the film.
As I mentioned earlier, the two parties involved in the O.K. Corral gunfight were The Lawmen and The Cowboys.
On The Lawmen’s side were Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday. While on The Cowboy’s side were Tom and Frank McLaury, Billy, and Ike Clanton, and Billy Claiborne. But by the time the gunfight ended, Tom and Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton, were dead.
The time-travel film crew interviewed six people in total, including Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Kate, Ike Clanton, Colonel Roderick Hafford, and Tombstone’s sheriff, Johnny Behan. The movie tries to use the point of view of these six characters to show the misunderstanding that led to the gunfight and the eventual death of three members of the cowboy gang.
However, of the six witnesses, the two people who are most important to the story were Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton.
From Wyatt Earp’s perspective, we find out that he believed The Cowboys were out to harm him and his brother, so he, Doc Holliday, and his two brothers acted first to defend themselves.
However, from Ike Clanton’s perspective, Wyatt and his brothers were after him because of a dispute over a job that went wrong. And on realizing that Ike and his gang were defenseless, the Earp brothers seized the opportunity to finish him.
But since the film crew arrived late, we have no way of knowing whose version of events was true. And the movie leaves it to the audience to decide.
Verdict
Tombstone Rashomon
Movie title: Tombstone Rashomon
Review
While I liked the story, The major issue I have with Tombstone Rashomon is its presentation. Had the western film been more lively, I think I would have had a better time watching it. However, because Tombstone Rashomon presents itself in such a boring and dull fashion, I think most people will find it challenging to keep up with the film’s events.
Overall
2User Review
( votes)Pros
- Interesting Concept
Cons
- Boring Storytelling
- Poor Acting
- Poor Execution
