Movie Music and More #20: "Tombstone" (1993)

Hamlette here to discuss another delightful soundtrack with you.  When I think of awesome modern western film scores, one name instantly pops into my mind:  Bruce Broughton.  Sure, he's composed for plenty of non-westerns, like The Blue and the Gray (1982),  Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) and Homeward Bound:  The Incredible Journey (1993), but he's done such a masterful job scoring westerns like Tombstone (1993), Texas Rising (2015), and Silverado (1985) that I can't help but connect him with them in my mind.  (Of course, a lot of this is because I love westerns -- your mileage may vary!)

So today I'm focusing on the soundtrack for Tombstone.  I'm going to start things off slow and easy, with "A Family," a tender track that highlights the bond of kinship between Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they reunite in Tombstone, Arizona, looking ahead to a happy and peaceful life with their wives.  It's hauntingly sweet, especially since we know their dream of peace will be short-lived.

Much of this soundtrack is minor, sometimes strident, and distinctly modern in flavor.  Here's a good example of that:

Although that sort of music usually leaves me edgy, sometimes annoyed, I do like the chaotic flavor of this because it accurately portrays the lawlessness depicted in Tombstone.

This last selection is from the very end of the movie.  It begins tentative and hopeful, then transitions into a joyous and frolicksome romp.  This is my favorite track from the whole soundtrack, because it has all the major themes in it, and because at 2:30, in comes that chilling, wonderful drumbeat, those triumphant trumpets -- it's a fanfare, a call to arms, and a celebration all at once, and I love it.  This plays while the end credits roll, so it's pretty long, and that is A-OK with me.  Eventually, it ebbs back into quieter music, then ends with a bold flourish.

I could listen to that theme over and over and over again.  In fact, I have done just that many times.  Enjoy!

EDIT:  By the way, A Lantern in Her Hand and Meanwhile, in Rivendell are hosting Legends of Western Cinema Week right now, and this post is one of my contributions for it.  Follow the links above for lots of western movie fun!

Tombstone Review.

If you have seen the movie please give it any score from 1 to 10.


JT/King Valun at The Window on the South requested that we review a "historical fiction" movie so here is the review for Tombstone which is a "historical fiction".


Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Genre: Western, Action,
Release Date: December 24, 1993 (1993-12-24)
Running Time: 130 minutes
MMPA rating: R


The Good: Val Kilmer stole the show as the wisecracking Doc Holliday, Some of the best western gun fights ever, Some well placed humor, Doc Holliday was awesome, Great memorable quotes, One of the best westerns ever, Superb western soundtrack,

The Bad:




Plot: Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), a retired peace officer with a legendary reputation, re-unites with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) in Tucson, Arizona, where they venture on towards Tombstone, a small but growing mining town, to settle down. There they encounter Wyatt's long-time friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), a Southern gambler and expert gunslinger, who seeks relief from his tuberculosis in Arizona's drier environment. Also newly arrived in Tombstone with a traveling theatre troupe are Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany) and Mr. Fabian (Billy Zane).
Wyatt's wife, Mattie Blaylock (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), is becoming dependent on laudanum. Just as Wyatt and his brothers begin to benefit from a stake in a gambling emporium and saloon, they have their first encounter with a band of outlaws called the Cowboys. Led by "Curly Bill" Brocious (Powers Boothe), the Cowboys are identifiable by the red sashes worn around their waist. Conflict is narrowly avoided upon Wyatt's insistence that he is retired and no longer interested in a career enforcing the law. This is also the first face-to-face meeting for Holliday and the sociopathic Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn), who take an immediate dislike to one another.
Wyatt, though no longer a lawman, is pressured to help rid the town of the Cowboys as tensions rise. Shooting aimlessly after a visit to an opium house, Curly Bill is approached by Marshal Fred White (Harry Carey, Jr.) to relinquish his firearms. Curly Bill instead shoots the marshal and is forcibly taken into custody by Wyatt. The arrest infuriates Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang) and the other Cowboys, who threaten Wyatt, his shotgun-toting brothers and Doc. Curly Bill stands trial, but is found not guilty due to lack of witnesses. Watch the movie to see what happens next.



Plot: 8.4/10- The is loosely based on true events, It worked really well for the movie.


Action: 9.0/10- Tombstone's shootouts are some of the best in any western.


Acting: 8.5/10- Val Kilmer performance as Doc Holliday was great, Kurt Russell and Sam Elliott's performance were also very good.


Special effects: N/A


Soundtrack: 9.0/10- The soundtrack is one of, if not the best soundtrack in a western.


Comedy: 7.4/10- The movie had some very good humor especially Doc Holliday's one liners.


Overall: 8.4/10- Overall Tombstone is one of the best western we have ever seen and is definitely in the Top 5 best westerns.


Closing comments: Tombstone is a very good movie with plenty of awesome moments.

Recommended for: Western fans, Action fans,