Deadwood: The Movie

“My job ain’t to follow the law. My job is to interpret it, than enforce it accordingly.” If you follow up the open ending of a series with a film after more than a decade, you inevitably run into the situation of whether to make it stand alone and accessible to viewers unfamiliar with the original material, or whether to make it purely for the original audience and hope that some of them still remember at least the key lines and conflicts. The result is a hodgepodge that tries to be both. And so, the opening few dozen minutes are a display of undignified screenwriting attempting to mask the eye-popping exposition grafted onto the fact that each character "sort of subtly addresses the past ten years" in conversations with the others in a way that hurts quite a bit for a series that always relied on character and dialogue. It's basically the thirteenth and fourteenth episodes of the third season, but the creators don't want to admit it – apparently not even to themselves. Plus, if you are expecting the centerpiece to be the complicated relationship of Bullock, Swearengen, and Hearst "for the soul of Deadwood", well... Yes, but again only after first devoting time to all (yes, all, except perhaps Welliver) of the characters from the original series, often unnecessarily, unjustified and purely as fanservice. But once this passage is over (it lasts longer than it should; until the 40th minute) and it is no longer about "what was", but "what is and what will be", it becomes good old Deadwood, about the unadorned face of the inevitably disappearing Wild West. The big asset is that Bullock isn't quite as annoying as he used to be, Olyphant is unashamedly channeling his Raylan Givens. The second half is a worthy (though not memorable) conclusion, which can be forgiven for coming a few years later than it should have. (01/06/2019)

A heartfelt form of fan service that allows for the reunion of old acquaintances, possibly for the first time throughout the series, truly moves you and pulls mature performances out of all those involved, who find their place close to your heart. Whether the viewer knew this famous place more than a decade before or (like myself) watched the movie only a week after finishing the third season, if someone accidentally wandered here without knowledge of foregone hardships, they probably only experienced a slow walk through an unfamiliar place where plenty of old-looking characters speak in long sentences or, conversely, in vulgar yet sufficiently compelling short responses. However, those who remember how life was lived in this filth and loved it must be in seventh heaven. As David Milch's last piece of work, I was expecting some kind of conclusion and I experienced nostalgia that almost overwhelmed me in a few moments, also helped along by perfectly placed, fleeting flashbacks. So much self-reflection from Al, so many glances from a certain duo that break hearts, the pain from what could have been so evident in them, so many surprising appearances even if only in small roles and winks. Joy directly proportional to how much joy a painful gaze at the still wild west can bring. Anyone who says this isn't Deadwood has already forgotten its scent. (04/12/2021)