summary
- Old Henry imagines Billy the Kid as an older man, challenging the traditional story of his death.
- Director Ponsiroli's film deals with the fake death theory, in which Kid appears to be alive and living peacefully.
- Old Henry offers a fresh look at Western history, providing an entertaining twist on the genre.
When you think of the type of movie that tends to add a new twist to real events, western movies It is usually at the bottom of the list. In general, historical drama is usually the preferred category for this type of story review (see 1984). Amadeus Or 1995 brave heart For example, big screen productions involving the Wild West, sheriffs, and shepherds usually leaned toward facts because this was more exciting than fiction.
Surprisingly, the expansion into the West was short-lived (about 30 years, from 1865 to 1895) but during this time, several immortal gunmen made a name for themselves that endures to this day. Guys like Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Dr. Holliday were all iconic figures of the era, either brandishing their pistols enthusiastically to uphold the law or abusing it at will (usually by robbing banks or trains). Starting with the Western movie boom of the 1940s, Hollywood has done its part to keep these names alive—including Billy the Kid, the famous American outlaw.
Just as his name suggests (and when compared to the age of everyone else mentioned before him), Henry McCarthy only lived to be 21 years old before he met his end. While his official cause of death is still debated to this day (he was presumably shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881), a 2021 independent film produced by Hideout Pictures and distributed by Shout! Studios is titled Old Henry He throws all these conflicting reports out the window and imagines Billy the Kid as an old man living on a small farm in Oklahoma with his son.
Starring Tim Blake Nelson, this Western fantasy was named one of the top ten independent films by the National Board of Review (a New York City-based nonprofit organization for film enthusiasts) the same year it was released. With such high honors for the film, let’s dig deeper to discover how this film managed to pull off such a brilliant, history-changing stunt without offending Western historians.
A Western legend that still lives on.
After its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival (in 2021), this gritty, slow-burning film that reimagines Billy the Kid as an older version of himself has been widely praised. Not only does the story paint a respectful portrait of the outlaw, but director Butzi Ponseroli has been praised for his cinematography and realistic writing (he also wrote the screenplay).
Having done a tremendous amount of character work prior to this film (from Delmar O'Donnell in the 2000s Bro, where are you? To the mirror in guards Nelson was certainly the perfect actor to take on the role. He displays an aggressive, dark nature when it comes to defending his home (and those within it) but also knows when to calm down methodically when dealing with those he doesn't consider a threat.
For those who like to feel the atmosphere when it comes to western movies, Nelson complements the silent scenes with his physical mannerisms, conveying the character of a rancher who balances an older man who still needs to show his dominance over a younger gang of outlaws.Rounding out the rest of the cast are names like Scott Haze (Horizon: Chapter One), Gavin Lewis (Small fires everywhere), Trace Adkins, Stephen Dorff (The real detective), and Richard Speight Jr. (Thanks for smoking), this movie is full of great performances from all sides. But enough talking about the technical details. Old Henry (As interesting as they are), how does this movie change the legend of Billy the Kid?
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Old Henry rewrites history in the best way
As mentioned, Sheriff Pat Garrett was the alleged killer of the outlaw – shooting him from the shadows of a dark room once McCarthy entered and confirmed his identity by his voice. Old Henry, However, director and writer Ponsiroli decides to go with the fake death theory. Once Sam Ketchum's entire gang arrives at Henry's house to retrieve Carrie, Henry's statement – “Keep your head down, you'll be fine” to his son puts the injured lawman into a state of realization.
Henry is actually Billy the Kid.Flashbacks inserted into the film show that instead of fatally killing him, Garrett took pity on Billy and allowed him to escape. Garrett then faked Billy's death, so that the law would no longer pursue him.
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He no longer lives with a bounty on his head, The former outlaw was given a new lease on life and took on several occupations before settling down and becoming a farmer.As Ketchum tells it, he had a wife who died of tuberculosis five years ago. All he has now is his son, his son-in-law, and a small house. This exciting new on-screen story certainly gives visual clarity to those who believe that the real Billy the Kid didn’t die at the hands of a sleazy sheriff. But more importantly, Old Henry The film does something even more surprising, presenting a Western story that does not follow linear history but nevertheless becomes very entertaining.
Old Henry Available to stream on YouTube, Google Play, and Prime Video.
