Lone Star, spine #1202, released in the Criterion Collection on January 16, 2024.
Westerns are something of a lost art. The genre that once dominated the screen has become more and more obscure throughout the 21st century. Luckily, the Criterion Collection has made a habit of restoring and preserving many of these important — and often forgotten — classics of the old-west. Joining the likes of Stagecoach and The Furies is the 1996 neowestern classic, Lone Star.
Lone Star Plot
Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) is the sheriff of a small Texas town where he often lives in the shadow of his late father and former sheriff, Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey). When skeletal remains are found by locals, a mystery begins to unravel, exposing the darkest secrets of the town’s past.
The Critique
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My introduction to filmmaker John Sayles came in the form of his 1980’s sci-fi classic The Brother From Another Planet. That was back in the days of Netflix consisting of DVDs that showed up in your mailbox each week. Despite my love for that film, Lone Star remained a blind-spot for me. I’m happy to say that is no longer the case. Thanks to the Criterion Collection I now own this beautiful classic, and my collection is greater for its inclusion.
Joe Burton reunites with Sayles for a film that’s drastically different in setting, but strikingly similar in theme and tone to The Brother From Another Planet. It’s a western, however — as is the case with most westerns — there’s a deeper meaning and message to be explored beneath the grit and the dust of the Texas town its set in. Clashing ideologies stir up conflict and the manner in which that conflict is addressed is at the core of Lone Star. Buried secrets don’t always stay buried and the past is never as distant as it seems.
Chris Cooper leads a cast that includes Kris Kristofferson, Frances McDormand and a young Matthew McConaughey. Cooper’s dry delivery and apparent detachment are perfectly suited for the seemingly disgruntled Sheriff asking questions that he doesn’t quite want to know the answers to. There is an understated simpleness to the performance that reminded me how fantastic Cooper is as an actor, and had me regretting that we haven’t gotten the opportunity to see him as the lead more often.
The Special Features
The Criterion Collection release boats a brand new 4K restoration, supervised by John Sayles and the film’s director of photography, Stuart Dryburgh. There’s also a new conversation between Sayles and filmmaker Gregory Nava (Selena).
We get an interview with Stuart Dryburgh and a written essay from scholar Domino Renee Perez. One of my favorite parts of the new release is the custom cover art.
Would I Recommend This Purchase? Absolutely
Is It Worth a Blind Buy? I think this film is fairly easily accessible, especially for collectors of Criterion Collection. So, yes.
8/10
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