Purgatory (1999)

This is a movie that needs to be watched more than once to understand where it is coming from. On the surface it is about former Gunslingers '" Wild" Bill Hickok, 'Billy The Kid', Jessie James, and 'Doc' Holliday living in a town called Refuge (which is really Purgatory) which lies between Heaven and Hell, waiting until the time The Lord calls them home ( to Heaven)., but in between then they must live on the straight and narrow, otherwise it is Hell. Against them is an outlaw led by 'Black Jack' Britton ( a particularly nasty Eric Roberts). But deeper than that it is about Sonny who falls in with the gang, but is no killer, and is the one who must make choices in life, which is to do what is right, or follow Britton straight to Hell ( which Britton admitted he was leading his men to). Spoilers Ahead: We first meet Sonny when the aging is robbing a Bank in Sweetwater, Oklahoma and he meets Dolly who is a card cheating woman, who asks him to "Don't let me die.", as she gets shot and dies in his arms. The gang ends up in a town called Refuge and Sonny meets Rose, and falls in love with her. He is very suspicious because there are no guns, or jails in the town, and because he could read ( he reads Dime Store Hovels)), and he believes he recognizes Hickok and James. Towards the end, he sees a stagecoach ride up to a Church ( where everyone must go at night), and out pops Dolly. He learns the truth about Refuge, including the fact that Rose is really Betty McCullough who was hanged for murdering her father who raped for for 7 years. He also learns that Britton and the the gang will burn the town down so he stands up to face them alone, to prevent Rose from going to Hell. "Wild Bill" who has 5 hours until he goes to Heaven realizes that Sonny is right. "He is willing to die to save the woman he loves. I have spent 10 years as Sheriff like I did my entire life." He and then the others then join him, and defeat the gang. However, Sonny ends up dying saving Rose from his evil uncle. At the very end, and Indian comes by puts Britton and the others on a horse and sends their souls to Hell. Hickok and the others will have to join him, but the stagecoach comes by and the Driver says " The Creator May Be Hard But He Isn't Blind", and they can go to Heaven. Sonny decides to stay behind with Rose, and take over Hickok's job as Sheriff. The driver said to Johnny " Your place will be ready when you want it." I saw a smile on Dolly's face, (because she knew indeed that Sonny saved her). Sonny basically had a very difficult task. Not only saving Dolly, but the town, and he will be rewarded with his place in Heaven with Rose.

I found this movie to be an unexpected letdown. The premise and cast seemed promising enough, but the script wasn't able to deliver. It's interesting to point out that although I was initially unaware that it was a made-for-TV movie, halfway through it felt like I was watching Wifetime. The film is littered with clichés, inconsistencies, and unanswered questions. For instance, when the first gang member was killed (presumably by god) for attempting murder, why weren't the rest treated the same way? In fact, with that precedent (that the townspeople were protected by god), there wouldn't have been anywhere for the story to go. So why was that scene even included? And why would being innocently killed by the gang cause the sheriff to go to hell? But, despite the obvious problem areas, this film should be moderately enjoyable for the Western lover.

This one caught my attention because horror and western are my two favorite film genres, and it's not every day you encounter a movie that falls into both categories. Granted, "Purgatory" is primarily a western that merely just hints at supernatural horror themes, but still it's an admirably effort to blend two very versatile genres. It's also a pretty decent film, especially considering it's made for cable and starring a long list of nearly washed up B-move actors. Imagine what a wedding between "Bonanza" and "The Twilight Zone" would look like and you suddenly got a good idea what to expect of "Purgatory". Following a bank robbery gone wrong and a severe sandstorm, the notorious outlaw Blackjack Britton and his large group of rovers arrive in a remote little town called Refuge. The inhabitants of this unworldly village are all exaggeratedly friendly and obliging, yet they strangely look like legendary gunslingers that are all supposed to be rotting in hell already. Could this secluded place be their last chance for redemption? And will they be able to resist picking up their guns again when their peaceful community is threatened by these fugitive criminals? It's really a worthwhile effort, with a reasonable portion of action sequences and a fairly intelligent script. The B-cast does a splendid job and it's pretty damn difficult to select a favorite performer. Eric Roberts hasn't played such a good role since the early 1990's and it's always a joy to look at Peter Stormare, Randy Quaid and John Dennis Johnston. The most surprisingly pleasing performances come from Sam Shepard and Donnie Wahlberg (as Billy the Kid). I was hoping for director Uli Edel to emphasize a little more on the potentially great horror aspects in the story, but we still ended up seeing a competent western, so no complaints here.

As a practicing Roman Catholic and movie lover, I thought I've seen all the good movies out there that were done professionally and had a good message without offensive content. I was also intrigued at the title of this movie since it hit on a topic that I firmly believe in. Of course, since it was Hollywood produced, I was very curious to see how they would portray Purgatory. Well, after all is said and done, it wasn't much for theological accuracy (as expected) but it really was very enjoyable to watch and gave good food for thought. There is some swearing (by the bad guys) but it was all in context and it wasn't excessive. The film actually reminded the viewers that swearing was not "good". The overall theme did teach some valuable lessons in practicing virtue and putting your priorities straight. The character acting was superb and the overall message was a winner. If it wasn't for the swearing, I'd say every family should have this movie in their home library or at least set aside for the teens.