Have researched the life of Billy the Kid, his background, the times in which he lived, people whom wrote about him whom lived in his era. This film is excellent to have Billy's life mirrored through the young "Rio", and reflected through Rio's sister, Sara. Lincoln County Wars over cattle herding were lawless...Pat Garrett, (also committed a murder in buffalo wrestling, was from wealthy Southerners family, all lost in the Civil War) was obsessed to put a price on the Kid's head, but there were many lawless men in that time in New Mexico. Pat Garrett killed Billy to take price off his own head.
Dane DeHaan gets Billy's character perfectly, charming, boyishly handsome,
he only wished to avenge the murder of his "father" figure whom was killed over ranchland. But everything was out of control in New Mexico, and the anger went to a young man who was no worse than the rest, and surely not as bad. Young Jordan Schur gives an excellent recount of a 14 year old growing up with no one to model, father, crazy /violent. Billy the Kid, was what the Wild West had to put a hat on. The movie is a medley of its times, young men, legends had to replace the lore of the Civil War.
Very young country, borders still undetermined, endless fatherless young men awaiting the West. Think that Rio's character serves a purpose, to show the the infatuation of a hero, legend, and Billy hugging his youth, Rio, hugging a legend in search of shelter. Dangerous. Violent...The Wild West. Whatever else America was before...She became a raging Wildflower in the Wild West...and someone like Billy The Kid, William Antrim, born in the ever violent Five Points New York...was the kick "a.." blazing young Irish man...who fell in love with an America he helped create...deadly pretty...too wild to tame but still needing shelter to survive.
Loved this movie. Forgot the world for awhile and lived in my favorite era, The Wild West. Young and wild, Billy was only 21 when Pat Garrett shot him as he stood up from sleeping, in the back. Coward, Pat Garrett was a coward.
Want to give a scent to this movie...I chose "Mohave Ghost"...by Perfumiére Byredo...concept of a desert iris blooming only once every one hundred years and lately read of floods of the Mohave Desert some years back where lakes reappeared and a very near ghost of a flower bloomed ... Some researchers said once every one hundred years while some said no, once every five hundred years...so this flower has a memory...Billy the Kid reminds me of that flower..."Mohave Ghost"...charming rare...tempted by danger & epic events...like The Civil War...those exquisite rare blooms appear after epic events & the memory of Billy is just as charming ... wild ... rare ... See This Film..
No critiques gathered his essence...this film did.........💠🐎🏜️.......