Red Rock West (1993): The Closest We May Get to ‘Western Cage’ [Joey’s Review]

While it would be incredible to see Nicolas Cage take on a role like Clint Eastwood did in The Man With No Name trilogy, it hasn’t happened to this point in his career and I don’t know that it will. People are still making westerns, but they’re far fewer and farther between than they have been for most of the genre’s history. We may never get that iconic, badass Cage in the 1860s Wild West, but we do have a more than adequate substitute: RED ROCK WEST.

Aside from RAISING ARIZONA and WILD AT HEART, this movie may be my favorite in #CageClub so far, and is unquestionably one of the best films he’s been in through this point in his career. Directed and co-written by John Dahl (who has gone on to become a heavy hitter in the world of TV directing), Red Rock West is a modern day (well, in 1993) western, complete with all the trimmings. At times, this film feels like it’s the love child of The X-Files and a classic western; it seamlessly blends the dark, brooding intensity of The X-Files with all the conventions of John Wayne westerns.

Mike makes a point on the podcast that it also doubles as a great noir flick, but noir is more en vogue than westerns are. That’s why I wanna take a look at how this movie gives us the closest thing to ‘Western Cage’!

Cage plays Michael Williams, an outsider who gets in way over his head when he enters the wrong town. The town, Red Rock, is set in Wyoming — a timeless setting for many classic westerns. When he gets into town, where is the first place he goes? The “saloon,” of course, is where all westerns’ most powerful men find their home. No one in Red Rock is more powerful than Wayne, who works double duty as town barkeeper and sheriff.

Like many other westerns, though, there’s a mean streak to this law enforcement officer. He’s not a virtuous, upstanding citizen, but rather a fugitive wanted by the FBI. (Another western connection!) He’d stolen $1.9 million and bought his way into a new life in Red Rock.

All Cage wants to do is get out of Red Rock, but things are never that easy. He’s the moral center of this film, and the most honest character of anyone on screen. He’s a bastion of good who’s made his way into a corrupt, dire situation — another hallmark of classic western cinema. It’s his goodness, though, that gets him into trouble. He’s too quick to want to help everyone he encounters. He wants to save the damsel in distress, even though her true role couldn’t be farther from that portrayal. He’s light when everything else is dark.

Speaking of that damsel, her main goal in this film is to get back her money and make her way to Mexico, where she can truly start a new life and be free. I feel like this goal harkens back to the western genre, too, of seeking salvation and a new start in a land far away from the one you know. Even though Red Rock is a podunk town in the middle of Wyoming, it’s a rigid, uptight town compared to the lawless freedoms that parts of Mexico can offer.

The film’s final act is seemingly ripped from the fabric of classic westerns. The final half hour features a jailbreak, high speed chase, double crosses, a cemetery, multiple shootouts, and more — all pieces that fit just as well in Red Rock West as they do in any film from John Ford or Sergio Leone.

Cage may return to the western genre before his career is up; I can’t think of any other westerns he’s been in off the top of my head, but I’ve been surprised by a whole bunch of the genres he tackled in his first 20 films. Even if he doesn’t, Red Rock West serves as a great example of what he can do in the genre. It’s not a classic western, but a western all the same — and even has the word “west” in its title!

How can I watch it? You can rent it for a couple bucks on Amazon or, for a few dollars more (hey! Sergio Leone connection!), pick it up on DVD in a two-pack with another one of Cage’s best films, ADAPTATION.

What’s up next? We’re taking another trip to CrazyCageTown with DEADFALL. I’ve never seen this movie, but I know there’s going to be a whole lot to talk about. Get psyched!