Quigley Down Under (1990) MGM/Western RT: 119 minutes Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of western violence and shootings, brief nudity, some language) Director: Simon Wincer Screenplay: John Hill Music: Basil Poledouris Cinematography: David Eggby Release date: October 19, 1990 (US) Cast: Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, Alan Rickman, Chris Haywood, Ron Haddrick, Tony Bonner, Jerome Ehlers, Conor McDermottroe, Roger Ward, Ben Mendelsohn, Steve Dodd, Karen Davitt, Kylie Foster, William Zappa, Jonathan Sweet. Box Office: $21.4M (US)
Rating: *** ½
It’s sad how some good movies just slip under the radar. Take Quigley Down Under, a western actioner about a cowboy with a moral code seeking revenge against a slimy bad guy who leaves him for dead in the desert after a bitter disagreement over a job. It sounds like a lot of other westerns except this particular oater transplants its all-American gunslinger to the Australian Outback circa the 1860s. This means we get Aborigines instead of Indians, the British Army in place of the US Cavalry, dingoes instead of coyotes and kangaroos roaming the plain instead of buffalo. Aside from these few details, it’s as solid an entry in the western genre as any starring John Wayne or Clint Eastwood.
Directed by Aussie filmmaker Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove), Quigley Down Under stars Tom Selleck (Runaway) as Matthew Quigley who comes Down Under at the request of a wealthy ranch owner, Marston (Rickman, Die Hard), seeking a man with his particular set of skills. Quigley is a sharpshooter who can hit a target from 1000 yards away with his specially modified rifle and ammunition. Soon after he arrives at Marston’s ranch, his new employer explains the job to him. It entails killing Aborigines in order to reduce their population. Quigley declines the offer by throwing Marston through a window. Not one to take rejection lightly, Marston has his men beat Quigley within an inch of his life and dump him in the desert to die alongside “Crazy Cora” (Giacomo, Pretty Woman), a disturbed woman who keeps calling him “Roy”.
After being saved by Aborigines, Quigley and Cora begin making the trek back to Marston’s ranch. Along the way, they fall in love. Meanwhile, aware that his enemy is still alive, the rancher keeps sending guys to kill him only for them to come up short (and dead) each time. Obviously, their beef will ultimately be settled in a final showdown.
Perhaps Quigley Down Under hews a little too closely to formula in telling its story but you must take into account that younger viewers might not be familiar with traditional westerns. Their only experience with cowboys is the two Young Guns movies and they were more of a showcase for Brat Pack players than anything else. Something like Quigley Down Under will be new to teens while satisfying fans of the genre with its familiar elements.
Speaking as a fan, I think it’s fun even if it does meander occasionally. Just shy of two hours, it runs a little longer than it needs to but the viewer’s interest never wanes too much. It has a few well-mounted action sequences with Quigley single-handedly fighting off bad guys in hills, on cliffs and from burning houses. There’s also a nifty scene where Cora confronts her demons by protecting an Aborigine baby from dingoes. Giacomo is really good in it, by the way. I always thought she’d be a big movie star. She has real screen presence simultaneously projecting grace and authority. Also, she’s attractive in a unique way; she’s not some cookie-cutter actress with perfect looks. Her beauty is imperfect and real.
Selleck, in Sam Elliott mode, makes a great movie cowboy. Ruggedly handsome and 100% manly, I could see him riding a horse across the plain or strolling into town with a pair of six-shooters. I know he fumbled with early big screen efforts like High Road to China (1983), Lassiter (1984) and Runaway (1984). Personally, I like the last two titles a lot. Quigley Down Under proves he really does have movie star power.
The late Rickman was one of the great movie villains of all time. He was Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988) AND the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). He’s equally great in Quigley Down Under. He can barely contain the slime underneath that smooth, polished surface. He simply oozes evil and menace from every pore. I really miss him (he died in ’16).
The cinematography by David Eggby is simply gorgeous. The Outback looks just as beautiful as the vistas of Monument Valley seen in many John Ford westerns. It has this untamed quality that reminds you of a time when countries weren’t lined with strip malls, fast food joints and Starbucks. The score by Basil Poledouris is, at once, beautiful and stirring.
Okay, so Quigley Down Under falls back on clichés like the Talking Villain, but so what? When a movie is this thoroughly entertaining, even the overly familiar doesn’t feel stale. I think I understand why it didn’t make a bigger splash. In a time of big budget, effects-laden productions like Total Recall, something like Quigley Down Under feels quaint and outdated. Who cares about a cowboy with a rifle when you can watch Schwarzenegger rack up a triple-digit body count by various means while looking for a way to work in “I’ll be back.”? As much as I love him and Total Recall, there’s a lot to be said for a total throwback like Quigley Down Under. To me, this is entertainment.
