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The Wild West
The Wild West
The most famous of a new breed of lawmen, Wyatt Earp had himself been a notorious gunfighter. But when he came riding into Dodge City in 1876, the mayor hired him to be the peacekeeper. The gun-slinging drunken cowboys had met their match. Earp was tougher and meaner than they were. But he understood that you couldn't end the violence, you could only keep it at bay. He was given full control and immediately created the famous 'deadline', a border into town beyond which no one could carry a gun. Anywhere outside the 'deadline' it was every man for himself. Tombstone, his next town, had a similar 'deadline'. In town, gun fights were much rarer than you'd think. The gunning down of three men by three Earp brothers and their psychotic friend 'Doc' Halliday might seem to us to be an everyday event in a lawless world. But the fact it led to a trial is vital, symbolising how the rule of law would take over from the rule of the gun. Ironically, the trial spared Wyatt's life, but the law was not able to protect his two brothers, gunned down in the following year by the McLaury clan. So in a final bloody climax, Wyatt abandoned his badge, and hunted down and killed the killers. The rule of law was not yet ready to replace the gun. This film re-creates in exact detail what happened in the 30 seconds of mayhem at the OK Corral, analysed from every viewpoint, and the burning resentments of the 24 hours that led up to it. Liam Cunningham (The Wind That Shook The Barley, Messiah, A Love Divided, Falling for a Dancer) brings Wyatt Earp to life in the final film.

Running Time: 50 mins

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