Purgatory (film)
Encyclopedia
Plot
An outlaw band led by Blackjack Britton (Eric RobertsEric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
) and second man Cavin Guthrie (Peter Stormare
Peter Stormare
is a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
) robs a bank. A woman is shot and dies in the arms of Sonny, a young member of the gang who is the lookout and appears to still have a conscience. The gang flees and is pursued by a posse. After passing through a dust storm they see and enter a tunnel, emerging at the other end into verdant pastures around the town of Refuge.
In this town no one carries a gun, drinks, or swears (except in the saloon). Also, whenever the town's church bell sounds, all of the residents immediately flock to the church without question.
Sonny seems to think he has seen some of the residents before, but is unable to remember where. He becomes very puzzled when a stagecoach arrives at night with a woman who is identical to the one who died in his arms when they robbed the bank. Meanwhile the rest of the outlaw gang begin to cause mayhem and threaten the destruction of the town but the men of Refuge seem unwilling to resist them. At one point a young woman, who has become the object of Sonny's love, is threatened by the gang and he is seen by the men of Refuge as willing to lay down his life to save her.
Sonny finds out that the town of Refuge is actually a kind of purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
and the faces that he thought he recognized were in fact well known people such as Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
, Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill Hickok
James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...
, Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
and Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
, all of whom had previously died but who must now spend ten years in Refuge before being admitted into Heaven. During this time they must avoid all violence and resist the temptations they succumbed to in life. The penalty is to enter Hell if they fail. In fact, the movie shows a farmer being sent to Hell for murdering one of Blackjack's henchmen when he caused wanton destruction in his garden. In particular, Wild Bill Hickok - the current sheriff - has only 24 hours to go until his ten year sentence is up, explaining as to why there was no resistance to the gang.
Inspired by the example Sonny has set, the townspeople nonetheless decide to take up arms to save the town rather than see evil triumph, even though this apparently means they abandon all hope of heaven. The evil outlaws who had viewed the men of the town as cowards are now amazed to confront these famous names. Though outnumbered, the men of Refuge triumph after a classic shoot-out during which Sonny is mortally wounded and in turn becomes a resident of Refuge; Blackjack and his men are all thrown into Hell.
The men of Refuge are now convinced they will also be condemned to Hell. As they are led away by the gatekeeper, a stagecoach (R.G. Armstrong) arrives from Heaven. He explains to them that "the Creator may be tough, but He ain't blind"; what they had done in standing up to evil is respectable, and rather than being condemned to Hell they will be taken to Heaven. Sonny asks to remain in Refuge, in order to be with the woman he loves. Wild Bill gives Sonny the sheriff's star and bids him farewell. The final scene is the stagecoach being bathed in light as it approaches Heaven.
Cast
- Sam ShepardSam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
as Sheriff Forrest/Wild Bill HickokWild Bill HickokJames Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach... - Eric RobertsEric RobertsEric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
as Blackjack Britton - Randy QuaidRandy QuaidRandall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
as Doc Woods/Doc HollidayDoc HollidayJohn Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral... - Peter StormarePeter Stormareis a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
as Cavin Guthrie - Brad RoweBrad Rowe (actor)Brad Rowe is an American film and television actor who began his career in movies such as Invisible Temptation and Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss ....
as Leo 'Sonny' Dillard - Donnie WahlbergDonnie WahlbergDonald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
as Deputy Glen/Billy The KidBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier... - J. D. SoutherJ. D. SoutherJohn David Souther is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written numerous hits songs recorded by artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Glenn Frey of the Eagles.-Singing career:...
as Brooks/Jesse JamesJesse JamesJesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary... - Amelia HeinleAmelia HeinleAmelia March Heinle Luckinbill is an American actress best known for her roles in American soap operas.-Career:...
as Rose/Betty McCullough - Shannon Kenny as Dolly Sloan/Ivy
- John Dennis Johnston as Lamb/'Lefty' Slade