User Reviews

They don't make westerns like this one anymore, in fact I don't think they ever made one just like this one. Imagine a town where the sheriff wears no gun, there's a saloon where no one drinks, and everyone goes to church every time the bell rings day or night. There is always smoke and fog behind the cemetery gate, and an old Indian warrior stands guard there. But this town is not what it seems, as the citizens turn out to be Wild Bill Hickcock, Jessie James, Doc Holiday and Billy the Kid to name a few. The problem is they are all dead or are they?

Then an outlaw gang, fresh from a bank robbery ride into this peaceful town, trying to wake it up and help themselves, puzzled about the meekness of the citizens. A young fellow with the gang is the only one to figure out what is happening as he realizes just who most of these people really are. Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts and Randy Quaid give especially strong performances, as does R. G. Armstrong as the stage coach driver who comes to take the citizens of Purgatory home after the stop here. They don't make cowboy movies like this anymore, but they should.

I happened onto this movie on a premium cable channel. It was a lucky accident. I have always been moved by films that have a very good story and especially if that story is mystical or supernatural. I can tell you that I became pleasantly emotional over this movie and can hardly tell anyone about it without getting choked up a bit. No special effects are necessary for me, just a great story.

I felt the same way about this movie as I did about the first "Angels in the Outfield." That gives you an idea about what movies I really like.

The plot outline tells you that this town, which the people call Refuge, is actually the place where it is determined whether you are to go to heaven or hell. This then is Purgatory. It's a place where people who have done bad in life, but are "marginally good" have a last chance to avoid the worst of the afterlife.

*****THE NEXT PARAGRAPH MIGHT BE A SPOILER BECAUSE IT TELLS OF AN EVENT VERY NEAR THE END OF THE MOVIE. STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IT.*****

I own a very pricey set of leather books that chronicles the lives of several of the Old West's most interesting characters. One of these volumes is about Wild Bill Hickok of Aces and Eights fame. Near the end of the movie, and against this town's peaceful sheriff's desires, he is forced to use his guns. Both of his holstered guns are obviously different than the others. I don't recall ever seeing guns holstered like this in any other movie or television show. They are holstered "butts forward", in other words, backwards. There is an extremely short clip showing how guns in this position are rapidly drawn and I missed this completely the first time I saw this movie.

After the movie was over, I rushed to my reference volume about Wild Bill and found out that the movie is correct. He did wear his guns like this, and contrary to your first thought, was able to very quickly draw his guns straight out rather than reaching across his body like you might think. Wild Bill Hickok, referred to as "The Prince of Pistoleers" by journalists, was one of the best shooters in history and this movie's portrayal of the actual, but unusual and little known way he wore his guns made Purgatory all the more interesting for me.

Purgatory starts is set in the old Wild West where Blackjack Britton (Eric Roberts) & his gang rob a bank in a town, soldiers unexpectedly show up & after a shoot-out that leaves both soldiers & some of the bank robbers dead Blackjack & his gang flee the town with an angry posse in hot pursuit. Blackjack & his gang without rest & eventually come across the small town of Refuge where no-one carries a gun, even Sheriff Forrest (Sam Shepherd) & his Deputy (Donnie Wahlberg) are unarmed. Blackjack & his gang see Refuge as easy prey, they intend to rest up there for a while & then rob the place when they leave. Howeversomething about Refuge isn't quite right, why are the townsfolk so peaceful? Why are there no guns? Why do so many of the townsfolk resemble famous dead outlaws?

Made for & originally shown on telly (by the TNT Network) this fantasy Western was directed by Uli Edel & while the premise of an old American Wild West town that acts as a half way stop for dead criminals who during their lives at least had some humanity to prove that themselves fit to enter Heaven rather than spend eternity in Hell doesn't exactly sound brilliant I was surprised at how good Purgatory was. Don't get me wrong though, Purgatory isn't any sort of forgotten masterpiece or even approaching that but as a quirky little oddball mix of genres & styles I did like it. The character's are strong here, by the time the final stand-off came & the final shoot-out blasted into action I was really into the offbeat story & likable character's. Various famous Wild West outlaws are featured, Jesse James, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid & Wild Bill Hickock all make an appearance & are seen trying to save themselves from spending eternity in Hell but to do so they must spend ten years in Refuge & not so much as lift a gun let alone use one. The story unfolds gradually, we learn little bits & pieces at a time rather than one big reveal which is alright but once the town's secret does finally come out the films almost over & we haven't had that big twist where the whole story is thrown up in the air so the final realisation is maybe a little flatter than it could have been. Also there's no real explanation why Refuge is out in the middle of the desert or if the townsfolk are already dead how they can be killed again by Blackjack & his gang. At 90 odd minutes long it doesn't outstay it's welcome & there's enough time for the story to take shape & unfold.

Some may be put off by the lack of action or horror elements, there's a couple of shoot-outs but nothing amazing. The film has really good production values, the sets & costumes & effects are really good with shots like dozens of men on horseback riding along firing guns although there is a silly CGI computer effect at the end which seems very at odds with the old Wild West setting. Despite featuring several real historical figures Purgatory obviously makes no serious attempt to be factual or realistic.

Very well made with a rock solid cast of pros including Eric Roberts, Sam Shepherd, Randy Quaid, Peter Stormare & Donnie Wahlberg while Purgatory was one of the last feature film appearance's by R.G. Armstrong. The cast all give good performances.

Purgatory is a surprisingly entertaining & sometimes touching little fantasy Western that really had no right to be as good as it is, on paper it sounds like a disaster but in reality Purgatory is a good solid offbeat film that won't appeal to all but is much better than many would expect.

I found this movie to be an unexpected letdown. The premise and cast seemed promising enough, but the script wasn't able to deliver. It's interesting to point out that although I was initially unaware that it was a made-for-TV movie, halfway through it felt like I was watching Wifetime. The film is littered with clichés, inconsistencies, and unanswered questions. For instance, when the first gang member was killed (presumably by god) for attempting murder, why weren't the rest treated the same way? In fact, with that precedent (that the townspeople were protected by god), there wouldn't have been anywhere for the story to go. So why was that scene even included? And why would being innocently killed by the gang cause the sheriff to go to hell?

But, despite the obvious problem areas, this film should be moderately enjoyable for the Western lover.

I first saw this picture a couple of years ago about twenty minutes into it, and it's maintained my fascination ever since. I got to watch the entire story today and right out of the gate, it goes to my list of "Top Ten Films You Never Heard Of". There's more to it than just a unique meld of the Western and Sci-Fi genres; I think there's something ultimately fascinating and satisfying about an assortment of former outlaws that remains true to their principles, even if it means damnation to hellfire and brimstone. In this case, a quartet of deceased historical Western figures decides to stand up for their town after being challenged by a still alive member of the Blackjack Britton gang.

The way the story unfolds is what makes it so unique. A bank robbery in Sweetwater goes badly, and Blackjack (Eric Roberts) leads his band's escape into an idyllic countryside and a small town called Refuge. One's first hint that there's something unusual in Refuge comes when Sheriff Forrest (Sam Shepard) tells the outlaws that there's no telegraph office or newspaper in town, and cursing is only allowed in the local saloon. What the gang sees as easy pickings is the sheriff's decision not to wear a gun, along with the herd mentality of the townsfolk in keeping with their daily church service. The way it's all revealed though is with a keen focus on where the story needs to go if the spiritual angle is to be made believable.

I can think of one improvement I would have made when it came to the inevitable showdown between the good guys and the Britton gang. Remember how the church bell tolled to herald the encounter? Wouldn't it have been great if it only rang twelve times for a different kind of 'High Noon'. Really, I found myself counting and it went beyond twelve, fifteen I think it was. Not a big thing, but that would have been a great subliminal tribute to my all time favorite Western.

As for the gunfight itself, it was a keenly protracted and bloody affair, reminiscent somewhat of the 1993 film "Tombstone" and it's treatment of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. The film's minor hero Sonny Dillard (Brad Rowe) survives his mortal wounds to inherit the sheriff's badge when he passes on the stage ride to the other side. Sonny's romantic involvement with Refuge resident Rose (Amelia Heinle) was never overdone, and the way the story brought it to a conclusion was entirely satisfying.

Oh yeah, one final comment about the Indian Gatekeeper portrayed by Saginaw Grant. He never had a name in the story, but depending on your inclination, he could have been Geronimo or Sitting Bull to round out the historical roster of names on display. For my part, and in keeping with the spirit of the picture, I like to think of him as Crazy Horse.