The fascinating thing about Silverado is the way it begins. Most westerns of the classic John Ford variety start large and then move in to reveal the players. Director Lawrence Kasdan disobeys this textbook idea by firing away instantly, even before the main titles actually kick off.

Two really good gunfighters cross paths in the desert, one astride a horse, the other lying on his back, barely clothed. We learn later about each character’s background, not through some arbitrary voice-over but through conversations. These conversations are intercut with brilliant gun-fights, the kind that leave an impression. There’s Emmett (Scott Glenn), a man on his way to meet his family and still haunted by a past he can’t seem to overcome. Paden (Kevin Kline) has his own skeletons in the closet -- he’s a man with few possessions, not even a gun until he purchases a cheap one with a few dusty coins. He proves he can use it too. Trouble awaits both men in Silverado, where the sheriff is corrupt and ordinary folks are afraid to walk the streets lest they be shot.

I grew up on Silverado -- it has been a long, faithful and consistently entertaining companion over the years. Bruce Broughton pays his dues with the score. A powerful accompaniment to the film, the music overshadows the majority of western themes composed since early sound productions. That includes The Magnificent Seven, arguably a masterpiece in a genre brimming with highlights. Silverado boasts a wonderful main theme, but it has a lot more under its belt. Every cue sounds emotionally true. One of my favourites involves a scene late in the film when a wounded hero suddenly rises -- literally -- to the occasion, ready to unleash hard justice on the enemy. I’d make a strong case for this scene being exactly what the cinema was designed to achieve.

The only hesitation to be found in an inspired screenplay involves some on-the-nose dialogue which doesn’t feel relevant to the plot. Otherwise, I have no complaints. Silverado promises the goods and delivers them in an accessible manner. To paraphrase the director, it’s a western for those unfamiliar with the genre and perhaps willing to dip their toe into that particular water. If they do, it’s my belief they will discover a transcendent experience, one that will make great conversation material at dinner afterwards.

(Released by Sony Pictures and rated "PG-13" by MPAA.)