阿帕鲁萨镇 　　这是一部根据Robert B. Parker的同名原著改编的西部片，由艾德·哈里斯自导自演。电影讲述了维吉尔（艾德·哈里斯）和埃弗雷特（维果·莫特森）在一个偏远的小镇当警察，他们发现在这个小镇法律不起作用。农场主兰德尔（杰里米·艾恩斯）是当地势力最大的人，控制着镇上的物资、马匹和女人，维吉尔和埃弗雷特打算行使自己的职责，向兰德尔交涉。但一个颇具魅力的寡妇（芮妮·齐薇格）的到来打乱了他们的计划。 　　荒蛮西部，无法可依，两位警官拍档阿弗雷特（维果·莫特森饰）和维吉尔（艾德·哈里斯饰）在阿帕鲁萨镇依靠枪支来维护和平，两人之间虽然话不多但彼此却非常了解。阿弗雷特在西点军校毕业后为了寻找全新的生活而独闯西部，而当时维吉尔正苦于没有能够帮助自己的帮手。一次偶然的机会，阿弗雷特救了维吉尔的性命，维吉尔就邀请他和自己组成搭档来维护小镇秩序。在之后的12年里，两人惺惺相惜，合作默契。 　　凶狠的农场主兰德尔（杰里米·艾恩斯饰）是阿帕鲁萨镇势力最大的人，控制着镇上的物资、马匹和女人。他经常纵容自己的雇工在当地作威作福，并最终导致惨剧的发生——镇上三个居民惨遭横死、居民妻子被强暴。惯于忍耐的民众这一次再也忍无可忍。 　　小镇惨剧发生之后，原本打算向兰德尔交涉的阿弗雷特和维吉尔两人，却面临了新的挑战，美丽的寡妇埃里森（芮妮·齐薇格饰）的神秘到来，使得阿帕鲁萨镇一切都不复往昔。 　　The Western film genre, once extremely popular, has become an infrequent visitor to multiplexes in the U.S., but actor Ed Harris attempted to bring it back by not only starring in, but also directing and co-writing the screenplay for an adaptation of Robert B. Parker's novel Appaloosa in 2008. Composer Jeff Beal, who worked with Harris on his previous directorial effort, Pollock, attempts with his score to do the same thing musically that Harris was trying in his multiple jobs, to be true to the genre and yet come up with something a little different. Certainly, right from the start of Beal's "Appaloosa Main Title," he has captured the familiar musical sound of a Western, not as expansive as, say, Dimitri Tiomkin's approach, but not as melodramatic as Ennio Morricone, either. The restraint Beal achieves comes in part from his chosen instrumentation, in which he combines a small band of folk instruments — guitar, banjo, dulcimer, etc. — with a small all-strings orchestra of violins, violas, cellos, and basses, as his own lonely trumpet playing comes in and out. He also introduces the occasional exotic flavor, such as in "Allison French," the theme for the character played by Renée Zellweger, which is a sort of Oriental waltz. Unfortunately, Harris couldn't stop at acting, directing, and screenwriting, and he added lyricist and singer to his credits with "You'll Never Leave My Heart." He should keep his day job(s).