Open Range

Open Range an old-fashioned Western with a new twist

Most Westerns have a classic dry and dusty look. A torrential rainstorm and a gunfight that takes place in the mud, takes Open Range away from the conventional.

	Robert Duvall (left) and Kevin Costner in Open Range.

One day, Jim Muro’s wife told him that she had a strange dream where someone was urging her to tighten her seatbelt. He said it was probably good advice. Producer David Valdes had called the day before to say that Kevin Costner was getting ready to direct and star in Open Range and he wanted Muro to shoot it. In addition to Costner, the ensemble cast includes Robert Duvall and Annette Bening.

Muro had compiled nearly 50 credits as a Steadicam and camera operator, but this was his first opportunity to light and shoot a narrative film. Open Range is a period Western about a classic conflict between cattle herders and landowners. Duvall plays a cattleman who freely grazes his herd with three partners. Costner plays his sidekick, a former gun-hand. Bening portrays a local gal named Sue. Within two weeks, Muro was preparing for production.

Muro says there was some talk about producing in HD format, but after shooting and filming campfire and day-for-night tests, they decided it was the wrong aesthetic. The script called for a much more cinematic look. They decided to shoot in Super 35mm format in 2.4:1 aspect ratio and create a digital intermediate at Cinesite in Los Angeles.