Just perfect...

Good start, but then it gets ruined

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The lighting was noticeably a key part of several scenes and plays perfectly with Mr. Walken's natural features. The cinematography was brilliant a few times. Funny seeing a skinny baby face Kiefer. I see that not much has been said of Mary Stuart Masterson's performance but I give her a shout for a perfect performance. Since this was based upon real events, off to Wiki I go. Tymtime

....I see things that can move...anything that can move has got my name on it" says Brad Whitewood Sr. (played by Christopher Walken) to his son, Brad Jr. (played by Sean Penn) as he drives his son through the Chester County countryside in SE Pennsylvania. The sociopathic / psychopathic Brad Sr. runs a burglary ring that steals lots of things but primarily farm equipment, all things that can "move" with a ready market via a "fence." He readily flashes his money around his son and "obtains" a car for him that comes "mostly with 'borrowed' parts, but the registration is legal", so Brad Jr. is happy that he can impress his new girlfriend. Brad Jr. is an aimless youth with what would appear to be poor prospects; his character is largely morally flawed, given his admiration for his father, but it's not completely formed yet, and his girlfriend has the potential for helping him shape his character in a positive way. The interaction between father and son, between a career criminal and a young man on the fringes of criminality, and the son's evolving perception of his dad from admiration to doubt to fear, is the focal point of this film.The film is based on the Johnston gang that ran wild through the rural parts of SE Pennsylvania in the '60s and '70s. Some reviewers have described it as "loosely" based on that family gang, but I'm from this part of Pennsylvania and I vividly remember reading about their crimes during this period, and this film seems to have most of the important details correct. I well know the rural road where some of the young gang members were killed and buried. The Johnston gang were hillbillies from NE Tennessee who moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania in the '60s, developed a multi-million burglary ring, taunted the local police, and when sloppy young gangmember "wannabes" started to get subpoenas, they viciously closed ranks and killed five teenagers and buried their bodies in the countryside. What's so horrific is that Bruce Johnston Sr., the model for the film's Brad Sr., killed his stepson, killed his son's girlfriend (days after raping her), and had his son (unsuccessfully) targeted for death although he did receive two bullet shots to the head. While in prison, he was accused of murdering an inmate by burning his cell.Walken does a marvelous job of portraying this monster. He displays both the charisma he undoubtedly had and that made his brothers readily accept his leadership and cunning, as well as attracted his sons, nephews, and their friends to a life of crime, as well as the pure evil he apparently was born with. Walken's performance is one of the best in portraying a truly wicked man that I've seen outside of film noir. Sean Penn's Brad Jr. realizes he may have bit on too much when he sees his father have a police informant drowned, but he's trapped in the gang and at the mercy of his father.This is not a film for everyone; it's a dark film without much redeeming virtue being displayed, even the women seem to be passive enablers. But I give it a 7 for its depiction of amoral greed and murderous self-protection.

The song Live To Tell by Madonna originated from this film, and intrigued by it's lyrical content, I decided to watch the movie it came from. It turns out the words of the hit record have little to do with the plot, which is a rather dull account of a family of criminals in America who go around stealing tractors. It has a very good cast, but this counts for naught when the script is stuck in second gear, with lots of tough guy posturing going on but little in the way of action.Oh, there's a few shocks near the end, but by then it's too little too late and all the drinking, smoking and swearing we see fails to create the foreboding atmosphere the director is striving for. It's just a passable 100 minutes of macho fluff, with elements of parental tragedy tacked on. It may strive to be Shakespeare, but somehow I can't see anyone studying this as part of their Key Stage coursework. 5/10

I've loved this movie since the first time I watched it 15 years ago and have always been intrigued. I have noticed people on here wanting more info on the real story behind the Johnston gang. I downloaded a book from amazon called "Jailing The Johnston Gang". It tells the whole story and is written by a reporter who was following the story when it was happening. A lot of info and had my mind blown. There is a lot in the movie that is dead on and a lot that can be contributed to entertainment. I highly recommend buying the book. It also has pictures of the real gang. More info is that this happened in rural Pennsylvania and Bruce Johnston (Brad Whitewood) had a home in northern Maryland very close to Delaware. This info is also in the book. There are a lot of quotes and things said and done that are word for word what the real life criminals said or did. I loved the book and At Close Range has been and always will be my favorite movie. It actually happened to be on TV yesterday and I was so excited. Hope that helps :)