The western series “Lawmen: The Bass Reeves Story” dedicated to the very first African-American sheriff in United States history can be found exclusively on the Paramount+ platform.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?
The rise from simple slave to law enforcement role as the first black US Marshal west of the Mississippi: Bass Reeves. Although he arrested more than 3,000 outlaws during his career, the weight of the sheriff’s badge proved heavy to bear, and throughout his life he had to bear the moral and spiritual meaning this meant to his beloved family.
WHO IS IT WITH?
Bass Reeves is played by David Oyelowo. The British actor has already portrayed another essential figure of African-American culture in the past by lending his features to Martin Luther King in the film Selma. The 47-year-old actor is also known to the public for his roles in The Butler and Interstellar.
Native-American actor Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant) was chosen to play Billy Crow, a particularly polished young Cherokee man, while Jennie Reeves – Bass’s wife – is played by Lauren E. Branks.
Several “faces” from cinema and television appear in the series. Notably Shea Whigham who plays Colonel George Reeves, Dennis Quaid in the role of Deputy Sheriff Sherrill Lynn and Donald Sutherland in the role of “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker.
Paramount+
IT’S WORTH CHECKING OUT ?
The name of Taylor Sheridan which appears in the credits as producer could suggest that this series was designed as yet another prequel to Yellowstone. But no, Lawmen: The story of Bass Reeves has no link with the modern western worn by Kevin Costner, the final episode of which will be broadcast at the end of 2024.
This mini-series dedicated to the true story of Bass Reeves, the very first African-American sheriff, is the first season of an anthology series dedicated to the most legendary lawmen of the Wild West. The identity of the characters expected to appear in future seasons is not yet known, as the program has not yet been renewed.
In France, the story of Bass Reeves is surely less known than in the United States. This former slave who became a sheriff’s deputy has more than 3,000 arrests under his belt. His knowledge of Indian territories and his mastery of several languages made him a man of the law particularly effective.
Paramount+
A Legend of the West
This aspect of the character also inspired the famous Lone Ranger, hero of the famous western series. Incarnated several times in cinema and television, Bass Reeves was notably played by Delroy Lindo in the film The Harder They Fall, a Netflix western featuring a cast mainly made up of African-American actors.
The main quality of this first season of Lawmen is the interpretation of David Oyelowo. All in sobriety, the British actor delivers an absolutely impeccable performance. The view he gives through his character on the society of the time gives even more strength and resonance to the subject of the series.
Despite all the horrors in his past, Bass Reeves is portrayed in the series as an upright and respectful man. The latter does not hesitate to defend Indians when they are targeted by racism, nor to hit white men (with the risks that this implies for him) when their comments are intolerable.
A vigilante in every sense of the word, the story of Bass Reeves actually deserved to be told in series, and let’s hope that the broadcast of the program will further flesh out the legend of this iconic character.
Paramount+
An interesting, but anecdotal series
Although served by beautiful photography and splendid natural settings, the series unfortunately relies on an overly conventional scenario, and flat dialogues which most often ring false. Is it because of this writing problem that many performances turn into histrionics?
Several actors, notably Dennis Quaid in episode 2, force the western accent and mechanical rolling to the point of caricature. Give an actor a hat and a gun, and the temptation to play the cowboy often takes precedence over the interpretation of the character…
We don’t necessarily have a bad time watching this series, and its greatest success will surely be to make us want to learn more about the story of Bass Reeves. As a western, the program is rather successful but also quite anecdotal.
The Lawmen: The Bass Reeves Story series can be found exclusively on Paramount+.
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