“…the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed…”
- Amendment II to the United States Constitution

To Buy
Click Here

Even a mere card carrying member of the National Rifle Association would respond to restrictions on the right to bear arms with a flippant phrase that guns don't kill people, people kill people. But what happens when the people killed are children. Not just any children, but your own. How do you reconcile your emotions when the destruction wrought by your constitutionally protected right invades your home?

The film's indirect examination of the American obsession with the firearm subtly compels consideration of a topic that tends to divide - gun control in America. Although inanimate and receiving second billing to James Coburn (as Martin Tillman), the pistol, in Tillman's eyes, is the villain in this tale. In fact, Tillman's quest is significantly aided by his declaration that "the gun killed my daughter." By pointing the finger at the gun and thrusting it into the spotlight, the 357 Magnum that accelerated Penny Tillman's demise achieves prominence, thereby focusing attention on the issues that the filmmaker skillfully implies.

American Gun is a fitting swan song to Coburn's stellar career. The film showcases Coburn's extensive talent as this role allows him to fully explore a wide range of emotions in Tillman's search for redemption. Coburn, who distinguished himself in the gun-slinging Western genre that glorified firearm swagger, concludes his career in a fine performance that's contrary to that legacy. Coburn plays the character with a quiet intensity that belies his troubled spirit and the anguish of his deed. M

February 2004