Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid (1989)

Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid, also known as Billy the Kid, is a 1989 American western film about famed gunman Billy the Kid.

One of many depicting the events surrounding the outlaw during his participation in the Lincoln County War, this film, though little known, has routinely been described as the most historically accurate version to date. Written by Gore Vidal and directed by William A. Graham, Val Kilmer stars in the lead role of William Bonney aka Billy the Kid, with a supporting cast including Wilford Brimley, John O'Hurley, Duncan Regehr, and Ned Vaughn.

While receiving little general attention, the TV-movie was acclaimed by fans of the western genre due to its comparative historical fidelity. Kilmer was praised for his portrayal based on his extensive work to not only physically resemble William Bonney as much as possible, but also to capture his personality as related in historical accounts. This contributed to the film being widely recognised as one of the most historically accurate "Billy the Kid" films ever made. Vidal said in his memoirs that he had written the original teleplay for The Left Handed Gun, starring Paul Newman as Billy the Kid, decades earlier, and always felt the studio had butchered the material when his television play was used as the basis for a theatrical movie, so he wanted to return to the story for a more accurate rendition.

Synopsis

En 1879, au Nouveau-Mexique. À dix-neuf ans, William Bonney, dit 'Billy le Kid', est embauché par Tunstall, un puissant éleveur. Il y trouve son premier véritable foyer. Lorsque Tunstall est abattu par des individus qui convoitent ses terres, Billy voit rouge. Il venge le défunt et doit s'enfuir.

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