BLIND JUSTICE

aka CANAAN'S WAY

TV Movie - 1994 - 89 Minutes

STARRING

ARMAND ASSANTE, ROBERT DAVI, ELISABETH SHUE, ADAM BALDWIN

WRITTEN BY DANIEL KNAUF

DIRECTED BY RICHARD SPENCE

CHARACTER:

SERGEANT HASTINGS

CHARACTERS STORY:

ADAM'S CHARACTER IS A U.S. CAVALRY SERGEANT NAMED HASTINGS, COMMANDING ONLY A SMALL GROUP OF MEN WHOSE JOB IT IS TO PROTECT A TOWN HOLDING GOVERNMENT SILVER. WHEN A NASTY GROUP OF UNDESIRABLES PLAN TO STEAL THE SILVER, HASTINGS MUST MAKE A DEAL WITH THE BLIND OUTLAW IN ORDER TO SECURE HIS HELP.

WHEN ZERO HOUR COMES, HASTINGS OWN MEN REALISE IT'S A LOST CAUSE AND DECIDE TO GIVE UP, BUT HASTINGS WANTS TO MAKE A STAND SO THEY ALL TURN ON HIM.

THE FILM:

BLIND JUSTICE IS THE STORY OF AN UNBEATABLE GUNFIGHTER WHO TRAVELLED THROUGH HELL AND EMERGED BIGGER THAN LIFE. NEARLY BLINDED DURING THE CIVIL WAR, CANAAN (ARMAND ASSANTE - THE MAMBO KINGS) DEVELOPES HIS OTHER SENSES SO KEENLY THAT HE BECOMES A FORMIDABLE GUNMAN IN AMERICA'S HOSTILE SOUTHWESTERN TERRITORY.

SUSPECTED OF HELPING BESEIGE A TOWN FOR GOVERNMENT SILVER, CANAAN INSTEAD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE IT. HAVING STRUCK A DEAL WITH THE U.S. CAVALRY SERGEANT (ADAM BALDWIN - WYATT EARP), CANAAN RIDES IN SEARCH OF THE CAVALRY REINFORCEMENTS - ONLY TO BE PLACED IN CUSTODY ON ARRIVAL.

HAVING ESCAPED IMPRISONMENT FROM THE CAVALRY GUARDS, CANAAN IS AMBUSHED ON HIS RETURN BY THE VENGEFUL OUTLAW ALACRAN (ROBERT DAVI - DIE HARD) WHOSE MEN TORTURE HIM AND LEAVE HIM FOR DEAD.

WILL THE REINFORCEMENTS REACH THE BESEIGED TOWN IN TIME OR WILL ALACRAN GET HIS HANDS ON THE SILVER? CANAAN'S LUCK MAY BE FINALLY RUNNING OUT, BUT HE MUST CHEAT DEATH ONCE MORE!

THE BODY COUNT RISES RIGHT TO THE EXPLOSIVE CLIMAX WHEN CANAAN MUST FACE ALACRAN ONE-TO-ONE!!!

THE REVIEWS:

REVIEW BY ADAM SANDLER FOR VARIETY:

"Profanity, violence and plenty of spaghetti Western dialogue are the hallmarks of "Blind Justice." The HBO drama is a composite that draws almost every element from other sources, most notably "A Fistful of Dollars."

At just 90 minutes, the telepic has sufficient moments worth wading through, but viewers would probably do better to mosey to the local vidstore and pick up the originals.

Although blinded in one eye in the Civil War, Canaan (Armand Assante) is amazingly accurate with a firearm. Naturally, he uses this highly developed marksmanship to save the good townsfolk from gun-toting undesirables.

But his thoughts are occupied by transporting an infant across country to fulfill a promise made to a man he felled in a gunfight. He is wooed by the promise of riches, but he seems driven by the problem of getting the baby to its mother -- admirable to say the least. But Canaan is sidetracked in his noble quest by Caroline (Elisabeth Shue), who compels the tight-jawed gunslinger to stay around and help save the tiny town of San Pedro. The gunfighter is needed to help fend off attacks by local bandit Alacran (Robert Davi) and his unwashed contingent.

When Canaan cuts down Alacran's son, Hector, the feud becomes personal. Meanwhile, U.S. Cavalry leader Sgt. Hastings (Adam Baldwin), though suspicious of Canaan's motives, realizes he needs the one-eyed gunfighter's help.

The personalities clash more often than cars in a demolition derby and the storylines should serve to hold the interest of curious viewers, despite sometimes sluggish pacing.

Assante and Baldwin are credible, while Shue, as the town's fresh scrubbed doctor, appears to be doing her best to cover Dr. Quinn territory, ocassionally expressing some individuality in her attempts to rally the town against the encroaching forces.

Director Richard Spence does top-drawer work, clearly signaling that he understands the nature of spaghetti Westerns, with their often blurry lines of right and wrong.

Although the pic is derivative, the same goes for scripter Daniel Knauf, who grasps the genre and gives the actors plenty of spaghetti-speak.

Other credits, notably work from production designer Chester Kaczenski and art director Marc Dabe, are tops."

LEAFANS REVIEW:

BLIND JUSTICE IS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD, FOR A CHEAP TV WESTERN. THE ONLY REAL COMPLAINT I'D HAVE AGAINST IT WOULD BE THE EVER SO SLOW FLASHBACK SCENES, WHICH I FEEL ARE OUT OF PLACE. THE ACTING IS GOOD ALL ROUND AND CASTING IS ALMOST PERFECT. FROM AN ADAM BALDWIN FAN POINT OF VIEW, THIS ONLY OK BECAUSE HE IS ONLY IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, BUT HE DOES HAVE ONE GOOD SCENE WHEN HIS CAVALRY GUARDS TURN ON HIM. I'D SAY THE FILM IS GENERALLY WORTH A LOOK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE WESTERNS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BIT MORE BLOODY THOUGH (BUT WAS TONED DOWN FOR TV NO DOUBT).

TAGLINES:

In a lawless world..... justice is blind

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:

FILMING LOCATIONS:

MESA, ARIZONA, US.

GENERAL FACTS AND STUFF THAT DOESNT FIT ANYWHERE ELSE:

RELATED LINKS:

RELATED MERCHANDISE: