Deadwood: The Movie
Deadwoodwas never a show that cared too much about being historically precise . Though based on the Old West town in South Dakota , and featuring many characters based on the veridical people that occupied the townsfolk during the time , there were several embellishments made as well . This include the timing of certain events , the inclusion of additional fictional characters , and even the language spoken ( it ’s dubitable that the characters werethatfoulmouthed ) .
WhenDeadwood : The Moviepicked up , we knew it would be a follow - up to the show itself , and likewise , would most likely align with the character established there . Yet , we mat up it would be fun to see how accurate the flick ended up being in accordance with history . So here are 5 points in the film that did turn out to be historically accurate , and 5 that came rather right from author David Milch . admonition : there will be pamperer ahead .
Accurate: South Dakota’s Statehood
The major case that fetch our characters together at the kickoff ofDeadwood : The Movieis the rise of South Dakota as a United States Department of State , and as well , the integration of the Deadwood pack into the state . This is noted as having take place in the yr 1889 . In looking back at story , it ’s seen that South Dakota was indeed formally established as a DoS on November 2 , 1889 .
as well , many of the type that dwell Deadwood were , in fact , present at the time , including Seth Bullock , Al Swearengen , Sol Star , Mayor E.B. Farnum , and more . Though , unsurprisingly , where the celluloid proceeds from this initial event is what causes it to veer even farther away from account .
Reimagined: Charlie Utter’s Fate
After reintroduce us to the characters of the township , the major story thread ofDeadwood : The Movieis presented ; Charlie Utter ’s soil claim and George Hearst ’s endeavour to seize it from him . Though he at first makes an offering , Charlie decline , resulting in Hearst having to seize it by other means . This then leads to the battle of the film wherein Hearst has Charlie wipe out in the hope that his demesne would be put up for auction .
In reality , Charlie Utter lived in Deadwood until around 1880 before move on to other towns that had their own gold rushes . His account from there then has some discrepancy ; he either go to New Mexico and open up a saloon or moved to Panama City and open a drug storage . Either way , it ’s exonerated that Charlie ’s fate inDeadwood : The Moviewas organise so as to coiffure the film ’s events in motion .
Accurate: Seth Bullock’s Status
If there is one character that theDeadwoodshow and pic seemed to get most accurate , it was the character reference of Seth Bullock . When we first see him in the show , he was a sheriff in Montana , and later on moved on from there to Deadwood , where he and Sol Star open up a hardware memory board . After a clip , when it was realise that the camp needed a sheriff , Bullock seemed to be the good choice for the job . When we see Bullock inDeadwood : The Movie , he had ascended to a U.S. Marshal and had also expanded his kin with his wife Martha Bullock .
The real - living Seth Bullock stick with many of these floor thread as well , including the status of Bullock in the town , upgraded from Sheriff to U.S. Marshal . He also had extra children with his wife and had even opened up his own hotel as well , which we see in the show . For those who have natter the town of Deadwood in the present solar day , the Bullock Hotel still operates today , over 125 years subsequently . It ’s exonerated that Bullock ’s bequest has last on , both in real life and through theDeadwoodcharacter , played by Timothy Olyphant .
Reimagined: George Hearst
In the third time of year ofDeadwood , George Hearst becomes the central villain of the show . Ruthless and crafty , he seize power over the town and is not afraid to lead body in his backwash . All of the major characters of the show , including Al Swearengen , had been bear on by him . When we see him inDeadwood : The Movie , he is much the same , rejoin to the town with even more power as a Senator of California and now search to tap the town further by purchase Charlie Utter ’s land .
In reality , Hearst was indeed a affluent man of affairs , and his natural action in the townsfolk in take extra gold claims are sketchy , to say the least . In fact , one of Hearst ’s employees was convicted of killing someone who refused to sell his gold claim . Hearst feared for his life while in the town but ultimately left a success . Where the movie disagree is that he likely was not in Deadwood during the ascending of South Dakota , as at that point he was Senator of California . Therefore , his comeupance , as seen in the flick , unfortunately did n’t happen . If you asked us , though , we choose the film translation .
Accurate: Sol Star’s Predicted Fate
Sol Star was often defined by his near partnership with Seth Bullock . The two move to the town together , possess and operating a ironware fund . When we now see him inDeadwood : The Movie , their partnership had broken somewhat , but the two were still tight acquaintance . Towards the final stage ofDeadwood : The Movie , Sol Star is told , by none other than Al Swearengen himself , that he should consider running for office .
Indeed , the real Sol Star followed many of these same paths , including his partnership with Seth Bullock and surgery of a hardware store . What is hinted at towards the end of the film is what ultimately happen to Star , as he does become the mayor of the township after E.B. Farnum . From here , he moves on to the South Dakota House of Representatives and to a position in the South Dakota Senate . So , though we do n’t in reality see it , it ’s absolved that Sol Star inDeadwood : The Moviewould move on to great thing .
Reimagined: Alma Ellsworth’s Land Ownership
This is one that could n’t maybe be accurate , as Alma Ellsworth was never a literal soul in the town of Deadwood . invent for the show , she has a substantial part of the township ’s history , including her fundamental interaction with other graphic symbol and her gold title in particular . Though , at the end ofDeadwoodthe show , she had ultimately misplace much of what she had win over its trend , include her gold claim to George Hearst .
Towards the end ofDeadwood : The Movie , Alma had won in a bidding warfare the land leave by Charlie Utter and significantly trounce George Hearst to it . This was the show ’s way of giving her back the magnate that Hearst had taken , yet , as we know , since Alma did n’t really be , this was just a tale thread that had continue from the show itself . But what a triumphant moment all the same .
Accurate: Calamity Jane
The showDeadwoodportrayed the Old West legend as a well - intentioned woman who , due to her own inhibition , often lapsed into sonorous drinking . She had also begun a romantic relationship with Joanie Stubbs . When we first see her inDeadwood : The Movie , she yield to the town to witness its ascension into the State Department of South Dakota and goes by the name that we now make love her as : Calamity Jane .
In realism , Jane did return to the town around the previous 1880s . Still an alcoholic , she does make a reacquaintance with the major madam of the town , Dora Dufran , who the character of Joanie Stubbs is based on . From here , the veridical Jane would move on to Buffalo Bill ’s Wild West show as a storyteller . We ’d care to conceive that Jane fromDeadwood : The Moviewould go on to do the same .
Reimagined: Samuel Fields' Fate
The lineament of Samuel Fields , screw often by a different sobriquet , was always a merriment one to witness in the show ofDeadwood . An so-called general of the Civil War , he weave tall story and made his presence acknowledge around town , though his raceway often led to him getting into more trouble than he had been prepared for . This extends toDeadwood : The Movie , where Fields is blamed for the slaying of Charlie Utter .
Samuel Fields is base on a actual historical figure during the clip . Infamous in the camp of Deadwood , he often was in fact blame for crime that he may or may not have been involved in , often considered to be a result of being a minority in a majority - white town . His eventual fate , though , is different than it was in theDeadwood : The Movie . By 1889 , the existent Fields had moved on to Omaha , Nebraska , and so was n’t in the town of Deadwood during the time . Therefore , his beating by the hired hand of Charlie Utter ’s sea wolf would never have happened .
Accurate: Deadwood’s Upgrade
Deadwood began its run as a shanty town during the gilded rush of 1877 . When we first see it in the show , and even towards the end of the final season , it is much the same , with tents lining the streets and an overall good sense of willfulness . By the time we see it again inDeadwood : The Movie , though , we can see more proper constitution operating , and indeed , from a retentive distance it more closely resembles a full - sized township .
The real Deadwood was much the same . Begun as a small camp after Au was get hold there , it eventually upgraded once multitude started to resort to deep mining from gold panning , and its luck was mostly set up through this method . The town was much the same once it was accede as part of South Dakota , as we see in the show . We even see , in the show , the more eminent - end establishments that mass now frequent , show that the town had indeed receive an upgrade .
Reimagined: Al Swearengen’s Fate
Al Swearengen , bring by Ian McShane , was easily the show ’s standout type . Controlling much of Deadwood through his linkup and ruthless occupation sense , he proceed to do so throughout the show ’s incline , though he does get some reversal in season three . When we see him inDeadwood : The Movie , he is much the same , though now much more wearied , being afflicted by cirrhosis due to his panoptic drinking . By the conclusion of the moving-picture show , he had die as a result of it .
In reality , Al Swearengen , who was in reality even more fell in mortal , did not die in 1889 , and he went on from Deadwood after his Gem Saloon burned down in 1899 . He subsequently perish in 1904 , with some diachronic account statement exact that he was murdered . Perhaps , as had bechance in the show , some part of his past tense had caught up with him . Either way , it ’s readable that his death inDeadwood : The Movie , and his final lines , in particular , were one of the film ’s highlights .
NEXT : HBO ’s Deadwood : The Movie Ending Explaiend
