Synopsis

In the frontier town of Redemption, ruthless gunslinger John Herod stages a deadly quick-draw tournament to display his power and eliminate his enemies. A mysterious woman known as Ellen enters the contest, secretly pursuing revenge for her father's murder. As rival gunfighters face off, Ellen forms uneasy alliances and confronts the violent past that brought her back to Herod's town.

Factoids & Trivia

• Simon Moore wrote the screenplay as an homage to the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. He deliberately made the central gunslinger a woman, believing that the change would create a different dynamic within the traditionally male Western setting.

• Sony Pictures purchased Moore's script in May 1993. Sharon Stone joined the project as both star and co-producer and strongly advocated for Sam Raimi to direct after seeing his work on Army of Darkness.

• Stone also pushed for Russell Crowe, who was still largely unknown to American audiences, to play Cort. The studio was initially uncertain about casting him.

• Leonardo DiCaprio was considered inexperienced for the role of the Kid. Stone reportedly paid his salary herself to help secure his participation.

• Principal photography took place in Arizona, primarily at Old Tucson Studios and in Mescal. Filming ran from November 21, 1993, through February 27, 1994, with weather occasionally interrupting production.

• Weapons master Thell Reed aged the newly made firearms by exposing them to chlorine water. The process gave the guns a convincingly worn appearance while allowing the production to use functional replicas.

• The names Redemption and Herod carry deliberate biblical associations. The film's title also refers to the older meaning of "quick" as "living," contrasting the living with the dead.

• The movie received mixed reviews and performed modestly in theaters, but later developed a stronger reputation among viewers who appreciated its stylized action, unusual female-centered Western premise, visual design, and playful tone.