Kurt Russell’s best scene as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone only lasted a few seconds, but it was all the proof he needed to show that he was expertly cast as the legendary lawman. The cast of Tombstone is notably stacked with great actors. Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, and more all working together made for one of the best Western movies ever made. Everyone involved in Tombstone delivered some measure of greatness during filming, but Kurt Russell’s most brilliant scene – and the proof that he’s the best Wyatt Earp actor – happened in just a matter of seconds.
There are plenty of great scenes in Tombstone, and Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp was the focus of several of them. From throwing a young Billy Bob Thornton out of the bar to his romance with Josephine (Dana Delany), Wyatt was always good for a cool moment in Tombstone. His very best moment in the entire movie, however, lasted less than a minute, and it didn’t even need that long to cement itself as a legendary part of film history. That scene, of course, is the legendary “Hell’s coming with me” scene.
Kurt Russell Is Great & Terrifying In Wyatt Earp’s “Hell’s Coming” Moment
No One But Kurt Russell Could Have Delivered “Hell’s Coming With Me” As Superbly
After securing his brother and their wives on a train out of Tombstone, Wyatt Earp came back to announce his revenge against Tombstone‘s Cowboys gang. In a truly awe-inspiring moment, after shooting several people with a sH๏τgun, Wyatt screams “You tell ’em I’m coming, and Hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!“ It’s a nearly flawless bit of acting from Kurt Russell, and he embodies all the rage Wyatt was feeling as he wildly shouted at Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang). It’s so compelling that Wyatt almost becomes frightening: Russell almost seemed to unhinge his jaw for the sole purpose of yelling louder.
It’s a nearly flawless bit of acting from Kurt Russell, and he embodies all the rage Wyatt was feeling as he wildly shouted at Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang).
There are a few other people involved in the “Hell’s coming” scene, but Kurt Russell is so magnetic in it that they all melt away. Even Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday is an afterthought: Russell commands the entire scene with so much sound and fury that it almost seeps through the screen to get viewers riled up as well. The first time I watched it, for example, I audibly said “hell yeah” despite being in my living room alone. Nobody else could have delivered Wyatt’s “Hell’s coming” line with as much fire and rage as Kurt Russell did.
How The Scene Connects Back To The Opening Of Tombstone
The Cowboys Were Told That Death Would Bring Hell With Him At The Start Of Tombstone
Kurt Russell’s “Hell’s coming with me” scene also hearkened back to the opening scene of Tombstone. At the start of the film, Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) and the Cowboys killed a wedding party in Mexico. One of the few survivors, a priest, offered them an ominous warning in Spanish, which Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) translated. The priest quoted the Book of Revelations and warned the Cowboys that Death was coming for them, and that “hell followed with him,” only for Wyatt to inform them that he was bringing Hell with him. In a perfect moment, Wyatt fulfilled the priest’s prophecy at the beginning of Tombstone.
I Think Kurt Russell’s Tombstone Performance Is Almost Underrated
Val Kilmer Rightfully Gets The Most Attention From Tombstone, But Russell Is Great Too
Everything about the “Hell’s coming” scene is nearly perfect, from Kurt Russell’s acting to the way it ties into the beginning of Tombstone, that it highlights something strange about the movie. Despite being the main character, Russell is almost an underrated part of Tombstone. That’s mostly because Russell was overshadowed by Val Kilmer’s performance as Doc Holliday. Kilmer certainly deserves the bulk of Tombstone‘s praise – it’s a career-defining role for him – but Russell was no slouch. The “Hell’s coming” scene proves Russell was just as well-cast as Kilmer was, but he was also great for the entire runtime of Tombstone.
Another reason Val Kilmer is remembered more fondly for Tombstone than Kurt Russell is because Russell gave a very understated performance. For most of the film, Wyatt is just trying to leave his violent ways behind him and make his fortune. There’s not a lot of room for the theatrics that defined Val Kilmer’s best moments as Doc Holliday, but Russell used those quieter moments to make Wyatt feel real and sympathetic. Doc Holliday is obviously the best part of Tombstone, but Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp isn’t as distant of a second as many would think.
