It's over he lost; all of his men were gone. He should had ridden out of town and most likely no one would have followed him. But he waited for a showdown which there was a good chance he would lose.
But the plot required it.
His pride wouldn't let him throw down that badge and ride out of town. In his mind, he was the law. In a way, he knew Paden was a hair faster. Interesting Kasdan had Stella come and stand between them, on the side. Also, the church was in the background behind Paden...Cobb, nothing, empty desert.
I thought the way Emmitt killed Ethan(?) was unique.
Jake's double shooting was cool, would have been better if the camera man had centered the shot better.
Great movie, one of my favorites.
I think of Cobb as more of a pragmatist (sp?) that an egoist, but the genre requires the showdown.
I have never noticed the details of the scene as you describe them; I will be looking the next time I see it.
I like this movie more each time I see it. It is great.
Also as someone pointed out the various battles were across town and maybe in a different timeline that we saw. It's possible Cobb didn't know he was the last man standing
shareJake's double shooting was cool, would have been better if the camera man had centered the shot better.
Beyond ego, perhaps Cobb figured Paden would just pursue him no matter where he went.
shareMy thought process here is that McKendrick hired a less-than-pure Cobb as his sheriff and Paden threatened Cobb's status quo. Paden (probably) suspected that McK was behind the troubles. That put he and Cobb on opposite sides.
sharePaden was a smart guy, he knew what was going on. He had originally agreed to stay out of it but there is only so much a good man can turn away from. It was ultimately the taking of the young boy coupled with Cobb threatening Stella that really drew the line in the sand between Paden and Cobb. Both knew that the other would never just walk away. In regards to Cobb, it was just too sweet a deal for him to leave and with Paden....well, were told many times in the film what lengths Paden would go to for something or someone he truly cared for. Cobb knew this about Paden more than anyone else. Its why he feared he would wind up getting involved and its no doubt why he tried to use Stella as a means of stopping him.
The movie would have been incomplete without the Paden-Cobb showdown.
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Cobb's ego demanded it. Don't forget that hindsight is 20/20 and that we're 21st Century types with running water, clean kitchens and other nice things that those 19th Century types didn't have.
If Cobb backed down and left, what would he have had to look forward to elsewhere? He would have had to begin all over again in some podunk town where he had nothing and was nothing. Methinks you aren't considering this point when you say that Cobb had no reason to fight Paden. He already had his crime syndicate set up in Silverado, everyone was afraid of him or respected him in that town.
Elsewhere he was no one and nothing. Think about it. Why would he want to start again from nothing and be a nobody again? Those were hard times then. People worked hard and died young from scratches and blisters. He had a comfortable place. He wasn't about to give it up because of some newcomer. In his eyes, he was defending his homeland from an upstart.
Guess you didn't see it that way. His point of view was vastly different from what you saw, wasn't it?
Good points, but the members of his crime syndicate in Silverado were all dead.
shareThe weird thing is, I've seen that movie several times on TV where the framing was completely different. Sometimes you only saw Cobb shoot, sometimes you only saw Paden, and a couple of times, it panned between the two.
Thankfully, thanks to modern technology, you can see the original aspect ratio and see it as closely as you saw it in the theatres.
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"You expect me to talk?"
"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"---Goldfinger
Cobb is just an ass. He's pissed because it was all over for him and like the traditional Western bad guy, he just had to go for his gun. When one is angry one doesn't think sensibly. :O)
D.
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While the genre demands a duel between chief hero and villain, it also grows naturally from the material and is not at all forced as the o.p. suggests.
Cobb did not expect all of his allies to be defeated by these guys. He didn't even know they would ALL join up again. Like any effective devil, he figures he has all his bases covered. I believe he is waiting to gloat and also to take out anyone who is left, since he can see them coming easily. But of course he lets his grunts take the brunt of it.
I agree that it is about character first. It is Kasdan after all. Of course Cobb was arrogant, underscored by his caressing of his BADGE when Paden arrives.
I also noticed the church and community literally behind Paden and the barren wasteland behind Cobb. Cobb is also a great name - the hard core that is discarded.
Silverado is highly under-rated.
I have looked at it again after so many people have said Django Unchained is the "first black cowboy" character. First thing I thought of was Mal (Danny Glover) and then of course Cleavon Little in Blazing Saddles who should have been in more movies.
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I see it as that he's just resigned to what's going to happen. He'd been content in his life in town. He was making easy money from the saloon and from McKendrick, without having to do much. There's real regret in his voice when he comments that it used to be a peaceful town. He eyes Tyree with disdain when he says he'll enjoy the fight.
Cobb doesn't want to go back to an outlaw life on the run.
Cobb doesn't want to go back to an outlaw life on the run.Yes! He was pissed with Paden, because he'd kind of helped him earlier and expected Paden to stay out of his attacks on Emmott, Jake and Mal, who'd taken down all that he'd put together. Pride was telling him that he had to stand his ground and slap leather. share
Cobb was a bug that was getting squashed that day. And as you said, the plot requires a showdown.
shareCobb had been a crime-boss for a long time, surrounded by thugs and yes-men. I doubt he got that way by being slow on the draw. I expect he had beaten the devil- cheated death- more than once. He probably thought of himself as "unbeatable." He had learned to look death in the eye, and not back down, and so far, he had always won. Killing Paden was just one more thing he needed to take care of. Business as usual. It would be as easy as killing Kelly, and all the others he had likely gunned down. It may not have occurred to him he could actually lose the fight. Didn't work out that way.
shareCobb threatened Stella. Paden couldn't let him go on the chance that he might come back after her. Cobb knew this and accepted that he would have to face him.
shareHe was part of the cabal that kidnapped the boy and ambushed Scott Glenn ... partners with the rancher who killed Danny Glover's father. Someone was going after him. ;-)
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