Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: Dominique Tipper, exclusive, interview, Jesse V Johnson, john malkovich, One Ranger, Texas Rangers, thomas jane, western

One Ranger Director Jesse V Johnson on Embracing Western Heroism

Director Jesse V Johnson (White Elephant) talks to Bleeding Cool about his latest Western in Lionsgate's One Ranger & his love for the genre.

Jesse V. Johnson has always been enamored with elite-trained heroes, especially an institution like the Texas Rangers, which remained steadfast in their traditions for generations. His latest film, One Ranger, follows a gunslinging Texas ranger (Thomas Jane) who tracks a bank robber (Dean Jagger) across the desert — only to discover he's an international terrorist set on detonating a bomb in the heart of London. When the lawman's partner is killed, he is drawn into partnership with a British intelligence agent (Dominique Tipper) and her boss (John Malkovich) to bring the outlaw to justice — dead or alive. The writer-director spoke with Bleeding Cool about the inspiration behind the film and his admiration for the Western genre, no matter how many write it off.

Jesse Johnson on How the Texas Rangers Led to 'One Ranger'

Bleeding Cool: What was the inspiration behind 'One Ranger?'
Johnson: I used to do stunts, and I did a TV show called 'Walker Texas Ranger.' Quite a few episodes of that fly you in. I saw a statue of Captain [Bill] McDonald, who's this incredible legendary Texas Ranger. A quote underneath said, "One quiet, one ranger." |If you look up the history of that quote, it's the most fantastic groundwork for a dramatic character.

I didn't realize then that those guys are still out there amongst us. They're one of the most advanced law enforcement agencies there are. They are the guys you go to if you have a problem that regular law enforcement can't handle. You go to the Texas Rangers. They're the superheroes, elite warriors, and special forces. They're tough to get in. There's a line; the attrition rate in trying to join is high. It's like joining the Green Berets or the SAS (Special Air Service) in England. I have a natural affinity and interest in the elite units, but there's something unique about the Rangers: they wear a 19th-century uniform with Wrangler jeans, all regulation. There must be a certain type of Stetson hat, the gun belt, which is a classic-looking double-belted gun belt.

That was interesting. As you scratch away and you read about various heroes, I wanted to do something. I'm also an Englishman living in America for almost 30 years and have an excellent affinity for fish-out-of-water stories. I'm a huge fan of Don Siegel, so I had seen 'Coogan's Bluff' (1968), where Clint Eastwood was an Arizona Ranger sent to San Francisco. Brannigan (1975) is John Wayne, a Chicago cop in London. I knew a little bit about this, and it was time for one of those stories again to modernize it and to put a Texas Ranger in, to lend themselves like an exciting foundation to building some of the fantastic characters that people are invested in it. I'm hoping I pulled it off.

The Western genre seemed to have breathed new life into the streaming era. Can you speak of the experience of how we're getting that buzz back and even in a modern setting?
As an English person, I'll say that the cowboy genre, the Western genre, typifies the American challenge, the American dream, more than any other genre. It is the American frontier mentality. It's the basis for the American character, whether you like it or not. They said the Western genre was dead in 1939, and it was done. There weren't going to be any more cowboy movies. John Ford made 'Stagecoach' (1939); it's alive again. This has been recurring every 8-10 years since then. It is as American as movies and popcorn are. It is part of your DNA as a country. At some point, America will have to realize that and stop writing it off because it's a beautiful genre.

Lionsgate's One Ranger is currently available in theaters, digital, and on demand.

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