As an owner of the Wyatt Earp extended Director's edition I can tell you that I thought the film was neither too long or too slow as some "attention-span-deficient" critics have labled it. Admittedly, I have seen shorter movies and movies with more wall to wall action, but I am patient enough to enjoy the slow enveloping experience of a Tarkovsky film. When this film came out, I couldn't convince anyone to see it with me, so I had to go alone. I was blown away by the cast, the performances, the writing and the movie. The cast was terrific. Even bit characters are well-known actors in this film. Gene Hackman was his superb self as Wyatt's stern but loving father. The film didn't skip over significant elements in Wyatt's life like most of the filmed versions do. His transformation from a young adventure-seeking farmer's son to a fearless and feared lawman is believable and compelling. The cinematography was fantastic and was deservedly written up in an issue of American Cinematographer magazine. <br /><br />On a side note, I think this film works well as an allegory to current events. The United States is represented by Wyatt and the "Wild West" is the world. Like the U.N., Ed Masterson tries to get Wyatt to become less strict and hard-nosed in the application of law. Ed gets killed because he is "too affable". Like France and Russia, the corrupt sheriff Johnny Behan (Mark Harmon) tries to get Wyatt to sell out, because there is "enough money for everybody" if he just looks the other way. Wyatt is too rigidly principled for either of these two men but retains his dignity and honor.