Fans of Red Dead Redemption may have to wait a long time for another western from Rockstar Games, but that doesn’t mean the series is void of content. With Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption2, and Red Dead Online, there’s always something to bring fans back. Yet, fans might not even know about Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater, a short film produced by Rockstar Games.
Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater was directed by John Hillcoat. The short film is entirely in-game, featuring cutscenes and graphics that still hold up from Red Dead Redemption as well as alternative shots and voice lines to create a 30-minute opening to the main game's story, with plenty of things audiences may have missed.
8 Bury Me Not In The Lone Prairie
In the opening scene of Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater, players may hear a familiar and emotional song playing. This song, “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie”, sung by William Elliot Whitmore, has been played before in the franchise with Red Dead Redemption, in perhaps the most emotional scene of the game.
To hear the song in the short film might be something that audiences didn’t expect, nor would they expect it to have any significance. However, this song is played famously in the game after the tragic death of one of the main characters. Luckily, Undead Nightmares resurrected this character in one of the best-open world zombie games.
7 Jenny’s Faith
Even in a short film, Rockstar Games can’t escape side missions from this PS3 game with some of the best graphics. Within Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater, John Marston encounters a character called Jenny, which is part of Jenny’s Faith Stranger-side mission in Red Dead Redemption. Their interaction is brief, but the character returns later in the short film, albeit as a corpse.
Jenny’s Faith is a Stranger side mission where John Marston can find a sickly-looking woman in the desert of Cholla Springs. Sadly, Jenny had lost her mind to the heat and is beyond saving. It’s a fun addition to seeing Jenny’s small story feature somewhat in this short film.
6 Marston’s Change Of Clothes
John Marston tends to change his outfits quite a few times within Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater. It goes to show that the base game has quite a few selections of outfits for the player to choose from, and the short film utilizes that. It would be great to see another Red Dead Redemption short film with Rockstar Games' best DLC like Undead Nightmares.
John switches between his Duster coat and his Elegant Suit. The latter allows the player to cheat at Poker in-game, so it’s a curious choice as to why John Marston wears this suit rather than his classic cowboy outfit that fans recognize him for.
5 Tumbleweed Cellar
As John Marston chases Bill Williamson across Fort Mercer, fans of the game might notice that when they are in their shootout, they are not actually in Fort Mercer at all. The short film utilizes the game’s many locations and brings the intense chase into the basement of the abandoned mansion in Tumbleweed.
It’s a fun addition that only fans of Red Dead Redemption would notice, as other audiences might not be aware of the difference thanks to the editing by Barry Alexander Brown. Fans might recall that in Fort Mercer, there is no cellar or basement, which makes an alternative scene for Bill’s confrontation from the game.
4 Outlaw Flashbacks
For a moment, John Marston recollects on his old life from when he was a part of a gang. Audiences get their first and only glimpse from Red Dead Redemption of John Marston as an outlaw. Here, fans will see recognizable faces with John Marston. From Dutch van der Linde, Bill Williamson, and Javier Escuella.
What’s worth noting is the fact that these characters are depicted with their Red Dead Redemption models, which makes sense considering the short film was released in 2010, 8 years before the characters had a defined gang relationship with Red Dead Redemption2, which included more gang members like Arthur Morgan, one of the best sharpshooters in Red Dead Redemption.
3 Bill’s Escape
After the climactic intensity of John Marston and Bill Williamson’s chase, Bill manages to elude his captors and escapes on horseback. What’s different about this scene is the fact that Bill Williamson had already left Fort Mercer for Mexico before this scene, so in the short film, things play out rather differently.
Bill escaping on horseback is also a cutscene that is never seen in Red Dead Redemption, so fans might have missed a unique detail based on their knowledge of the first game. Bill’s Escape from Fort Mercer has John Marston watching hopelessly from a barred window, unable to even use his Dead Eye ability, waiting for their next confrontation.
2 The Glass Eye
Few characters in Red Dead Redemption are as deranged as Seth Briars. John searches for Seth at Coot’s Chapel, as he needs the elderly gravedigger’s help to infiltrate Fort Mercer. Seth’s quests play out differently in Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater, as Seth only agrees to help because the treasure that has made him lose his mind is in Fort Mercer, where in the game it is actually in Tumbleweed.
Audiences never get to see what treasure Seth is after in this short movie. Sadly, it’s simply a glass eye, revealed in the game. This would explain Seth’s laughter and frustration, as everything he worked for has been for nothing.
1 Irish Appears
Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater does a good job of introducing audiences to characters that they might not know about. The short film sees the featured characters of Marshal Leigh Johnson, Deputy Jonah and Eli, Nigel West Dickens, and John Marston all ready to begin their assault on Fort Mercer. Yet, there’s a bearded man that has not been introduced.
This character that is pushed to the side by Marshal Leigh Johnson is Irish. His role is not explained in the short film, but in the game, he is the man responsible for getting the heavy firepower Gatling gun for John Marston which is placed in Nigel West Dicken’s wagon.