The Proposition

Western Week Part II

I have been waiting for some time to see this film, ever since I heard it was written by Nick Cave of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. It also helped that it has Guy Pearce (who I am convinced is probably one of the best character actors in the world) and received some rave reviews. Plus, this is the first western that I know of based in Australia. All things I find fascinating and interesting and that pay off beautifully in this film.

The film starts with a bunch of pictures of people back when England was trying to "civilize" Australia by exporting all of its criminals to it. After the opening credits though, all introductions to the world are off as we are thrust into the middle of a down and dirty shootout between Pearce, his younger brother, and the cops. After being caught, the proposition is this, if Guy Pearce brings back or kills his older brother, then his younger brother may live but he only has til Christmas. This is very ironic since in Australia, Christmas is as hot as Mississippi in the summer. The setup of the story is good and there are some traditional archetypes that have been coopted to fit the new arrangement of a western in Australia, such as the slaves being local aboriginals instead of Africans. The storyline regarding Guy Pearce's character could be interesting enough to hold the film, then you add in the extra trouble of the commanding captains problems with his own men and his wife played by the lovely Emma Watson and you have two adjacent storylines all tied to the one moment of letting Pearce free to kill his brother. The story is fascinating also because of the history inherent in it. Pearce and his brothers are all Irish and consequently the townspeople are English which is an age old rivalry and well done in this film's accents. Westerns are about a place and Cave ties this western beautifully to the old harsh rugged landscape of Australia. Pearce's older brother is a monster who hangs out with an aboriginal man, a woman, and another bloodthirsty man named Samuel Stote in some caves in the Aboriginy infested no-mans land. Pearce's older brother is as ruthless and depraved and his younger brother is naive and young. Things of course only get worse once the younger brother receives 40 lashes. The twists and turns and the crisp dialogue keep the pace moving brilliantly and the tension mounting. The characters are all drawn well and the depraved acts committed by Arthur Burns and his band wipe away any traces of care for his character. Imagine Hannibal Lecter in west with a crew and you'd understand how freaky it is to see such an intelligent man who harps about family turn around and kill slowly so as to enjoy it.

As for directing, every scene is well composed, the editing is crisp and clean, and the visceral feel of the film is astounding. The lighting, costume design, and work done by the actors is amazing as every second you realize just how harsh and unforgiving the Australian landscape is and was to people back then. You can almost smell the porous sweat from the captain and feel the flies that hover around Pearce's mouth when he wakes up from his rock bed. The sound design and score by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave set the tone with a minimalist feel echoing the bleak and empty landscape of the film brilliantly. The actors are all spot on and do their parts as if they were all struck with the acting rod. The macabre violence and humor fit perfectly into this tale of redemption. This type of feel and portrayal can only be achieved through excellent collaboration between writer and director which must have been the case since Cave's next script, Death of a Ladies' Man, is also being directed by John Hillcoat. The only complaint I have for this film is that at points, the lack of dialogue becomes too evident and slows everything down to a crawl making me think a little more editing could have been done to keep up the pace. The cinematagraphy is wonderful though so even the slow moments have things to rejoice in. The other thing is that if you don't like cruelty or can't stomach some disturbing scenes, there are a couple in here such as a couple of decapitated bodies.

As for the acting, I can now add Ray Winstone to my list of great current actors. His portrayal of the conflicted captain brings a humanity to this film that is needed in such a harsh environment when he and his wife are the only two likable characters. Pearce is too divulged in his own thoughts about whether to kill his brother or not to open up become a human. Although Danny Huston turns in a fine role as Arthur Burns, he doesn't seem to have the same potential in this type role as others like Harvey Keitel and Anthony Hopkins have over the years. Although there is no doubt that Tom Budge as Samuel Stote is a vicious little bugger who scares the hell out of me. John Hurt's turn as the bounty hunter Jellon Lamb is quite nice and a welcome addition to an already outstanding cast. Emma Watson as the captains wife does an excelent job of balancing her conflicts from being a good and understanding wife to a good friend leading to some interesting dilemmas. although she is very stiff, she comes across decently but I must admit it isn't her best. David Wenham is just nasal and annoying in this film and I feel there was something more he could have brought to it. Lastly Richard Wilson as Mike Burns is okay. His part consists of screaming and crying and whining a lot while sniveling. Hopefully though, such a high-profile part will open some doors and let him try out his acting chops in some bigger parts.

Conclusion:
The story, acting, and directing are excellent and all converge to create perhaps the best western of this decade so far. This film has yet to see if it can hold up to the stands of time, but if Tarantino made a good western, it would look similar to this. The cinematagraphy is great. The only real detraction are some occasionally slow points and the dense oppressive macabre violence and feel that the script necessitates. In other words, not meant for everyone. But if you can stand Tarantino, then you'll love this. The writing is exquisite and I am a huge fan. An interesting story of redemption, loyalty, and family that will have you impressed every second, if not with story, than with the emaciated skeletal bodies and draggled hair of the actors. (Interesting though how the richest one, David Wenham, never has any bedraggled hair)

4.1 out of 5

Wannabe