The Proposition
The Proposition is beautifully directed by John Hillcoat from a mesmerizing script written by Nick Cave. Cave and Warren Ellis wrote the original music for the film.
This story starts with a British Captain named Stanley (Ray Winstone) arresting two of the notorious Burns Brothers. The brothers are part of a gang who go around raping and murdering people in the Outback of Australia during the 1800s. Stanley decides to take Mike Burns (Richard Wilson) into custody but lets his brother Charlie (Guy Pearce) go with the stipulation that Charlie brings him his brother Arthur (Danny Huston) who is the ringleader of the gang. If Charlie fails to deliver Arthur by Christmas then Mike will be hanged. Nobody but Stanley and a Sergeant, who is his confidante, knows that originally two brothers were captured. It is their secret that Charlie was let go so that he could find his brother and bring him to Stanley.
On his way to find Arthur Charlie comes across a bounty hunter named Jellon Lamb (John Hurt). Lamb wants to find Arthur because there is a reward to be had. Charlie does what he can to try and prevent Lamb from finding his brother.
Captain Stanley was brought over from Britain to clean up the mess. His lovely wife Martha (Emily Watson) seems out of place in this rough town and Stanley tries his best to be protective of her.
Charlie suffers a severe injury after an Aborigine shoots him but is brought back to health by a friend of Arthur's. Charlie tells him the situation regarding Mike which certainly doesn't sit well with Arthur.
In the meantime, the Sergeant starts telling people that Stanley had two brothers but let one go. The poeple in the town are furious about this. There is a great scene when Martha goes to town and everyone turns their heads away from her.
I don't want to say anymore about this film because if I do I will be giving away the whole story.
It is first and foremost a story of retribution. And yes, this film is extremely violent but it is also beautiful. It harkens back to the glory days of the Western genre. Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does an amazing job of capturing the feel of the Outback. The desert, the sky and everything else is so real that you feel that you are standing in the middle of it. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen even when things got very violent.
All of the acting is excellent. Winstone's portrayal of the complex Stanley is pitch perfect. One minute you see him being brutal and the next moment he is gentle. Hurt, Watson and Pierce are all terrific. But the big surprise here is Huston. Never have I seen him play a character who was so intense (or so vile).
Maybe this film and last year's wonderful The Three Burials marks the return of the Western to cinema. I know that The Coen Brothers will soon start filming an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's masterful No Country for Old Men. I am quite certain that when I see that film I will have (as I did with this film) a bloody good time.
This story starts with a British Captain named Stanley (Ray Winstone) arresting two of the notorious Burns Brothers. The brothers are part of a gang who go around raping and murdering people in the Outback of Australia during the 1800s. Stanley decides to take Mike Burns (Richard Wilson) into custody but lets his brother Charlie (Guy Pearce) go with the stipulation that Charlie brings him his brother Arthur (Danny Huston) who is the ringleader of the gang. If Charlie fails to deliver Arthur by Christmas then Mike will be hanged. Nobody but Stanley and a Sergeant, who is his confidante, knows that originally two brothers were captured. It is their secret that Charlie was let go so that he could find his brother and bring him to Stanley.
On his way to find Arthur Charlie comes across a bounty hunter named Jellon Lamb (John Hurt). Lamb wants to find Arthur because there is a reward to be had. Charlie does what he can to try and prevent Lamb from finding his brother.
Captain Stanley was brought over from Britain to clean up the mess. His lovely wife Martha (Emily Watson) seems out of place in this rough town and Stanley tries his best to be protective of her.
Charlie suffers a severe injury after an Aborigine shoots him but is brought back to health by a friend of Arthur's. Charlie tells him the situation regarding Mike which certainly doesn't sit well with Arthur.
In the meantime, the Sergeant starts telling people that Stanley had two brothers but let one go. The poeple in the town are furious about this. There is a great scene when Martha goes to town and everyone turns their heads away from her.
I don't want to say anymore about this film because if I do I will be giving away the whole story.
It is first and foremost a story of retribution. And yes, this film is extremely violent but it is also beautiful. It harkens back to the glory days of the Western genre. Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does an amazing job of capturing the feel of the Outback. The desert, the sky and everything else is so real that you feel that you are standing in the middle of it. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen even when things got very violent.
All of the acting is excellent. Winstone's portrayal of the complex Stanley is pitch perfect. One minute you see him being brutal and the next moment he is gentle. Hurt, Watson and Pierce are all terrific. But the big surprise here is Huston. Never have I seen him play a character who was so intense (or so vile).
Maybe this film and last year's wonderful The Three Burials marks the return of the Western to cinema. I know that The Coen Brothers will soon start filming an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's masterful No Country for Old Men. I am quite certain that when I see that film I will have (as I did with this film) a bloody good time.
posted by Film Fanatic | 3:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home