The other day I watched another film on the incomparable Film Four channel. I was impressed with The Proposition , a film directed by John Hillcoat and directed by Nick Cave. It was good to see the genre of the western still alive and kicking in this bloody, evocative and utterly compelling film set in 19th Century Australia. Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone were brilliant and menacing; the righteous outlaw and the representative of the authorities with his English wife, played by Emily Watson.
The music (no doubt by Nick Cave) is stunning, the photography truly gorgeous as well as haunting, and the plot riveting it its simplicity. I think Guy Pearce is a very versatile actor and I always feel his roles are convincing and engaging. This is a good role for him as the Irish Australian outlaw forced to hunt out and kill his elder brother who is also the gang's leader and a bit of a sadistic monster if truth be told.
There is a great part for John Hurt as the creepy bounty hunter who gets in Guy Pearce's way as he searches the hills and caves for Arthur, the fugitive brother.
I tend not to be too bothered about clever scripts or plots. For me, it's not that important to have endless twists and turns in the story of a film. I find it much more important that a film makes an impression on my senses on several levels. I can easily be taken in by a film that looks and sounds good in which case I feel the film's story is secondary in my enjoyment.
Australia must have been a remorselessly tough place in days gone by. Almost every one in The Proposition seems brutal and bordering on the senseless. But then this film is not a documentary that digs deep in to a people's psyche. It's a cracking western film, wonderfully filmed and beautifully scored.
I think I will probably get this film on DVD so I can watch it whenever I like. Great stuff indeed!
The music (no doubt by Nick Cave) is stunning, the photography truly gorgeous as well as haunting, and the plot riveting it its simplicity. I think Guy Pearce is a very versatile actor and I always feel his roles are convincing and engaging. This is a good role for him as the Irish Australian outlaw forced to hunt out and kill his elder brother who is also the gang's leader and a bit of a sadistic monster if truth be told.
There is a great part for John Hurt as the creepy bounty hunter who gets in Guy Pearce's way as he searches the hills and caves for Arthur, the fugitive brother.
I tend not to be too bothered about clever scripts or plots. For me, it's not that important to have endless twists and turns in the story of a film. I find it much more important that a film makes an impression on my senses on several levels. I can easily be taken in by a film that looks and sounds good in which case I feel the film's story is secondary in my enjoyment.
Australia must have been a remorselessly tough place in days gone by. Almost every one in The Proposition seems brutal and bordering on the senseless. But then this film is not a documentary that digs deep in to a people's psyche. It's a cracking western film, wonderfully filmed and beautifully scored.
I think I will probably get this film on DVD so I can watch it whenever I like. Great stuff indeed!
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