DAILY FILM DOSE: A Daily Film Appreciation and Review Blog: THE PROPOSITION

Sunday 19 August 2007

THE PROPOSITION


The Proposition (2005) dir. John Hillcoat
Starring: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Emily Watson

***1/2

“The Proposition” is an Aussie Western written by new wave punk rocker Nick Cave. It’s a beautifully crafted film telling a familiar western tale from the Australian point of view of their sordid history and association with British imperialism. It’s a story of a British officer who puts his job before his family in the idealistic hope of civilizing the lawless Australian outback. The story is simple, but it’s theme of betrayal and revenge is classical giving the film a resonating mythical quality.

The opening reminds me of “Days of Heaven” – still photographs of the era with a quiet melancholy soundtrack over the main credits. It sets the time, place and mood of the film perfectly. The inciting incident happens before the film starts. A well-respected family is brutally murdered by a particularly brutal gang led by the sadistic maniac Arthur Burns (Danny Huston). After a Peckinpah-worthy shootout Lawman Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) captures Burns’ two brothers Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Mikey (Richard Wilson). Stanley makes a proposition to Charlie – to find and kill his older brother Arthur in the nine days before Christmas, or he will kill his younger brother Mikey. Charlie accepts the proposition and sets out to find his long lost brother.

Though Guy Pearce’s character is structured as the main protagonist, the complexities of the film lay with Captain Stanley. His dedication to the law and the land compromises his family as husband to his beautiful and refined wife, Martha (Emma Watson). But Stanley has convictions about his role in Australia. His commitment to his job is fed by his desire to provide a peaceful home for Martha - thus his need to “civilize” the land. We discover the ramifications of his ‘proposition’ when his superior Eden Fletcher (David Wenham) arrives in town. When he finds Mikey Burns in custody, he orders a 40 lash flogging as punishment for the Hopkins massacre. With his word broken Stanley knows Arthur and Charlie will soon go after he and Martha – therefore his proposition effectively becomes his own death sentence.

Cave and Hillcoat effectively build up the Arthur Burns character to be a Kaiser Sose/Col Kurtz-type larger-than-life antagonist. We don’t meet him until the second act, but the stories told about him and the legends portray him as a spirit or a legend. The aborigines describe him as part man, part dog, with long ears and a tale. When we finally meet him, he doesn’t disappoint. He’s aloof but sadistic. He speaks with calm eloquence, but his actions are maniacal and vicious. Likely inspired by Brando’s Col. Kurtz in “Apocalypse Now”, Danny Huston plays him to perfection.

Nick Cave’s ethereal buzzing music soundscapes add to the Australianness of the film. There’s strong sense of aborigine spirituality throughout the film that give it A “Walkabout” or “Picnic at Hanging Rock”-type feel.

The film builds and builds to a violent cathartic ending. The Charlie and Arthur ride off to rescue brother Mikey and avenge his beating, meanwhile Captain Stanley and his wife try to have a peaceful Christmas - a soon-to-be tragically ironic occasion.

Have some patience with the film and pay attention to the quiet dialogue, which is sometimes difficult to understand. It’s all fuel for this violent but beautiful layered genre gem. Enjoy

Buy it here: The Proposition


2 comments :

Anonymous said...

This is a classic in my mind.

Anonymous said...

"The Proposition" was a beautifully photographed film. I've read that the wardrobe tried to be authentic down to the buttons and it was very impressive. I thought the acting was good and Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson and John Hurt were all very effective. Unfortunately I thought the movie to be just another violent cowboy movie, albeit Australian cowboys, with outback aborigines instead of Indians providing the focus for hatred. We do seem to need someone to hate. For all of the heavy scenes pondering the sunset and significant stares between the characters the story was about killing and violence. Ray Winstone's and Emily Watson's relationship had some distracting interest but not enough to move the movie away from the gore. Parts of the movie were very slow with all the pondering and heaviness. I thought the movie portrayed the life and times authentically, like the flies and the dirt and the stench, and as I said it was beautifully photographed. It was just too gory for me, and it didn't need to be.

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