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All my DVD Movie Reviews are positive. That's because I only review movies I have enjoyed watching on DVD.
Captain Stanley is going to civilize this portion of outback Australia and for starters he asks Charlie Burns to kill his brother.
The opening credits of this 2005 film include a collection of old black and white photos of town folk, some white, most Aboriginal. Some alive, most dead. It's a chilling introduction to a tale of the dark side of of the British development of Australia in the late 19th century. There is an amazing parallel here with the wild west days in the United States during the same era. For this reason, THE PROPOSITION is incorrectly placed in the genre of Westerns by some. The analogy is prompted by the men on horseback, both good and bad guys, and the indigenous black skinned locals who are also the good and bad guys.
Be forewarned! This is truly a down and gritty film. The characters are true grit and grime. And there is more than a smattering of violence, conflict, chopped-off heads, blown-away faces, flogging, mercy killing, and rape. But it's a lesson in history and an original look at the development of this crude state in epic proportion. It hooked me in for three viewings. It's that grand of an overall masterpiece.
Now getting back to police Captain Stanley's vow to clear this place of extreme criminality. The opening scene is of the Captain's team shooting up a brothel and killing most of the inhabitants, including the prostitutes, but saving two of the three men in charge of the Burns gang, Charlie and Mikey. The three men are brothers but Arthur, the worst of the lot, isn't there. And so the Captain makes a deal with Charlie. He guarantees Charlie and Mikey will go free if Charlie kills brother Arthur by Christmas day. And by the way, Arthur is a very bad man. He's hiding out in a cave with some followers and continually being avoided or pursued for murder by the Aborigines in the area. Now he's got the Captain to fear and an unknown assassin, his brother. And wait 'till you meet Jellon Lamb, the bounty hunter.
A break in the grit is early-on when the Captain's wife, Martha, rides into town on her horse and wagon. It's a sterling, calming, and pristine entry. The golden wheels and spokes of her wagon glisten in the Queensland sunlight and we get a more gentle view of the Captain and his pursuit of bringing justice. Martha is his saving grace throughout the story.
Before you take a look here at the credits, see if you can determine which character is played by the son of John Huston, the great American film director. I suggest you watch the movie first. You'll be quite surprised. I haven't spoken much of the director, John Hillcoat or of Nick Cave the writer. It's Cave's first attempt at screenwriting and he also wrote the words to the musical score. This score, with a hint of didgeridoo, is in perfect harmony with the images on the screen. You'll find a strong and symphonic allure in this teaming when you click around, starting here. And here too.
The pure beauty and magic of this film are several fold. The inquisitive faces of the characters are intensely interesting. The cinematography is boldly relevant and astoundingly striking. It is of course accurate since the entire movie was shot in or near the town of Winton, Australia in the state of Queensland. Wardrobe and props appear to be spot on. The story keeps moving with surprises and turns that keep you there. The ending is passionate, well done, and worth the trip.
I find it difficult not to go on and on about the film. I always like to be brief and to the point, simply suggesting that you take a look at a future classic. So in keeping with that, I'll let you go to enjoy a truly vivid look at the Australian Outback, circa 1880.
Before I go, I have two questions: Why does the Captain wear a uniform jacket of a Sergeant? And what is the powder substance that he often ingests? I know the answer to the first question. Do you?
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