The Proposition (DVD)

The Western has long ridden off into the sunset, last seen in 1991 with Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven ... and it has not really returned, aside from the occasional one-off, such as Open Range. All the same, the Western has become a thing of the past, and they were symbolic of mid last century, classics, and would indeed be difficult to resurrect with the same gusto and charisma they used to have. But quietly edging its way in is the Proposition. It's ...
...features of its predecessors, namely the harsh, cutthroat world its protogonists live in, it's very different. The Proposition blends history, drama and Western not to reinvent the genre, but rather to bring to the screen an entirely unique picture, a film not for the light of heart, but one that's in a league of its own.

Captain Morris Stanley (Ray Winstone) is the commander of a local police force in 1880s Australia, an uncivilised, ... more

The Western has long ridden off into the sunset, last seen in 1991 with Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven ... and it has not really returned, aside from the occasional one-off, such as Open Range. All the same, the Western has become a thing of the past, and they were symbolic of mid last century, classics, and would indeed be difficult to resurrect with the same gusto and charisma they used to have. But quietly edging its way in is the Proposition. It's easy to think of such a film as a Western, and while it carries some fundamental features of its predecessors, namely the harsh, cutthroat world its protogonists live in, it's very different. The Proposition blends history, drama and Western not to reinvent the genre, but rather to bring to the screen an entirely unique picture, a film not for the light of heart, but one that's in a league of its own.

Captain Morris Stanley (Ray Winstone) is the commander of a local police force in 1880s Australia, an uncivilised, brutal, sweat-drenched world, forsaken by God and the rest of the world, roamed by crazed bandits and oppressed but savage Aborigines. It's a world where no one can be trusted, because everyone is an opportunist, and in such a land there is no hope. Stanley, however, is of a mind to tame the untameable. On a raid on a brothel, he captures two notorious brother bandits, Charles and Mikey Burns (Guy Pearce and Richard Wilson). Holding the weak Mikey prisoner, he makes the older Charles a proposition: go into the mountains and kill his insane older brother, Arthur (Danny Huston) in exchange for Mikey's liaison with the gallows. From there, Charles rides on a gruelling search for the most brutal and disturbed of the three brothers, a man mythicised by the natives and hunted for by bounty hunters. Stanley, meanwhile, is faced with equally pressing matters but of a different nature; he is faced with the unrest of his fellow police officers, as well as the townsfolk and his loving but frightened wife (Emily Watson), as their thirst for justice deepens, the Burns gang having viciously murdered a family of settlers. In many ways it's a classic set up for a Western, but director John Hillcoat makes it something completely original, profound and unique, a film spattered in blood and sweat.

Though the story is relatively strong, Hillcoat doesn't nurture it as much as he does the period piece he immaculately sets up. The attention to detail is intense, getting everything of 1880s Australia down to the last detail, whether it be the uniforms of the troopers, the Aborigine dialect, or the sheer stench that almost seeps out of the screen. Everyone is filled with hatred, the white settlers racist and cruel, the Aborigenes furious but helpless to the abuse of their native land. Australia is a land with scarcely any law, with even the police corrupt and hateful. The world of Arthur Burns juxtaposes the common society, as, though he and his companions are sociopaths, there is equality and a bizarre love within his gang, whom he fondly describes as his "family". The Australia that is illustrated with such vivacity evokes understanding of why criminality and violence were so rife, because in such a sun-baked land where a human being finds no comfort, it would be impossible to retain one's sanity, as it all becomes a selfish struggle for survival. It's an intriguing history lesson whilst being top quality entertainment, bringing to life an Australia we would barely recognise today, and also bringing understanding as to why so many convicts and criminals were shipped over there in the 19th century. Yet the country has an ugly beauty, with mellow orange sunsets that spread across a sprawling desert that fills a whole continent. The viewer can feel the humid, claustrophobic heat and the angry Sun glaring down mercilessly from a pure blue sky, the stench of pungent sweat filling the air. It's a world difficult to comprehend as it is so nightmarish, a mood which Hillcoat masterfully excels in, and which is further hammered home by the hauntingly beautiful songs of the time and the spasmodic, almost surrealist editing.

What punctuates the world so vividly, however, is the acting talent on screen. Ray Winstone's Captain Stanley is an unorthodox but ethical man, the only character, along with his wife, whom the viewer can truly find sympathy for. Winstone plays the role with a hidden humanitarian streak, a warmth that he only shows through his eyes, the rest of him dishevelled and shaggy. Guy Pearce's Charles, on the other hand, is a man whose true motives are unclear, his character enshrouded in ambiguity, and one cannot tell what side of the extremely shaky fence he is on. Pearce brings to him a brooding intensity, a man torn apart by dilemma and desperation, under the realisation that his brothers are all he has. However, the main flaw in Winstone and Pearce's characters is that neither of them quite anchors the film; Pearce's story is quite separate from Winstone's, so the film is never quite grounded. They are backed with some strong, scene-stealing support, notably from John Hurt, David Wenham and most of all, Danny Huston, but the film never settles on a specific character. This is not a particularly bad thing, but it weakens the narrative slightly, interweaving uncertainly between its two key protagonists, including some sub-plots that are left with loose ends. The film's end also suffers from this flaw, disappointing many viewers, but ultimately it doesn't detract from the quality of the film or its characters. Every character is strong and clearly defined, and the script has many moments of beauty, delivered ably by its actors.

The Proposition is too much of an odd-ball film to encourage further making of Westerns (or Eastern Westerns in this case), and will sadly but understandably probably be forgotten in the years to come. It's certainly limited in its appeal, and though the direction is brilliant, especially with regard to some of the horrific violence that is seen, the film isn't likely to attract a large audience. The Proposition is, however, superb film making and to its credit comes out as something unique through and through that does not copy or rip off any of the classic Westerns, relying completely on its own means to make one of the most original Westerns ever to come out of the film industry. Very Australian, the Proposition is a flawless period piece, one of the best ever Australian films, an excellent piece of indie cinema.  

...less