The Proposition (2006)

Guy Pearce
Emily Watson
John Hurt
Ray Winstone

Directed by John Hillcoat

Plot: Australian director John Hillcoat and singer Nick Cave reconvene for 2006's The Proposition, with Cave penning the screenplay and providing a soundtrack written with Dirty Three member Warren Ellis. Cave's 19th-century tale begins with the proposition of the title, as Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) captures fugitive brothers Charley (Guy Pearce) and Mikey Burns (Richard Wilson) at a scene of bloody rape and murder. Informing Charley that he must kill his older brother, Arthur (Danny Huston), in order to be set free, Stanley drags Mikey to a decrepit jailhouse while he waits for Charley to carry out the deed.

Review: I love a good western. I am not talking about crap like Texas Rangers or Bad Girls, but good westerns like The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly and The Magnificent Seven. I also really like Guy Pearce. I loved him in Memento and Ravenous, so decided to give this rugged film a try.

The film is beautifully shot and looks just like the classic westerns of old. The story is pretty straight forward, but interesting. All of the performances were top notch and really added to the film. What really got me about this film was the violence. Very rarely do you get much gore in a western, but this film delivers. By no means is it graphic horror quality gore, but it is pretty bloody at times and it really added to the effect of the film. I really enjoyed this film and recommend it.


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