When I picked up my copy of “The Proposition” it wasn’t because I had to have it. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it at all. It was simply there on the shelf, at the time when I was feeling like I wanted to do a blind buy. At fifteen bucks, I thought it to be a great price, and well worth the risk.
Just to be safe though, I gave a quick read over the front and back of the case. I had never heard of John Hillcoat before, but I didn’t pay that much attention. All great directors have to start somewhere. Then I noticed the great cast. That too seemed really intriguing. Lastly, it didn’t hurt that the film was penned by Nick Cave, a musician whom I am very much starting to warm to ever since my introduction to his work in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”
I walked out of the store fairly certain that I had made a good purchase.
As it was, it wasn’t until a couple days ago that I found myself popping the disc in for the first time. Immediately I was drawn into the film through the stark contrast of the opening titles and the opening sequence. At once the film was so peaceful and haunting, and yet the viewer is abruptly flung into the middle of a tin-shed that’s getting shot to pieces. This is gonna be good, I thought. I was right.
Through and through, whether it’s the brilliant cinematography, the engrossing dialogue, or the solid performances, “The Proposition” strikes its very own path into the heart of the Outback. Its uniqueness being derived from the absence of Australian Western competition, but more importantly its aim to differentiate its locales and characters from all things spaghetti-western.
Among other things, “The Proposition” is also a beautifully lensed film, and I can’t think of any other films that have managed to capture the unforgiving landscape in such a loving and artful way.
Alas, I don’t think that “The Proposition” is all gravy. As much as I enjoyed the scenes between Ray Winstone and Emily Watson, I felt that their storyline only took away from the epic tale of the three brothers, and ultimately slowed down the narrative a bit too much. Of course, as you’ll come to find out, the two of them are indispensable — as they are heavily involved in the film’s climax — but I can’t help but feel that more could have been done to trim their story, and explore Charlie’s dilemma at greater length.
Complaints aside, I do hold this film in very high esteem, but I don’t think that it’s the best Western I’ve ever seen — there are far too many other films to compete with. At any rate, the film brings a lot to the table, both visually and in its narrative, and if you fancy yourself a fan of Western films — or Nick Cave for that matter — you should most definitely give this one a look. It’s well worth the money.
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