The Proposition Director: John Hillcoat Starring: Guy Pierce 3 Stars
John Hillcoat's The Proposition wonderfully distorts elements of the classic western and places it in a modern context. The entire film takes place in the western-typical, harsh and rugged terrain, only in this film it is the 1880s in the Australian outback. Nonetheless, the cacti, loner antagonist and Native Americans (Aborigines in this case) are all there. Surprisingly enough, the film does not evade the uncomfortable Aboriginal history of the time period.
Despite this classic backdrop, Hillcoat puts a modern twist on the film. The action sequences are reminiscent of Tarantino which means the blood is gratuitous and the violence excessive. The audience is immediately jolted into a room where bullets fly by your head as the film opens with a shootout.
The story follows the moral dilemma of Charlie Burns (Guy Pierce), who is propositioned by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) with the opportunity to save his youngest brother's life in return for killing his psychotic older brother. Danny Huston offers a remarkable performance as Pierce's savage and troubled older brother, Arthur Burns. You certainly must have a love for Westerns or film in general to enjoy this movie because it is solemn to say the least. Loyalty, family and betrayal are explored with a shocking and morally wrenching ending that is extremely beautiful in a disturbing way. The film is visually striking and poetic, despite the grotesque. Hillcoat seems to have reinvented the Western, blowing a refreshing breath of life back into this abandoned genre.
