Review of The Proposition (2005) by Sean H — 08 Aug 2008

BRUTAL, unrelenting and supremely atmospheric, John Hillcoat's The Proposition is a grimly compelling fable set in the harsh Australian Outback of the 1880s.

In the film's world, the villainous Burns brothers are the most feared thugs around. When British militia commander Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) captures Charley (Guy Pearce) and Mikey Burns (Richard Wilson - no, not that one...) at the scene of brutal rape and murder, he makes the proposition of the title, offering Charley the chance to save himself and Mikey from the noose - by seeking out and killing his older brother Arthur (Danny Huston).

Hillcoat certainly creates a plausibly primitive 19th-Century Australian wasteland - the heat rolls off the screen and you almost find yourself blinking in the dust or swatting away the flies that never stop buzzing around the actors. There's a constant backdrop of threat and the occasional eruption of extreme violence.

The cast, also including Emily Watson, John Hurt and The Lord Of The Rings' David Wenham, is remarkably strong and, without exception, they deliver outstanding performances.

The main problem is the story itself. The Proposition's screenplay is the work of the musician and songwriter Nick Cave and it's crammed full of Cave's usual interests and motifs: good and evil, brooding violence, death, lust and murder. Cave can certainly turn a phrase and, when set to music, those phrases are often very memorable indeed. Delivered as dialogue, though, they can sound absurdly over-theatrical.

Ray Winstone as an Army captain married to posh Emily Watson? That's a stretch in itself. But when the gruff, Cockney Winstone sticks his head out of a hut, gazes into Hillcoat's (marvellously shot) Outback heat and, channeling the Bard, intones: "What fresh hell is this?", laughter is the only sane response.

Later, John Hurt shows up as an unusually verbose bounty hunter, splendidly called Jellon Lamb. Lamb is also after Arthur and at one point exclaims: "Some say he sleeps - like the KRAKEN!".

Towards the end, a traditional family sits down for a meal, little realising that the Burns gang are racing across the plains to massacre them. "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful," says the man of the house. It's hilarious but I don't think it's meant to be. It would still probably sound great to the tune of Stagger Lee, though.

There's a great, authentic-sounding score written and performed by Cave and his fellow Bad Seed Warren Ellis. All wheezing vocals, twanging guitars and acoustic whimsy, it provides a perfect backdrop for the grisly goings-on.

The film, bravely aiming for the splendid ambience of an arty 1970s western, is a brave stab that doesn't quite hit home. Pace is another stumbling block, with Hillcoat often favouring long shots of the landscape and rambling scenes featuring unsympathetic characters with portentous dialogue which do nothing to move the plot forward.

But its thoughtfulness and idiosyncrasy mean it's still a cut above most recent movies and, for Cave fans, absolutely essential viewing.