Review of Wind River (2017) by Paul F — 01 Feb 2018

Some films know how to show viewers what it feels like to be immersed in environments that are coated in snow and ice. These films transport those viewers to the freezing environments that they depict, and they make them feel the same frigid feelings that the characters feel. One film that was able to do this recently was 2015's The Revenant, one of my favorites of that year. 2017 brings another film that succeeds at this task, and that is Taylor Sheridan's Wind River. Of course, the film's ability to make its viewers feel physically cold is far from its only achievement, as it succeeds as an excellent character piece, a touching emotional ride, an exciting murder mystery, and an effective exploration of tough-to-tackle themes as well.

Wind River stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen in the lead roles, both playing roles very different from other roles that I've seen them in, like Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jeremy Renner plays Cory, a tracker and hunter for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Wyoming who discovers the body of a girl raped and frozen to death. Elizabeth Olsen portrays an out-of-her-depth FBI agent, Jane, called in from Las Vegas to assist Cory and the local police in the investigation. Both Renner and Olsen excel in their roles, offering nuanced and emotional performances that make the most of their surprising on-screen chemistry.

While the performances in Wind River make the film something special, the murder mystery piece excels especially in its storytelling. We have seen many, MANY murder mystery films released throughout history. It's certainly a hit-or-miss genre that features films that vary widely in quality. Some of these films are familiar and unoriginal, while others are able to deliver fresh takes on the genre and offer a thrilling experience. Wind River falls into the latter of the two categories. It excels on many levels and, as a result, will certainly appeal to a variety of audiences. As I implied, it is an excellent murder mystery. It never feeds the audience information, but at the same time it challenges them to think ahead of the characters in the film. There are many well-crafted scenes of tension and intensity that put me on the edge of my seat. The reveal at the film's climax is also one of the most creative and heartbreaking of any film I have seen. The way the shots at this point are edited and cut together make the scene absolutely riveting, leaving me in shock once it concluded. Of course, delving into detail about this would ruin the film, so I will refrain from doing so.

What makes Wind River truly standout from other films of its caliber is the way that it tackles a couple of recurring themes. The first and most obvious one deals with the treatment of Native Americans throughout our country's history. As suggested by the title, Wind River is set in the Wind River Indian Reservation, a large, cold, and isolated patch of land in the mountains of Wyoming. There are many scenes throughout the film that involve Jane, Olsen's character, interacting with the natives on the reservation in her efforts to learn information about the young Native American girl that was killed. Her interactions are contrasted smartly with the way that Cory, Renner's character, treats the same people. The former treats them with a level of disrespect and misunderstanding, while the latter (who has spent most of his life in the area) understands their position and knows how to treat them with respect. Additionally, there are many emotionally effective lines written into the script that demonstrates how Native Americans have been mistreated, underrepresented, and ignored during the formation and strengthening of the United States. This includes a jarring line of on-screen text at the film's conclusion that made me contemplate our government's treatment of its country's natives. This theme is prominent throughout most of the film, and it's an important idea to grasp. The second theme the film deals with is more straightforward, but it is explored thoughtfully: the human condition. Specifically, it shows how isolation in a land of little opportunity can drive humans to do unspeakable things. This is an idea that is difficult to understand for people like me who have spent their lives growing up in suburbs close to big cities. It inspires viewers to ponder their own lives and consider who they would be had they been born in a different place.

Wind River is an all-around spectacular film. In addition to the strengths that I already mentioned, the film looks fantastic: it features cinematography that showcases the beauty of the Wyoming landscape and makes you shiver because, like I mentioned in the introduction, it induces a feeling of chill and isolation. Its action/thrill scenes are edited in crafty ways that immerse the viewers in its intense moments. The film also showcases great writing that features dialogue that enhances its dominant themes and adds emotional depth to its characters. Aside from some mild predictability that arises due to the fatigue of the murder mystery genre, I cannot find any flaws in the film. For me, Wind River is near-perfect, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who has not seen it. Wind River gets 5 out of 5 stars.