by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
“Oscar Buzz” is a term we hear a lot and there was a time when it actually meant that the film in question was worth watching. Today “Oscar Buzz” is a catch phrase for any film that has a large enough budget to afford a really great publicist. Every now and then, however, a film is legitimately worthy of the afore mentioned buzz and becomes an early front-runner in the Oscar race. Flying just under the radar of most mainstream moviegoers, The Proposition is one of those films. The Proposition is now available on DVD.
In the virtually lawless 1880 Australian Outback, Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) apprehends two of the area’s most ruthless criminals, brothers Charlie (Guy Pearce; The Count of Monte Cristo) and Mike (Richard Wilson; Deck Dogz) Burns. Stanley makes Charlie a deal: if he kills his older, far more dangerous brother Arthur (Danny Huston; The Aviator) in nine days, both Charlie and Mike will go free. If he fails to return or complete the task, his younger childlike brother Mike will get the hangman’s noose. With no other choice Charlie agrees and makes his way into the desert in search of his brother and his gang. Meanwhile the town is out for blood and knowing that a member of the notorious Burns Gang is in the jailhouse has everyone worked into a frenzy including the Captain’s own wife Martha (Emily Watson; The Life and Death of Peter Sellers). In order to protect his own family, Stanley has to try and keep the lynch mob at bay until Charlie comes back while hiding the underhanded deal he made with him.
The Proposition was written by famed singer/songwriter Nick Cave who also provided most of the film’s music. After its theatrical release over a year ago, the film garnered a ton of critical praise worldwide and has racked up several awards including four Australian Film Institute Awards (the Land Down Under’s version of the Oscars) and the Gucci Prize at the Venice Film Festival for Cave’s screenplay. The United States finally got a chance to see the film when it was shown at various film festivals across the country earlier this year. For those who missed the handful of screenings, The Proposition is now available on DVD.
The Proposition DVD is loaded with a number of terrific, informative bonus features. First is an optional commentary with director John Hillcoat and writer/composer Nick Cave. Five featurettes were also included covering the making of the film, the story, script, characters, history and themes. Finally, seven deleted scenes made the cut, running about 12-minutes in length total, along side a photo gallery and the film’s trailer.
A modern-day western, The Proposition delivers everything you might expect from the genre including a gun fight or two, plenty of violence and a final showdown that is surprisingly bittersweet. Thanks to the fine writing, the film is both brutal and poetic, with enough blood and gore to make you squeamish but enough depictions of human frailty and sacrifice to keep you riveted. The grisly violence may be too much to bear for some viewers, but unlike many films we see today, the blood isn’t added for needless shock value; it actually adds realism to what we know was a terribly horrific place to live at the time. The acting here is all around terrific especially from those who play the Burns brothers; Pearce, Huston and Wilson. As Charlie, Pearce is completely believable, donning plenty of scruff and personifying the term “brooding”. Huston pulls off the cool sadist Arthur beautifully and Wilson adds the heart and heartbreak as the mostly innocent Mike, turning in an unforgettable performance that could have easily been over the top in anyone else’s hands. The story is a simple one and it works here, gradually introducing the audience to this nearly forgotten time in history and to the sometimes despicable, sometimes endearing, mostly tortured group of characters. The pacing in nice, moving along at a fairly rapid pace without feeling completely rushed. Gorgeous scenery of the Australian Outback further draws the viewer into this sometimes strange little world on the other side of the globe.
The Proposition is a remarkable film that completely deserves the high praise it has received. The film manages to transport the viewer to a different time and place, a feat most movies today fail miserably at. Drenched in blood, sweat and tears, The Proposition is an emotional ride that embodies the classic western feel while remaining distinctly Australian, a nice twist on what we are used to from the genre. I suspect the film’s riveting story, haunting score and terrific acting will be up for an award come Oscar season so be sure to check out this DVD so you’ll know what all the fuss is about.
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