The Proposition

[Feraud]

Nick Cave's name came up in the "what book are you reading" thread and reminded me of this.

This weekend I saw the trailer for The Proposition. From imdb:

Set in Outback Australia of the 1880s, the movie follows the turn of events after the horrific rape and murder of a settler family by Charlie and his brothers. Guy Pearce stars as Charlie Burns who is offered a proposition by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone), whereby he and his younger brother Mikey can go Scot free of the crime they have committed, if Charlie kills his older brother Arthur, an outlaw Capt. Stanley is intent on bringing to justice. If Charlie fails to comply, Mikey will be hanged on Christmas Day.

Written by Nick Cave.

 

[jake_fink]

I was supposed to see this at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, but missed it due to another deadline. I'm looking forward to it with reservations. I think Nick Cave is one of the all time great pop/rock artists, a great songwriter, connected to tradition but also utterly unique. As a writer outside of his lyrics, I'm luke warm. And the Ass Saw the Angel is a little much for my taste, overblown and out of control - but he was flying on heroin when he wrote that. The previous collaboration of director and Cave (apart from music videos) was Ghosts of the Civil Dead, a kind of long episode of Oz before Oz. Okay, but not essential.

So I don't know.

My final reservation, and really the main one, is that Danny Huston (son of John) is really just not a good actor.

I love westerns though... so here's to being hopeful.


PS Great soundtrack!

 

[mysterygal]

After reading the story line, I know for a fact that it's nothing that I'd be even remotely interested in

 

[Feraud]

Alright, this movie is out on dvd. Has anyone seen it? Comments?

I wanted to love it, but ended up liking it. The story needed a bit more focus during the latter half. Ray Winstone's character seemed to fall apart mid-film. The bad guys mostly sat around in a cave. The music and poetry was interesting.

I give it an "A" for effort and a "B" overall.

 

[jake_fink]

I saw at the theatre months ago. I loved it.

If you like your westerns violent, nasty, ugly, sweaty, dirty and fly blown, and if you don't want any boring romance cluttering them up, then you will like this movie. It is a serious, compelling, well made Aussie western.

If you prefer John Wayne to Clint Eastwood, Lash LaRue to Lee Van Cleef, Zane Grey to Cormac McCarthy or Meldoy Ranch to Deadwood, then you may not dig it.

 

[Jack Scorpion]

Nick Cave is my favorite artist of all time. Was it my mention of his book in that thread? Hah. I read And the Ass Saw the Angel. T'was good.

Nick Cave loves Southern Gothic and one of his favorite movies is The Night of the Hunter with Bob Mitchum, also one of my favorite movies, and I believe The Proposition is basically a take on that.

Somehow, however, I have yet to see The Proposition, nor the first movie Nick Cave co-wrote. Actually, as chance has it, I was at Fry's Electronics this morning looking for that very DVD -- I am confident enough that I'd love the flick that I'm ready to purchase pre-view.

Ill repost once I've seen it.

Always love to see his name mentioned.

Zach

 

[herringbonekid]

the movie oscillates between a sort of sun-drenched dreamy lyricism, mainly due to the barren bleached-out landscape and hypnotic score, and very real graphic violence. not the sort of cartoonish stylised violence of the Coen brothers but brutally real almost documentary violence (a shot of decapitated bodies, for example, lying on the ground). it's not nearly as wordy as you would expect from Nick Cave (i was expecting some very stylised, dense, quoteable stuff) but then some of the character's aren't particularly articulate. it doesn't reference 'night of the hunter' explicitally, except that they are both 'stalking' movies and very tense. gruelling, but with a pitch black humour throughout. more a film to endure and admire than love.

 

[jake_fink]

Nick Cave is my favorite artist of all time. Was it my mention of his book in that thread? Hah. I read And the Ass Saw the Angel. T'was good.

Nick Cave loves Southern Gothic and one of his favorite movies is The Night of the Hunter with Bob Mitchum, also one of my favorite movies, and I believe The Proposition is basically a take on that.

Somehow, however, I have yet to see The Proposition, nor the first movie Nick Cave co-wrote. Actually, as chance has it, I was at Fry's Electronics this morning looking for that very DVD -- I am confident enough that I'd love the flick that I'm ready to purchase pre-view.

Ill repost once I've seen it.

Always love to see his name mentioned.

Zach

You'll be pleased to know that The Proposition was such a success that director John Hillcoat and star Ray Winstone will be back together on another Nick Cave scripted project very soon. It's a black comedy (you were expecting a romantic comedy from Herr Cave?) set in London called Death of a Ladies Man. If the title is anything to go by I guess we can expect a Cave cover of the titular Cohen song, which is fine with me.

You must have seen Wings of Desire, yes?

 

[Mr. Sable]

I haven't seen this yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. I've always loved his songwriting and music... as well as 'anti-westerns', like "Unforgiven" and "Ravenous". This seems very much an 'anti-western'.

I'm making a film inspired by a song by one of Nick's 'Bad Seeds', Barry Adamson (my favourite artist of all time). Adamson is also delving into film, but none so big as Cave's yet.

 

[Feraud]

I haven't seen this yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. I've always loved his songwriting and music... as well as 'anti-westerns', like "Unforgiven" and "Ravenous". This seems very much an 'anti-western'.

Those are great films. You will probably like The Proposition also.
I was disappointed to see Winstone's character lose his "fire and brimstone" brand of justice and the bad guys not earning their reputation until late in the film.
I bought the dvd and will definitely give it another viewing.

 

[Caledonia]

Very good film. Ray Winstone tends to have one facial expression whatever he's playing, but he's pretty good with it. Guy Pearce manages another nicely observed off-beat character. It's a bad guy on bad guy film with violence that I was pleased to see was effective and not gratuitous. I liked the fact the really bad guys didn't turn that on till later - I mean bad guys have other sides too (vis a vis the bit with the dog) - and as always Emily Watson is too cute for words. This weekend it's The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada .

 

[Feraud]

This weekend it's The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada .

This movie was excellent!! Please let us know what you think.

 

[airfrogusmc]

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada you will not be disapointed!! Great film.

The Proposition is a must see on my list to. One of my favorite westerns in Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch.

 

[Caledonia]

As noted Three Burials was duly run this weekend past. Bit slow in the first part I thought. Not overly keen on the two time period overlap method, but it served a purpose. But... El Viaje was marvellous! Or was that viejo? Can't remember, but that bit. There was an almost perfect overlap between the imagery of old westerns, and the reality of modern day, and TLJ captured simple justice and redemption beautifully. Mr and Mrs Border Patrol put in strong performances both, but I wasn't buying Mrs Coffeehouse. It didn't ring true. Loved the black comedy moments with poor Melchiades, and I can't ignore the issue raised by (and I paraphrase) "do me a favour. Shoot me". I could labour a few weak points and personal dislikes, but I'm in an upbeat moment! Let's right it up as a good one. Classic? Not sure. I think something like The Unforgiven might beat it, but I think it'll stand the test of time well enough.

 

[Jack Scorpion]

Finally, I watched this. Purchased it on DVD.

Great movie.

I'm a huge Clint Eastwood fan, but I've never much considered him a good director. Sergio Leone, Sam Pekinpah -- these I consider the masters of modern westerns. Truth is I haven't seen a great Western from the 90s and 2000s ... (I didn't much like Unforgiven or Wyatt Earp) ... and I think The Proposition filled that void. It was very much in the tradition of the Western and I think it was quite the revitilization + renaissance for the genre.

Clint Eastwood said that there have always been westerns and there will always be westerns. I think a new wave is upon us and I am happy for it.

Three Burials is on my list to see.