Visitors Review

Boba_Fett1138 (2012-05-22 01:33)

Mostly style over substance but it's still a good movie.

An Australian western. How weird does that sound? Still the atmosphereand nature of Australia seems to fit the genre perfectly. It's a dirty,raw and bleak movie all in one.It's also a movie that's a bit too much aware of its own style. Itoften prefers its artistic and deeper meaning approaches over its truestory. The movie at times definitely feels like its style oversubstance and it prevented me from truly finding this a great movie. Ofcourse westerns are often about its style and atmosphere but this moviedefinitely over does this at times.No, the movie was not as great as I had initially expected it to be. Ithad a more than great concept and enough elements in it to expect thisto be a fresh and original movie. It's still fresh and original all butthe whole package still slightly disappoints.Having said that, "The Proposition" is simply still a good movie towatch. It doesn't have the best written story but the way it's beingtold still makes this a good genre movie. It's of course slow, doesn'talways feature a lot of dialog and features some typical charactersfrom the genre., that all makes this a good watch, especially whenyou're into 'modern' new westerns, such as movies like "Unforgiven","Open Range" and "3:10 to Yuma".The movie has a surprising cast, with mostly Australian actors that arealso well known beyond the boundaries. Best known is of course GuyPearce and John Hurt but it's really Ray Winstone who gives away thebest and most impressive performance of the movie. To me he also wasthe main character and I'm not too sure if the movie would had workedout as well without him.A good and original western from Australia.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

george.schmidt (2012-05-21 20:43)

Echoes of Ford, Peckinpah, Leone, & Eastwood - the best Western since "Unforgiven"

Echoes of Ford, Peckinpah, Leone, & Eastwood - the best Western since"Unforgiven"Musician Nick Cave has crafted a basic meat - and - potatoes screenplayfor this unapologetically brutal morality Western fable set in thegrimy arid No Man's Land of the Australian Outback circa the 1880sfocusing on the titular offering given by lawman Captain Stanley (thealways excellent Winstone) to captured outlaw Charlie Burns (dittoPearce): his prisoner can get off from the crimes charged of murder andrape in exchange for either of his gang's brothers, the cold-bloodedArthur (a chillingly good Huston, a chip off the old master, hisfather, John's shoulder), his eldest, or his feeble-minded youngerbrother Mikey (Wilson) also in stir who will be hung on Christmas Dayif Charlie fails to materialize with Arthur in the five allotted daysto trek the wilderness for his sinister sibling.With its basic trappings of redemption and being torn between familybonds and self-preservation Cave, a relative novice to the art ofscreen writing, concocts a taut, no-holds barred hard look at theunspoken truths of the old West, namely duty, honor and courage whichhave been abandoned for greed, self-destruction and destiny. Hischaracters are all at a stalemate deciding on their fates. CaptainStanley is a drunk whose passion for the military has been compromisedby his faith in his wife Martha (an equally good Watson) who demandsjustice for her beloved friend, the victim of the crimes committed.Meanwhile Stanley's cowardly vulgar squad has ill-will and contempt forthe impotent leader and to make matters worse the dust-choked village'sofficial, Eden Fletcher (Wenham, a well-coifed weasel) is hell-bent onpunishing the imprisoned Mikey by forcing his indecisive jailer to lashhim 100 times with a cat-o-nine tails.Kudos to the make-up by Sally Gordon and her crew for the unsettlingbloodiness; Jill Eden and Margot Wilson's perfect set decorations andcostume designs respectively; Chris Kennedy's grotty production design;the evocative cinematography of Benoit Delhomme; razor-sharped joltingediting by Jon Gregory and Ian Seymour and finally Cave doing doubleduty with his eerie soundtrack collaboration with Warren Ellis(including an unnerving piano tinkling of "Jesus Loves Me").Director Hillcoat (who collaborated with Cave once before in 1988's"Ghosts…of the Civil War" of which I am unfamiliar with at all)effectively depicts the harsh realities of the Old West with its flyheavy, grimy and murderously hot environs reflecting the evils of itsgood and bad guys and the common ground they all understand: one manfor himself. With echoes of past oater auteurs Ford for his scope,Peckinpah for the all-too-realistic graphic violence (and there's somehumdingers sprinkled liberally throughout; the squeamish have beenwarned!); Leone for his vision and Eastwood for his themes of a ManWith No Name vanquishing the status quo. This is the best Western sincethe latter's neo-genre classic "Unforgiven".

(2012-05-20 11:16)

Extremely Violent, Well-done Western

Set in the 1880s and filmed in the Australian Outback, The Proposition recounts the efforts of local town sheriff, Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone), to bring the outlaw Burns brothers to justice after their savage rape and murder of Mrs. Hopkins and her family. Stanley lives in the remote prairie with his beautiful wife, Martha (Emily Watson). After capturing two of the Burns, he offers Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) a pardon if he were to kill Arthur Burns (Danny Huston), leader of the outlaw family. When the youngest Burns is given a deadly dose of 100 lashes in public before he is to be hanged, the Burns decide to make the inevitable rescue attempt and punish those responsible. Charlie, now riding with his older brother, must decide whether to honor the proposition. The movie is well acted by all and the photography beautifully depicts the stark landscape that is not unlike the dry American southwest. The Proposition is blatantly violent as it leaves the viewer with little to imagine in its clear depiction of savage head bashings and one getting his head blown off. Despite the fine cast, perhaps its brutality was the prime reason the movie was not widely distributed in the U.S., appearing only in 200 theaters for several weeks and barely taking in $1.5 million. The BD quality is fine and and, if you like Westerns, the film itself is definitely worth a view.

wmjaho (2012-05-19 17:30)

Gritty History

The best part about The Proposition is that it is a glimpse ofAustralian history that few of us know anything about. ScreenwriterNick Caves, who is primarily a composer, tells the fascinating thestory of rival factions striving for control of the Australian outbackin the 19th century. While we are never given dates, but director JohnHillcoat said in the Sundance Q&A that it roughly represents the secondgeneration of imports, or children of the first convicts. The battlefor supremacy is between the Irish and the British, with the aboriginestragically caught in-between.The Burns gang is Irish, led by the educated, perceptive and slightlypsychopathic elder brother Arthur (Danny Huston). Brother Charlie (GuyPearce) no longer rides with the gang, apparently sickened by theirwanton cruelty. The movie starts with British soldiers ambushingCharlie and his apparently retarded and hyper-sensitive brother Mike(Richard Burns). They are seeking justice for the rape and killing of alocal white family by Arthur and his gang. British Captain Stanley (RayWinstone) captures Charlie and Mike and gives Charlie aproposition—find your brother Arthur and kill him or your belovedbrother Mike will be hanged on Christmas Day.This is a gritty western that boldly strives for realism, complete withobscene and graphic violence, yellow teeth and nasty flies. (Accordingto the cast at Sundance, the realism was intensified by filmingentirely on location, sometimes in 130 degree temperatures with theflies as constant companions. "Everyone swallowed flies," saidHilcoat.) It deglamorizes the period in much the same way thatEastwood's Unforgiven did in 1992.Guy Pearce puts in a solid performance as the strong silent type madeup of sinewy strength and moral fiber. Winstone is also terrific as theethically conflicted British captain, who vows to civilize the land,but recognizes that savagery is not the solution. John Hurt turns in afine little performance that's a lot of fun. But I was most impressedwith Danny Huston (John Huston's son, Anjelica's brother and formerhusband to Virginia Madsen (Sideways). His character is rich andmulti-dimensional and Huston plays it magnetically: educated andintelligent, lover of Australian sunsets, sensitive Irish patriot,leader of the family and sadistic executor of frontier justice. Evenafter stomping people to death and beheading others I still couldn'thelp feeling for the character.(I spoke to Huston after the performance and asked him if it wasn'tunsettling being caked in blood and gore and playing such a ruthlesscharacter. He said it was a lot of fun. OK, so he goes to a differentschool than Daniel Day-Lewis. Anyway, I thought he carried the movie.)It would be hard for me to recommend this as entertainment. It was veryslow-moving at times, relying on cinematography and landscape to keepyour attention. And the blood and guts were way too much—I found myselfclosing my eyes in parts. But it does provide a rare glimpse of a partof history that Australians still grapple with to this day.

Blackwind-2 (2012-05-19 10:07)

Question concerning John Hurt

Saw it last night, been thinking about it. There were a few choppyparts, but acting was very good.My question is, what do you all think the purpose of John Hurt'scharacter was? I don't think that he really served much of a purpose.He didn't give Guy Pearce much information when he met him the firsttime (when he kept cracking the Irish jokes), and he died suddenly. Itseemed like his presence muddied up the pace. I usually like him, too.Was it something to the effect of: so you see what someone committed toviolence (bounty hunting) turns out to be after so long? He was apretty depraved guy all-around. He certainly didn't have much in theway of morals, but then again, neither did several other characters.How did he know where Pearce was, anyway, when he captured him?

Ryu_Darkwood (2012-05-18 17:07)

Aussi western....and it works!

I was a bit scared that an Australian western just wouldn't work, butthis movie definitely proved otherwise. Set against the harsh realityof the colonialism in Australia, this movie is telling the story of aman that must make a '' Sophie's choice '' between either his olderbrother or his younger one. On the other hand we see the storyline ofthe sheriff that captured the young sibling and is demanding thishorrific exchange. His wife lost a dear friend because of the brothers,and she's forcing him to punish them as severely as possible.The strength of this movie is that it doesn't choose any sides. Thereare villains nor heroes, good people nor bad people; just a bunch ofpeople victimized by the harshness of life during that particular partof history.I liked this movie. It brings back a new élan to the western-genre,stripping it from certain clichés while putting it in a correcthistorical context. This is what the western needed for quite some timenow. And you know, I kinda hope that this title generates moreAustralian based westerns in the near future.The only thing I have to comment at is that the relationship betweenthe two older brothers felt a bit rushed. They had very little screentime together. A missed chance.

(2012-05-17 21:54)

The Most Beautiful Hell Hole on Earth ...

... with a little help from cinematography, of course, is the barren Australian Outback, the real star of The Proposition. When the two older Burns Brothers sit on their mesa gazing at the sunset, stirred by its beauty, it's hard to fathom their viciousness. We know they're both killers, psychopaths, utter outcasts from a community that is already the fly-specked outer fringe of civilization. We know - because it's the premise of the film - that one brother might have to kill the other before the last frame. There are actually four brothers in the gang but the younger two are mentally limited. They're being pursued by 'the law' more assiduously than previously because of a raid on a homestead during which they murdered a whole family after raping a pregnant woman. They're not morally -- or aesthetically -- appealing, these Burns brothers, but the craft of film-making is such that we the audience feel more empathy for them than for the nasty customers -- drunken slob troopers, bounty hunters, and one well-dressed prig who must be the town banker -- who are howling for their blood. The only well-meaning chap in sight is Captain Stanley, a hired law enforcer who has brought his genteel wife to this badlands. The Captain dreams that it's his role to bring order to this frontier, but even he is morally compromised from the first scene, in which he makes the "proposition" that brother Charlie Burns should murder his older brother Arthur in order to save his younger brother Mikey from hanging on Christmas Day. Besides, what the frontier really wants of him is the extermination of the aborigines. The man hasn't a prayer! His role is truly quixotic.Now, in some films, one might look for back-fill, -- causation, clues -- about how the Burns Brothers became outcasts, but there are no explanations to be had in The Proposition. Things are. Period. There's a lot of the harrowing atmosphere of a Patrick White novel, "Voss" for instance, in this film. Patrick White was Australia's sole Nobel Prize for Literature winner, so far. Like the 'bounty hunter' who tangles with the Burns Brothers, Patrick White's characters are often haggard, filthy, desiccated men with backgrounds of education and class. They are, at the same time, more degenerate and more metaphysical than your average gunslinger in an American western shoot-em-up. As far as I know, the script of The Proposition isn't based on anything of White's, but it could have been. Or perhaps it's really Australia; it's the harsh history of Australia that infuses both Patrick White's novels and this film. Still, I found myself not quite accepting the climax of the film, which I have to refrain from disclosing. I'm not quite desiccated enough myself to be content with "Things are". My reluctance to merely believe in an act that seems unbelievable is the reason for my deduction of a star from my rating.

John Bale (2012-05-17 01:31)

Aussie Western makes Tombstone look like Paradise.

Nick Cave's essay in the true and tried Western format, shows how aharsh land (Colonial Australia) brutalizes the men who try and conquerit. Yet this tale has passages of lyricism that counterpoint the suddenmoments of savagery. It is a very gritty often grisly picture of 19thCentury Australia, warts and all, right down to swarms of blowflies.Perhaps the sadistic violence gets a bit over the top especiallytowards the end, but thanks to a fine cast, crisp direction, and thescorched cinematography it generally works. A standout performance in aminor role by John Hurt rather steals the show, while Ray Winstone andEmily Watson are particularly sensitive together. One suspects theharsh conditions are somewhat overstated for dramatic purposes, thoughthe story is supposedly based on fact. Tombstone Territory never lookedas unpleasant as this. It is certainly one of the most interestingperiod dramas made in Australia.

Mark Hale (2012-05-16 08:21)

Murder Ballad Movie

I wouldn't watch "The Proposition" again, for much the same reasonsthat I don't have any Nick Cave CDs in my collection. Screenwriter NickCave is an intelligent and insightful man and there are scenes of greatintensity in this movie. However, there is little here that doesn'tfeel borrowed from other movies or classic tales. Philosophical and grisly in turns, "The Proposition" is an art houserevenge tale. It's well acted, well shot and well written but stillsomehow manages to be less than the sum of its excellent parts. Letdown by a predictable final act, Mr Cave's opus left me ambivalent. Isort of understand why he's as well respected as he is, but his moviehas no place in my DVD collection.

Katie (2012-05-15 23:30)

Like Cain & Abel (with an extra brother...)

A real treat of a Western - gritty, bloody, unjust & riddled withflies. An apocalyptic glimpse of some hard family lessons from NickCave. Brilliant performances all round thanks to Ray Winstone, EmilyWatson & Guy Pearce in particular. Visually stunning due to thelocation (anyone with the ability to remove a lens cap or activate acamera would capture something beautiful in that wonderful countryAustralia! But these scenes just envelope you and burn into your brain- in a good way). Tempting to add more to this scant comment box but itmight just take something away from your viewing pleasure. And thatwould be a travesty because this is definitely a film to go in "fresh"to.

(2012-05-14 21:17)

A good one

This review is from: The Proposition [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I bought this movie hoping to see an action western, well it's not but it's a very good drama and it left me with a very very good impression. I would recommend this one to my friends.

Timothy Phillips (2012-05-14 10:24)

The Aussie Western Has Arrived--and a note on a gaff

A brutal and yet at the same time lyrical film, this movie also remindsus that Australia had an evolution that parallels that of the AmercianOld West, with many of the same types of stories playing out in an evenmore unforgiving landscape. I was a bit surprised that a musicalanachronism crept in, especially since this movie was sound tracked bymy favorite musician on earth, Nick Cave, along with the redoubtableWarren Ellis.Please note one gaff: When Charley Burns (Guy Pearce) enters the shantybar and meets John Hurt's character, Hurt sings a satirical version ofthe old Irish-American standard, "Danny Boy." This movie is set in the1880s, but the song was written in 1910 by Frederick Weatherly, anEnglish lawyer, and set to the tune of "Londonderry Air" in 1913.

gracie28 (2012-05-10 11:07)

a well orchestrated bloodbath

The casting was fine, the acting and directing were good. The plot wasengorged with blood which splattered from one end of the film to theother. We really thought it was a bit over the top. Is it reallynecessary to display that kind of gore to produce a worthwhile film?Guy Pearce was excellent in his understated role. And the poet spoutingbrother was as good a homicidal maniac as we've seen in awhile. But thekilling, maiming and bleeding got to be a bit much after awhile. Almostto the point of being camp. The Outback was well portrayed and theaborigines were handled with appropriate crudeness and the settlerswere as grim a bunch as you'll find anywhere. Considering Australiabegan as a penal colony, I suppose there is some historical accuracyhere. Not recommended for those who are offended by gratuitousbloodletting.

dukesdungeon (2012-05-10 04:25)

Katie... I Think We Share The Same Thoughts On This Movie!

I've seen a lot of excellent Australian productions from the 'Squeeze AFlower', 'They're A Weird Mob', 'A Town Like Alice' and 'Tim' era,through to 'Quigley Down Under' and many more. These have my absolute'thumbs-up' award.Now I have to add another. 'The Proposition'. This is a masterpiece!The storyline, the photography, the effects and, not least of all, theactors and that outstanding actress, Emily Watson, are top class. Ihave to warn you now, there are some graphic shots in this movie, andjust in case you've never seen someone who's having his head split intwo by an extremely vicious bullet or you just didn't happen to bearound when someone blew their toes off with a gun (usually becausethey were kind of 'stupid'), be prepared for some pretty graphic stuff.This movie, in my opinion, is absolutely EXCELLENT! Katie, I hope youwere as impressed as I with this great bit of Australian performance.

(2012-05-09 17:06)

Western - Australian style

How many western movies have you seen that are from Australia? This was my first one and it was one of the best westerns I have seen so far. This is not just an action movie where guys run on the horses, shoot their guns and ride into a sunset. This is a complex story about relationship between aborigines and white settlers, it is a morality tale and a story about is single man whose desire to "civilize the land" brings nothing but chaos and destruction even in his own family. I am hoping that more filmmakers from Australia will pusue this genre. Actors are haunting in the accuracy of the characters they portray. The beauty of the land is overcome with the oppression of the heat. It is as if flies, sun, dirt are all contributing to savagery of the people around it. Once you see this movie, you will be changed.

Guy (2012-05-08 22:09)

Pretentious Australians?

THE PROPOSITION has a great premise. An outlaw is captured alongsidehis younger brother. The Policeman who did it offers him the titularproposition. Find and kill his elder brother- or else the youngerbrother will be hanged .Sadly despite this excellent premise and an interesting setting - aWestern set in the Victorian Australian Outback - the film throws itall away with poor plotting, uninteresting characters, a lack ofrespect for those it portrays and an over-long running time.The number one problem is that the screenplay becomes far toointerested in the Policeman (Ray Winstone) and places his story on parwith that of the Outlaw (Guy Pearce). Instantly the story becomesover-long in order to accommodate this second major plot. It doesn'thelp that, unlike the Outlaw, the Policeman has no real goal toachieve, no stakes, indeed, nothing much to do at all. This alsoresults in a lack of characterisation for the Outlaw. Stripped ofdialogue you cannot care about this enigma of a man, whilst the centralquestion of the film - will he kill his elder brother to save hisyounger brother? - is never sufficiently teased. The film makes a number of other missteps. It asks the audience tosympathise with the elder brother, despite him being a murderer and arapist (and showing no real remorse for either). It forces modernattitudes on the past, notably in the corporal punishment scene wherethe (mentally retarded) younger brother is whipped. At the beginningthe crowd cheer but by the end they drift away, sickened. Not only doesthis not make sense (why the change?) but it is also historicallydishonest. Victorians were quite happy with corporal punishment. Thedisgust of the crowd is that of the filmmakers, not that of thehistorical people. It also continues the tedious trend of self-hatingimperial films in which all the white male characters are swine whilstwomen and natives are wise and sympathetic (the only character I caredabout was the almost silent Aborigine tracker- who was promptlymurdered).Nick Cave did the music, which all to often means long, slow,unnecessary shots of Australia set to music. Once might have been finebut every time the story starts moving they throw another of theseboring musical pauses in. A handful of sub plots, such as John Hurt'scharacter, serve only to eke out more running time. This film shouldstand as a perfect example of how 'artiness' can ruin a film.

Jeremy Liebster (2012-05-05 08:18)

The best film I have seen in a very long time

My all time top five favourite films is a list that has remainedhappily undisturbed for the past few years. I've seen some excellentfilms in that time but nothing that has had me scratching my head andgetting ready for the problems of entering a new entry. Until last weekwhen I came out of the cinema having seen The Proposition. This film issimply magnificent. The direction is stunning and should have won thedirector an Oscar - every scene feels as though it has been carefullythought about and this makes for beautiful and harrowing visions of thewild Australian frontier. The acting is marvellous with Ray Winstoneputting in a career best performance (which is really saying somethingfor Britain's best actor). Everyone else is also superb even down tothe sinister locals who in their looks and mannerisms seem to havestepped straight out of the nineteenth century. Yes, the film isdisturbing and the violence can make for uncomfortable viewing. Butthis is of course necessary to bring home just how dangerous andanarchic life on the frontier really must have been. The film's scorehelps to create a haunting atmosphere throughout and the story, thoughsimple, is genuinely moving. I really am not used to using so manysuperlatives in a film review but The Proposition leaves me no choice.Anyone who enjoys cinema must see it.

(2012-05-05 02:19)

Best Doggone Western In The Southern Hemisphere

This 2005 Australian film hit limited theatres in the US last May without much fanfare. Too bad for the filmmakers, because they could have probably done a lot better than a $2 million box office if had they marketed the movie a little bit better. And too bad for the American movie going public, because a much larger audience should have been treated to one of the best movies of the past 2 years.The first comparison that comes to mind is Eastwood's The Unforgiven. But rest assured, The Proposition is no imitation. It is a classic Western that ranks right up there with the best in the genre. The Proposition is realistic. It's suspenseful. It's brutal. It's well acted. It's well directed (by little known John Hillcoat).In the 1880s, after the rape/murder of an Australian Outback family by Arthur Burns, his two brothers and their pals Sam and Two Bob, Captain Stanley (popular character-actor Ray Winstone) captures Charlie Burns and Mikey Burns and offers Charlie "The Proposition": Charges will be dropped against Charlie and his young, impressionable brother Mikey if Charlie hunts down and kills his older brother Arthur. But there is a stipulation: Charlie has to find and kill Arthur in 9 days or Mikey will be hung on Christmas Day.Why would Stanley make a Proposition that results in the just deserts of only one of the rapist/murderers? Because Arthur is the misanthrope even though Arthur would argue that he and his band are not misanthropes at all...they're just family!This is not just a great Western. It's a great movie. Add it to your collection.

carolf7002 (2012-05-02 01:22)

Powerful, artistic but too violent.

I saw this film today with a friend who had a dual reason for going,seeing Guy Pearce again whom we both love, and because Nick Cave wrotethe script and choose the music. For me, a 60 year old woman, it tookcourage to attend knowing what I would in-for violence-wise. A bit morecharacter development of the Burns brothers would have been of benefitand the violence toned-down would have helped, at least from thiswoman's perspective.I thought Ray Winstone had a very challenging role as he was a caringman, foolhardy in obvious ways, but still one who was behind violenceacts against the aborigines and against criminals. I felt that themovie had some Shakespearian tragedy aspects to it, and that the therewas even a Christ figure, but I don't want to say more because ofruining the storyline for others. Shakespeare has had officers of thelaw being like buffoons and this definitely had that happening in somesegments.This is the kind of movie that I liked a lot, but it was toodistressing at so many places to watch again. So, I am glad that I sawthe movie in a theater, but for me, I couldn't recommend the movie toanyone unless they are prepared for heavy sometimes gory violence. Idid feel it was gratuitous in some places. I like the word "visceral"to describe the movie, as a reviewer here stated, as I could feel themovie physically after sitting through it. It left me shaken. GuyPearce did not disappoint, nor did Emily Watson, like a beautifulflower against the dusty barren countryside, and Danny Huston, Ifinally liked him in a role in this film. The acting was all great; oh,not to forget the inimitable, John Hurt, again Shakespearian in hisdelivery. Oh yes, the heavy irony of the juxtapositions of patriotism withmassacre, and the civility of the sheriff's home life, sensitive wife,and tender feelings with the gritty ruthless violence rampant inAustralia at that time. Thanks, Carol

rdowb (2012-05-01 21:03)

Welcome back the Western

The Proposition is a dirty western set in Australia. This a movie thatrevels in the dust and sweat and blood that appear on screen. You feelthe wretchedness of the times. There is brilliant symbolism in this movie. Like any western, you haveyour lawmen and your outlaws. The lawmen want to civilize the countrywith this being reflected in their little cozy homes and proper attire.The outlaws don't care for structure so they appear dirty and unkempt,like the dust that refuses to be cleaned off the lawmen cozy homes. Thewestern genre has always been a breeding ground for matching theme tocontent. The Proposition is no different and excels. This is a very real western. Blood, grime, dirt, and gunfights.