The Proposition is a film so gritty you’ll be picking your teeth afterward.  The screenplay was penned by Nick Cave and it shows the tell-tale Southern Gothic flourishes that color his novel And the Ass Saw the Angel and albums such as Henry’s Dream.  Set in the wild lands of Australia, The Proposition sets a lawman who aims to “civilize this country” against a family of murderous Irish outlaws.  When two of the brothers are captured, Captain Stanley makes a proposition to Charles Burns: if he finds his older brother Arthur–the leader of the gang–and kills him, both he and his younger brother Mikey will be pardoned.  If he doesn’t manage to bring in Arthur, Mikey will be hanged on Christmas Day.

The Proposition is beautifully shot; essentially a Western morality play transplanted to the Australian badlands, the film’s relentless atmosphere of dirt, sweat, and blood (and there is a lot of blood) gives it a particular tactile feel that isn’t often seen in a cinematic world that prefers detachment or emotional manipulation over direct connection.  Beneath the crusty surface, the films calls into question the underlying assumptions of Australia’s colonial past: what is civilization?  what is the role of family at the edge of the world?  The problemization of these values lend The Proposition ethical heft; the tension between the townspeople’s need for revenge and Stanley’s idea of justice is palpable.

There are no comments yet. You could be the first!