The Proposition

Director: John Hillcoat (To Have and To Hold)
Cast: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, Richard Wilson, Danny Huston, John Hurt
Australia/UK , 2005

Seen: Aug 20, 2006 at The Bloor Cinema

Reason to see: Screenplay written by Nick Cave. I am on my second attempting my #7 on my 101 list: See 1 film a week in the theatre for a year. This is week 7/52.

I think I shoulda known what I was getting into but alas, I did not. Nick Cave wrote the screenplay and I'm a huge fan of his music - which maybe surprizing to some whom mostly know me as a pretty happy-go-lucky person and his music is pretty... dark. The violence in this film was so prominent and so grisly that I still can't distance myself from it to think about the film as a film as a whole. What has stuck with me are those grisly images and the horrific events in the film. I'm not sure what the intent was for this film. The only thing I can think of is it feels a little bit like an anti-revenge movie. Strangely, I don't regret seeing it as I often do with things this violent. I'm still processing it I suppose, still searching for meaning. I hope it's there. I can say without a doubt that both the music and acting were great.

Shannon's Overall View:
I don't think I enjoyed it
I would not watch it again
Who would recommend it to.... people who like westerns and don't mind things listed in the warnings...

Warnings: Extreme violence including mutilation, torture, sexual violence and very disturbing images.

No previews
No commericals
The film started exactly on time... Rock on.

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© Shannon Ridler, 2006