Reinventing the western

The sky is a burning mixture of reds and oranges as the sun sets upon the horizon. For miles all one can see is nothing but the dusty, tree-less plains, with not even a mountain in sight. It looks just like a Western, yet we learn we aren't in the American west; rather, the Australian outback of the late 19th century. \n"The Proposition" opens with one of the greatest shoot-outs in recent history as two outlaws are pinned down in a ramshackle cabin by local authorities. Suppressed and beaten down, the men are Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) and his younger brother Mike (Richard Wilson), two of the four members of the Burns gang who are responsible for a slew of brutal crimes. With Mike thrown in jail, Charlie is given a proposition by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone): Kill your eldest brother and your youngest shall be set free. He has nine days to accomplish this, but the notorious Arthur Burns (Danny Huston) hasn't been seen in weeks. \nWhile the film does contain scenes of gritty brutality, it's not full of horseback chases or shoot-out after shoot-out. It's the journey of a man in painful isolation. Guy Pearce rides along on his steed, resembling a living corpse with his greased hair, yellowed teeth and skeletal frame -- he is the Grim Reaper, whose trusty scythe has been replaced by a revolver, searching for one more soul to collect. \nEvery performance here is bold and noteworthy. Winstone's conviction is believable, proclaiming that he will "civilize this land." At his side is Emily Watson playing the wife who quietly admires her husband, even though she could lose him at any given moment in this savage land. Huston plays Arthur Burns with such restraint that it is frightening. And while given only short amounts of screen-time, John Hurt and Aussie native David Wenham are each given roles worth remembering. \nThe biggest surprise is those who made the film. Helmed by the relatively green John Hillcoat, his direction consists of broad, masterful strokes upon a canvas worthy to be seen alongside so many auteurs of the genre. Perhaps even more unexpected, singer/songwriter Nick Cave wrote the solid screenplay and haunting soundtrack. In one of the many featurettes on the DVD, Hillcoat said he asked Cave to write the story because of his excellent narrative sense in all his musical work. This is Cave's first full-length screenplay, but you'd swear he's been doing it for years. \nFive featurettes totaling a half-hour and a Hillcoat/Cave commentary track are the only extras to be found on the DVD. Most of the featurettes are comprised of interviews with the actors, all of whom signed on because of the excellent script and the fact they could work with Nick Cave. For the creators, their time spent in these supplements details the lengths to which authenticity was pursued, especially when portraying the indigenous population under British rule and the racial divide between two cultures. Considering Hillcoat and Cave are Aussies, one would expect such accuracy. \n"The Proposition" is a film I cannot applaud enough, as it remains vastly unseen due to its limited release. Easily one of the best films of 2006 and perhaps the greatest western since Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven," it deserves to be remembered for many years to come.