Like my hero William Goldman would say “I LOVE stupid
courage.” And by the end of this re-do, you really believe in heroics again.
Now here’s the thing…the other part of this equation is that
the people looking for redemption ISN’T the girl who seeks revenge. It’s these
guys who, sliding into outlaw obscurity, decide to do the more noble thing. In
the John Sturges version…they play this a LOT more. That they aren’t there to
save he townsfolk, they are actually using them to buy themselves a place in
heaven. Because we know they’ve done terrible things. Director Antoine Fuqua
KNOWS how to hit those strings. The grizzled awful sweaty people who populate
his movies…find that redemption despite their own selfish needs. Watch “King Arthur”
to see how he is basically making the same movie. A strong female warrior,
recruiting the assistance of charlatans and them doing the right thing really
makes your heart swell.
I LOVE westerns, because my Pop and I use to watch all the
time. His English was awful, so those movies made sense to him. To me, I think
he really loved the wide open spaces (as I do now). Naturally, I have a
skepticism going into this movie. Westerns are really poorly made now. They’re
more “frontier” movies than westerns. But, this hit all the familiar territory
of those stories. A town that is being terrorized by a land baron. They recruit
a bottom feeder (very proficient) gunslinger. And he enlists the help of
misfits. Oh, that’s the other thing…these movies where they “assemble the crew”
is usually a dull drag. Though, these characters are so much fun, and Denzel’s character
Chisolm plays the salve to their feral being, you get so excited that these
guys might be touched in the head, but at least they’re on your side.
The girl in this movie is played by a bosomy Haley Bennett.
She is a desert flower in pile of manure. This town isn’t the typical dry
desolate wasteland (as is most of Sergio Leone’s pics). It’s actually a
thriving mini-town. But the people are bullied. And seem to be okay with it.
Until they see real corruption up front. And brutally obvious. The land baron
is played weasely by Stellan Skarsgard. As a man of means, he’s not satisfied
with some, he wants all. And he lectures at the pulpit to the townsfolk. Similar
to a Donald Trump. If you don’t like America, leave…and thanks for the land.
It’s oily and manipulative, but still highly effective. I know, in the Sturges
version, they played up the desperate men a lot more. In this, we don’t know
why they decide to take a thankless duty, but like that the information
trickles out when it needs to.
Fuqua has said, these aren’t the characters from Sturges
movie. He’s right. They are their own haunted guys. Including a Comanche who is
slowly watching his land disappear. Why does he fight against these ragtag
bunch? Because Denzel knows his plight. Do they have to speak? Nope. They eat.
Deer heart. And thus their bond is formed.
Personally, I think Vincent D’Onofrio was the scene stealer
(not Chris Pratt as you would expect …though he is EXCELLENT as the gamble).
D’Onofrio plays a trapper living in the outskirts of town hunted by other
poachers for bounty. He is a bible quoting oddball whose girth intimidates
people. We can sense he’s suffered a lot. And his redemption to stay with this
crew, seems much more heartbreaking then the rest. That a death would seem like
a welcome break. But on his own terms. He also realizes that he was never alone
in life. We think he’s just a barreling ape, but find out he’s more.
It was also nice to see a real Mexican and Asian in the mix
and not make a MASSIVE deal they are in the movie. Yes, they make the
stereotype jokes, but it’s old hat, and people will fill in the blank. I like
that it was MORE unsettling that Denzel is a Black man in the west and doesn’t
hear a single N-word mention. THAT’S brave! Because people use that to cheapen
the hate for the White folk. They don’t make entendres or puns. It just exists
like you would think it would. There is something to be said about the decision
to not be obvious.
Excellent movie. A solid re-do of a re-do. Wasn’t expecting
much, but damn…this movie was thrilling.
No comments:
Post a Comment