I went to see The Proposition last night. This is a 2005 production directed by John Hillcoat to a screenplay by Nick Cave, and filmed entirely on location in Queensland, Australia. The story is set during the late colonial era of Australian history, in a remote Outback settlement marked by serious violence, perpetrated both by renegade gangs and by the authorities retaliating against these lawless men and waging genocidal warfare against the aboriginal peoples of the area. The film functions in part as a deglamorization of the past, emphasizing the brutality and hardship of these people's lives.
Against this background is related the tale of the three Burns brothers, played by Guy Pearce, Danny Huston, and Richard Wilson, three lawless, violent men who are desperately wanted by the authorities. Charlie and his younger brother Mike (Pearce and Wilson, respectively) are apprehended by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone), who gives Charlie the chilling proposition of the title: if Charlie can track down the eldest brother Arthur (Huston), who Stanley deems the ringleader of the gang's recent savagery, within nine days and kill him, Mike will be released into his care. If not, Mike, who is little more than a boy, will be hanged.
This is an intelligent, well-made film on all levels, distinguished by solid performances and strikingly evocative cinematography that captures the austere beauty of this forbidding, unforgiving land. The themes explored are profound and universal, though some of Charlie's background and motivation remain mysterious, a potential liability in some viewers' assessment of the film. The violence depicted is harrowing but wholly appropriate in the filmmakers' desire to convey the primitive world of their subject. Anyone who enjoys Westerns, thoughtful, serious drama, or is curious about Australian history would likely appreciate this movie. Recommended and worth seeing.
