Rent The Proposition (2005)

Run of the mill - The Proposition review by RJ

This film seems to have received high praise from critics, judging by a quick glance at the 'Critical Response' section on Wikipedia, but I have to say I'm struggling to see why. It's not a bad film, but it didn't strike me as particularly good either. The plot is full of familiar western tropes and doesn't really take any surprising turns. I found a lot of the acting a bit suspect - John Hurt's cameo was particularly grating and I didn't think Ray Winstone, Emily Watson and Danny Huston were especially convincing either. I like Nick Cave's music and I think I expected that this film would be somehow more singular and unusual than it is. I found it all a bit run of the mill - OK, but nothing more.

Grim - The Proposition review by JD

Ray Winston doesn't have a big range of characters. He played the usual one. This is a film about a family of particularly bad outlaws in Australia. Lots of shots of tooth decay, whiskey, sweaty shirts and menial police officers being naughty. It was poor. Unbelievable, poorly filmed and tedious.

A shocking, visceral & bloody Western, stunningly remastered in 4K - The Proposition review by TB

Another incredible restoration, this time expertly done by the BFI for 4K Blu-ray.

The Proposition is set in Australia & tells the story of a ruthless gang, The Burns gang, and whose estranged members Charlie & Mikey are captured by burnt-out and emotionally extinguished Captain Stanley. Stanley is desperate to catch the psychotic leader Arthur Burns, who among many heinous acts oversaw the rape, murder & mutilation of a family, including the pregnant wife. As Arthur is feared & untouchable in many ways, Stanley offers Charlie a deal: he & his brother Mikey (who is extremely developmentally challenged/childlike) will be pardoned if Charlie kills & brings back Arthur to Stanley. However, this deal causes outrage amongst the Outback community that Stanley serves and sets in motion a series of brutal and bloody events...

When I first watched this film in 2006, I was much younger & didn't relate to it that much, despite being gripped at times. Now, 18 years later, it's impact is like a sledgehammer. Front & center is the look of the film: shot on location in the Outback, every sunset bathes your eyes in stunning colour, before being followed by heat that is so horrific & oppressive, you almost start to sweat. The cinematography here is masterful & on its own another character in the story.

Much attention & praise has also been given to the huge care & authenticity of the depiction of Australian/indigenous Aboriginals. The other cast are also superb, not one performance not ringing true. Winstone in particular, much in the same way as in Sexy Beast, totally subverts the archetypical caricature of how he is mostly seen. Morris Stanley looks like a man who is on the verge of either a total breakdown or heatstroke: an ex-serviceman whose humanity was destroyed on the battlefield & then whose soul was roasted to a crisp Down Under. Guy Pearce is also incredible as the man who knows he is a monster & tries everything to repay some of the debt he has built up over years of criminality & violence.

And finally, the story itself is great. And one of the main reasons for this is quite simple: there is not an ounce of fat on this film. It is a fantastically directed, tight & perfectly paced film. And welcomingly, it doesn't mess up the ending or give any easy answers. The world those characters exist in is a violent, dangerous & brutal one, where innocence is lost & life is grindingly difficult.

A gripping watch