Am I really watching a Western? Today's Film is Bone Tomahawk, a 2015 Film attempting to make a Period-accurate Film. In today's ultra-aware (or sensitive, if you are a dick) society, there is also an issue of being fair to people, while also being realistic to the time. To their credit, they do a pretty good job here. The Film tells the tale of a rescue mission for some people. The villains- some bad-ass indigenous people with a grudge! The Film is chock full of faces that you would recognize and names you'll know, even if some of them appear very briefly. Hi, Sean Young! Bye, Sean Young! The most notable are Patrick Wilson (from my town), Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox. There are more, but I'll cover them later. The Film is notable for being realistic, gritty and well thought-out. A Character that starts out as a punchline actually turns into a good one by the end. Kudos! To get a SPOILER-free look at this one (which will probably be lost in the wake of Hateful Eight), read on...
In the Intro, we see a pair of murderous Drifters (Sid Haig and David Arquette) wander into bad territory.
Haig is killed and Arquette flees after they run across some murderous people at their Graveyard.
In a nearby Town, the Sheriff (Russell) is keeping order and arrests the suspicious Arquette.
Meanwhile, a man (Wilson) is laid up with an injury, keeping him from work. That night, his wife is called to care for the wounded Arquette...
The next morning, the pair (plus the Deputy) are missing. The only clue: a bone-tipped Arrow.
Russell, Wilson, the back-up Deputy (Richard Jenkins) and a boastful man (Matthew Fox) go on a rescue mission for them. Will they be in time?
There are many dangers exist along the way. Can they even make it there period?
I won't SPOIL anything else about this one, but I will say this: alot depends on this guy. Uh oh.
Damn. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Westerns. I am, however, a fan of good Movies and this is definitely one. It has a slow, but steady pace. That may not work for some of you out there, but it works here. This allows them to give everyone a strong Character and some actual depth. Jenkins' Character, for example, starts out as kind of dumb. By the time they leave for the mission, you start to understand him more. By the End, you know enough about his past to really feel for the guy. The only Characters that really get no clear back-story are the Troglodytes. Of course, that is the point. We learn a little about them from an Indian in Town. They don't speak, negotiate or hesitate to kill. These are some bad-ass killers! The Title comes from their trademark weapon, which is scary as hell. The Film also makes a point of distinguishing these violent, mute killers from any stereotype of Indians that you used to see in Westerns. Good for you. I will note that this Film gets pretty damn gory by the end, so this is not for you if the sight of fake blood bothers you. Other than that, this is a great-looking, well-written Film. It also has an unintentional Western connection. The Piano Player in the Bar- Back to the Future's mean Principal/Sheriff!
Next up, a Film with a similar Title to one I covered recently. Will it be as good or is that too much to ask? Stay tuned...
My friend recommended this one to me and it did not dissapoint... though I did kinda want a bit more detail about the bizarro people, who weren't nearly as interesting as their build-up or the folks set out against them.
ReplyDeleteI was fine with the amount of detail given. They weren't designed to be a deep, complex threat, after all.
DeleteAs far as being interesting, I'd describe big, scary guys with giant tomahawks made out of horse bones to be pretty interesting. :-)