SYNOPSICS
The Proposition (2005) is a English,Aboriginal movie. John Hillcoat has directed this movie. Ray Winstone,Guy Pearce,Emily Watson,Richard Wilson are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2005. The Proposition (2005) is considered one of the best Crime,Drama,Western movie in India and around the world.
Rural Australia in the late nineteenth century: Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) and his men capture two of the three Burns brothers, Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Mike (Richard Wilson). Their gang is held responsible for attacking the Hopkins farm, raping pregnant Mrs. Hopkins and murdering the whole family. Arthur Burns (Danny Huston), the eldest brother and the gang's mastermind, remains on the loose and has retreated to a mountain hideout. Captain Stanley's proposition to Charlie is to gain pardon and, more importantly, save his beloved younger brother Mike from the gallows by finding and killing Arthur within nine days.
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Fine Australian drama
Following the rape and murder of a colonial family, outlaw brothers Charlie and Mikey burns are captured by ruthless local lawman, Captain Stanley. Rather than imprison both fugitives, Stanley presents Charlie with a proposition (though it's really a demand) that Charlie kill his older brother, and gang leader, Arthur or else Mikey will meet his demise at the end of a hangman's noose. It is a proposition which will have karmic repercussions for all involved. Directed by Brisbanite John Hillcoate from a script by Aussie indie icon Nick Cave, this film has some of the most gorgeous photography of the Australian outback ever committed to film, showcasing it's unique desolate beauty in it's dust, flies and exquisite sunsets. Hillcoate assembles a very fine ensemble cast, most notably Ray Winstone as Captain Stanley and Guy Pearce as Charlie Burns - two actors performing at the top of their game. Danny Huston is effective as Arthur Burns, a man whose serene exterior belies his vicious temperament. Other performers include Emily Watson and John Hurt, as well as fine Australian talent David Wenham, Leah Purcell, Tommy Lewis and quintessential movie aborigine David Gulpilil. All performances are excellent. Despite it's high violence quotient, the film has an admirable lack of moralistic tone. There are no obvious good guys and bad guys, all the characters are shades of grey possessing both positive and negative attributes, although some characters may lean one way or the other. In particular, Captain Stanley has a good heart though history may judge his methods of justice with contempt, and Charlie Burns has a fierce sense of loyalty and honour but his associated family ties have led him to commit horrific crimes. Even Captain Stanley's wife, Martha, in all her Victorian innocence and naivety, has a dark side to her soul; an attribute which will further propel all towards their destinies. It's strong subtext of white colonialists' condescending treatment of the aboriginal population puts this film in fine company with other Australian indigenous-themed films such as Fred Schepisi's The Chant Of Jimmy Blacksmith, Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout, Rolf de Heer's The Tracker and Phillip Noyce's Rabbit Proof Fence. The Proposition is the best of these. This is a big call, I know, but the fact is that none of those other very fine Australian films possess the tension which so completely permeates Hillcoates' picture. This film represents a major achievement for both Hillcoate and Cave and is the best Australian film to leave these shores since Ray Lawrence's Lantana. 8.5 out of 10. Slick. :cool:
Like Cain & Abel (with an extra brother...)
A real treat of a Western - gritty, bloody, unjust & riddled with flies. An apocalyptic glimpse of some hard family lessons from Nick Cave. Brilliant performances all round thanks to Ray Winstone, Emily Watson & Guy Pearce in particular. Visually stunning due to the location (anyone with the ability to remove a lens cap or activate a camera would capture something beautiful in that wonderful country Australia! But these scenes just envelope you and burn into your brain - in a good way). Tempting to add more to this scant comment box but it might just take something away from your viewing pleasure. And that would be a travesty because this is definitely a film to go in "fresh" to.
Aussie Western makes Tombstone look like Paradise.
Nick Cave's essay in the true and tried Western format, shows how a harsh land (Colonial Australia) brutalizes the men who try and conquer it. Yet this tale has passages of lyricism that counterpoint the sudden moments of savagery. It is a very gritty often grisly picture of 19th Century Australia, warts and all, right down to swarms of blowflies. Perhaps the sadistic violence gets a bit over the top especially towards the end, but thanks to a fine cast, crisp direction, and the scorched cinematography it generally works. A standout performance in a minor role by John Hurt rather steals the show, while Ray Winstone and Emily Watson are particularly sensitive together. One suspects the harsh conditions are somewhat overstated for dramatic purposes, though the story is supposedly based on fact. Tombstone Territory never looked as unpleasant as this. It is certainly one of the most interesting period dramas made in Australia.
Leone meets Tarkovsky meets Patrick White meets Mad Max
Just superb - wonderful, austere direction that gets the best from a great cast and some extraordinary landscapes. A tight, disciplined script from Nick Cave that's testament to how his writing continues to reach new levels - not to mention his collaboration with Warren Ellis on the beautifully uneasy score. There's a fantastic blend of European and Australian sensibilities here that makes this the least clichéd film to come out of this country for 20-odd years - and if it doesn't do well, it'll be because an increasingly soft and gutless nation is afraid to venture out of their frappuccino and mortgage comfort zone. This is powerful, worthy art.
A very bloody Western too hard to swallow
Set on an arid desert and sun-baked continent, during the late 1800's British settlement days, Pearce stars as Charlie Burns, one of three brothers that make up the notorious criminal Arthur Burns At the opening credits Charlie and his younger brother the 14-year-old Mikey are captured after a bloody shoot out with regional Captain Stanley in the aftermath of a brutal rape and murder The decent captain is after their eldest brother Arthur described as 'the beast,' and is prepared to do just about anything to get him... Thus Stanley lays out Charlie an unholy bargain: While Mikey stays in his custody, in jail, Charlie must find, kill or return Arthur or his teenaged brother will be hung on Christmas Day He has nine days to do so Charlie eventually finds his brother but is left with one choice He must decide if he can live with his decision to either kill Arthur or let Mikey be executed John Hillcoat's characters not only strike us with their emotions of grief and pain, or their passion of hate but they are presented in their real states that sway down hopelessness, denial, pity and firm belief Pearce combines a touch of kindness to Charlie's character, but it's a touch that keeps out of the way any love It's, in essence, only enough to add a decisive influence on his personality that makes him unpredictable Danny Huston is magnificent as Arthur Burns His deeply intelligence and totally brutal character is captured in a very good sense Richard Wilson, Mikey is given little to do beyond being frightened and horrorized Winstone is amazing in the role of the army officer who wants to civilize the place We feel how his nerves are about to break He imprisons his wife Martha for safety and protection caring at the same time about her delicate sensibilities Emily Watson is absolutely stunning as the fragile woman whose gentleness captures convincingly the character of Emily, the innocent wife who cares about her husband, her house and her perfect "garden" but her way of life is so far away from the reality of her surroundings John Hurt gives an interesting performance as the deranged bounty hunter "The Proposition" is too violent, too dirty, too bloody, and too barbaric to be forgotten so easily