Mud Songs

No Country for Old Men is the best movie I’ve seen from the Coen Brothers. Naturally, it’s about a psychotic killer with a high-pressure air gun looking for stolen money, and another guy who stole the money running from the guy with the air gun. I normally don’t care much for the way the Coen Brothers use lethal violence in their movies, but in this case it’s fascinating and compelling because it’s so cinematic. It’s a pleasure to watch the craftsmanship that goes into it. And it’s not all for show. The images and the subtle details work together to create a story and a weird reality that takes you for a ride and leaves you thinking, “What the hell was that?” It’s a crime drama, a thriller, a comedy and a morality tale, and it’s entertaining. (A detailed analysis and discussion of the film on Jim Emerson’s Blog.)

I finally got around to watching Brokeback Mountain, a story of two gay cowboys trying to be cowboys and gay at the same time (not an easy balancing act). I like it, and I suppose you could say the performances are brave, though it might be another film I need to watch again before I can say I love it. It was alright.

Seraphim Falls could be titled 101 Things to Do With a Knife (watch the movie to get that joke). The first 15 minutes play like a Grizzly Adams version of 24. It’s brutal. Pierce Brosnan’s performance as a man on the run — who knows how to fight back — is outstanding. The film is mostly one long chase scene with a slightly surreal ending, but it’s the best western I’ve seen for awhile.

3:10 To Yuma is a watchable non-epic western with a more or less by the numbers storyline. I didn’t love it, but the look and the feel of the film and the performances are all good. Not a bad movie if you like westerns. I didn’t realize it’s a re-make.

The Proposition is a morally ambiguous and slow moving Australian western that isn’t quite as epic and fun as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, but worth a look if you’re a fan of westerns.

I agree with everything Roger Ebert says, that Red River is a film that captures “the exhilaration of being on a horse under the big sky with a job to do and a paycheck at the other end. [It is] one of the greatest of all Westerns…” It’s a bit chauvinist in its portrayal of women, but it’s easy to overlook such qualities because it is so damn entertaining.

I’m not a fan of Kevin Costner, but Dances with Wolves is a good movie. I doubt a better portrait of Native North American life has ever been filmed. You feel like you’re there with them out on the plains. The dragged-out love story is its only downfall. The leisurely pace of the movie otherwise is just right. The extended edition adds about an hour of new footage that doesn’t improve the story, and in some cases may subtract from the drama, but I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s a fine film no matter what cut you’re watching.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is the best western ever made, and a whole lotta fun to watch. Unbeatable direction and cinematography. Over the top and magnificent. If you’ve only seen the full-screen VHS version (which I remember as being slow and boring), then you haven’t seen this movie. The recent extended edition doesn’t improve on the theatrical cut. It provides more insight into the characters, but it slows down the pace of the film even more. Either version is worth revisiting, though. It’s Sergio Leone’s magnum opus.