Film Review: Slow West

Slow West rides as a slow western.

One might view this as a criticism, but I see it as the strongest asset to a gorgeously ominous tale of relationships, revenge and retribution.

This expedition is expeditious in its eighty-four minute duration, yet writer/director John Maclean does not crack the whip on character development, instead he takes his time with his pair of protagonists, who wonder on and off horseback to the old west.

One, Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is a debutant to this territory, the other, Silas (Michael Fassbender), is a denizen, but also an immigrant.

Jay has migrated from Scotland to Colorado in search of the girl he loves, Rose (Caren Pistorius), who has fled her homeland with her father, due to an incident instigated by Jay’s unrequited affections for her.

Silas attaches himself to Jay, and demands money in return for keeping Jay safe on his journey. Silas though, soon has other intentions; for a bounty lies on the lives of Rose and her father, one that Jay is oblivious to.

The western genre has near enough become obsolete in this generation of cinema; it was a fixture of film from the 30’s to the 60’s in particular, a paradigm of stand-offs were regular dénouements.

This is not to say that it has been completely lost, over the past year we have seen Hillary Swank in the good-but-not-great ‘The Homesman’, and Mads Mikkelsen in the rather exciting ‘The Salvation’.

However, if this was, say 1955, a western would arrive every other week. Films like Slow West offer the possibility of resurgence in a once crowded genre.

Maclean recalls the ambience of Sergio Garrone’s ‘Django the Bastard’ in his oneiric sequences, and, with the assistance of Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan, beautifully frames a vast landscape, which reminisces Winton Hoch’s own work on ‘The Searchers’ and, of course, Terrence Malick.

Maclean’s main focus though is his characters, sweat, blood and tears are extensively realised both in his own dialogue, ‘love is universal – like death’, and the defined features of each performer.

Smit-McPhee plays love and heartbreak with assurance and wears his feelings for all to see. Fassbender’s greatness is in his grit, controlled anger and quiet intensity, like a cross-breed of Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood.

His grandeur is in his minimalist style, the smallest of traits, and the renegade Silas facilitates these qualities. Ben Mendelsohn as Payne, also after the bounty along with his gang, menaces most in moments of perceived geniality.

His affability when bumping into Jay and Silas is of course a façade, which gleefully forebodes the climactic shoot out. Pistorius enchants as Rose in her equanimity, she is perhaps too strong-willed for young Jay.

New Zealand too acts as a stunning backdrop for 1870’s Colorado.

Slow West is a highly original, melodic composition. Yet, its influences by great films and great directors are palpable, and it will hopefully influence others to find the old west on the map, and start shooting.