(S. Craig
Zahler/2015/USA)
Fusing
Western and Horror with aplomb Bone Tomahawk is reminiscent of From
Dusk ‘til Dawn in the way it builds to a point past which you can
do little but ask what the actual feck. The story is one of a lawful
posse pursuing those who have infringed upon the peace of a small
town, in this instance the “troglodytes”, a particularly savage
clan of native Indians who have abducted three people. So warped and
degraded that they are repugnant even to The Professor – a local,
integrated native Indian who warns against any interaction with them
with fear in his eyes and words. This bypasses any accusations of
misrepresentation I guess but really the troglodytes are no different
to the hillbillies in Deliverance or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre –
a representation of evil incarnate and this is a horror western so
pushing the trope of the savage Red Indian to an extreme is fair
game.
Much of
the enjoyment of Bone Tomahawk is in the journey across the desert of
the sheriff Franklyn Hunt (Kurt Russell), his deputy Chicory (Richard
Jenkins), the boastful Brooder (Matthew Fox) and cowboy Arthur
O’Dwyer (Patrick Wilson). The conversation and interplay of
characters is great and solidifies the sympathy of the audience
before the onslaught of the last half hour or so. The final act is
where the slow build is rewarded with a payoff of such visceral
bloodletting that I was still squirming while the credits rolled. It
is not for the squeamish. I often question depictions of violence
elsewhere and criticise their necessity or value but here,
considering the effort and quality of the storytelling to get to the
confrontation with the savages, Zahler has earned the right to shock
and horrify us. The reality of meeting such brute depravity is
matched in the grim determination of the protagonists to survive.
Bone Tomahawk is a smart film that takes well worn threads of
disparate genres and weaves a new coat.
(3/5)
No comments:
Post a Comment