I have recently been hyping several modern westerns (including the 2005 Australian flick The Proposition and the 2015 horror crossover Bone Tomahawk) that have created unique visions that pay homage while adding something new to the historic genre. Another film that fits the mould is the 2015 motion picture Slow West.
The meandering tale (written and directed by first timer John Maclean) follows the young, hopeful Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Road) as he journeys westward, looking for the love of his life, Rose Ross (Caren Pistorius), who has fled her home in Scotland along with her father John (Rory McCann).
The innocent youth, who has made his way mostly by luck, runs into outlaw drifter Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender), a man who has been tracking the new immigrant for some time. After a shocking first meeting, the criminal offers his services to the boy in exchange for cold hard cash. What Silas does not reveal is that there is a two thousand dollar bounty out for John and Rose Ross – clearly hoping that Jay will unwittingly lead him right to the father and daughter.
The mismatched duo continue their slow journey westward, meeting up with all sorts of dangers that rattle the sensitive soul. One jarring moment happens when they visit a trading post that sits in the middle of nowhere. Before entering they see a man dressed completely in ominous black, resembling a priest (Edwin Wright), who is carrying a leather case. While taking a respite inside, a Swedish couple attempt to rob the shop. It is a visceral scene that becomes all the more grave once the twosome leave the lonesome store.
Jay, still wary of the cold-hearted man, leaves in the middle of the night, making his way, once again, by his lonesome. On a desert stretch, he meets a friendly writer who shares food and drink with him, eventually inviting him to spend the night by his fire which rests beside his live-in stagecoach. When the kid awakens, he has been robbed of all of his goods. Silas eventually finds his estranged partner, returns his horse and takes up the trek with him once again – whether he killed the writer-thief, we do not truly know.
They eventually run into an eccentric, fur-jacket-wearing outlaw named Payne (Ben Mendelsohn), who leads a posse of criminals that used to include Silas. The threesome share drink together well into the night until they are good and drunk. After Jay relieves himself outside of camp, he stumbles the wrong way, finding himself surrounded by the rest of Payne’s compatriots, who are resting nearby. It is a motley crew that consists of different ages and nationalities. One entertaining little moment finds an aged member of the group recounting a cautionary tale about a young man he once knew who killed to be famous – hoping to have his face plastered (on a poster) all around the wild west with the words ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ written above it (much like a youthful outlaw that is currently part of their team). While he tells the tall tale, the characters appear on screen in a sort of flashback, though all speak with the teller’s singular voice.
We are also treated to dream like visions and vital flashbacks that fill us in on Jay and Rose’s past. It is divulged that Jay was from a wealthy socialite family, while Rose’s lineage consists of none but the poorest of individuals. The domino effect that set all others in motion is also revealed.
Eventually, Silas has to tell Jay that there is a massive bounty out for John and Rose, which is why Payne and his crew are stalking their every move. The pair head into a supposedly haunted forest, losing the outlaws but running into a small marauding group of Indians, leaving Jay wounded. Upon exiting the woodland, they gaze upon the striking prairie in which the Ross’s have made their home. Upon hearing the ominous sound of a gunshot, Silas ties Jay to a tree, knowing that he will put himself in harm’s way to save the love of his life. Everything and everyone comes together for a final bloody and emotional shootout – as the man in black, Payne (and his merciless outlaws), Jay and Silas each attempt to achieve their own respective goals.
Slow West is a powerful western tale that is not for the faint of heart; about star-crossed first lovers who are unwilling or unable to requite their love, we see both the extensive horrors and hope that can be found in the nineteenth century wild west. Flashing between moments of harsh realizations and intense violence as well as lonely wanderings by our dynamic duo in the visually striking outdoor locations (using New Zealand as a stand in for the United States), writer/director Maclean’s pendulum-like duality is absolutely mesmerizing.
The film also holds some brilliant performances. The young Kodi-Smit McPhee (who first impressed in the dystopic film The Road) once again captures the essence of a character on a difficult journey. Along for the ride is Fassbender, who creates a role that feels like the antithesis of his counterpart – cold, dark and untrustworthy compared to Jay’s hopeful disposition and outlook. The way they work together is impressive, with both characters rubbing off on each other in expected and unexpected ways (that are only truly captured by their impressive performances). Likewise, smaller roles from Mendelsohn, Pistorius, and McCann add something special to the movie.
Slow West is an intense little western. It packs quite the wallop with its yarn of love, hate, hope and violence. It is often said that love hurts and this can clearly be seen here. Though there is some hope in the end, there is also an awful lot of sorrow and pain. Much like one of Bon Jovi’s classic rock tunes begins, “shot through the heart” is emblematic of this western, but don’t give love a bad name, give it a shot anyway.