Slow West

 

When you think how many films are made each year, we only ever get to see a tiny proportion of them so its great to uncover a gem that seems like something brand new. A Western filmed with a European eye, Slow West was released in 2015 but seems to have passed a lot of people by, including myself.  Set in Colorado, though filmed in New Zealand, it concerns a Scottish boy called Jay who has ventured to the Wild West to find the girl he loves, Rose. The film is unclear how he’s managed this ambitious journey (or indeed how he knows where he needs to go) however from what he is carrying and his manner he appears to have plenty of money. Knowing vaguely where Rose is supposed to be but not where it is, Jay’s quest is helped by the arrival of a stranger called Silas who offers to take him to his destination for a fee. 

Silas is your archetypal taciturn cowboy whose appearance is far from the random coincidence it appears. It is soon revealed to the audience that Rose and her father are wanted for murder and the target of a number of bounty hunters of whom Silas was once a member. Led by the eccentrically attired Payne they are tracking the duo careful not to make their move until the location of the fugitives is revealed. Jay is an unwitting pawn in this game, though even when he finds out the truth is undeterred in his lovestruck determination. 

A lyrical, well -read teenager Jay’s optimistic worldview begins to make an impression on Silas as they endure a number of dangerous incidents along the way. Yet neither he nor us are quite sure what Silas will do when they arrive. Will he claim the bounty for himself? Or will he help Jay, Rose and her father? The narrative deliberately leaves blank spaces so we never know much about the supposed murder and even if Rose and her father are guilty. It doesn’t really matter because the Wanted posters say they are.

Back when Unforgiven re-painted the Western as artier and more thoughtful it enlivened a genre that had become unoriginal and also out of step with more progressive viewpoints. Slow West is in the modern tradition and uses the character of Jay, a visitor, to show this. Jay himself brings a wealth of knowledge- he knows the stars in the sky, he makes tea (which as we all know even modern Americans struggle with!) and he views life idealistically. He also offers a pure undiluted love for Rose that is at odds with the harsh unsympathetic land he finds himself in. We see in flashbacks that his feelings for her are not reciprocated; she sees him as a friend, a brother even. Like any teenager in love he has not even recognised this.

The narrative is episodic but framed with such precision and beauty by director John Maclean whose debut cinematic feature this was that it flows well. Nobody is in a particular hurry and that means the viewer can take in the landscapes. While the location does look like our image of the Wild West, New Zealand also offers panoramic quirks and richer foliage giving  Slow West its unique palette. The remote location is emphasised by still shots of places like a provisions store, a gigantic cornfield or simply the surrounding mountains. Maclean also adds a tension when its needed- a confrontation in that store is a highpoint. Yet the movie isn't afraid to be more whimsical such as when Jay stumbles into the bounty hunter's camp when drunk or comes up with a new way to dry washing in the Wild West! There's even a strange encounter with a traveller who vanishes the next morning. The distance between Jay and Silas never evolves into a friendship as such but has more of an affect on the latter who has survived without family or friends for such a long time.

Kodi Smit McPhee’s Jay is a welcome change to the sort of hero you might expect; at times he is almost comedic as Jay falls into one odd situation after another. Yet the actor can also put across the guileless worldview that makes Jay an unusual subject. Jay's bookish privilege could make him an irritating character but when we've shared his view of the night sky we start to realise how ill equipped he is for this journey. The always reliable Michael Fassbender is the more familiar type of cowboy as Silas who says little but acts decisively and mercilessly when needed. And later we see he's not quite as good as he thinks he is. The actor brings alot of subtety to a role with minimal dialogue and I found out later the role was written for him. Rose is caught somewhere in between these extremes. Played by Caren Pistorious she is used to the risks surrounding her yet not totally numb to its horror. There's also Ben Mendelsohn who doesn't have as much screen time as he maybe needs as the sartorially bold and quite bonkers Payne. 

The pace quickens for an ending that puts a fresh spin on the farmhouse under siege scenario climaxing with an act that underscores the casual fragility of life here. There's several shock moments during this scenario, the longest one of the movie. What the film conveys especially well is the endless but often pointless violence of the time. In case you’ve forgotten how many characters have been killed by the end Maclean concludes with a series of silent shots of each and every corpse and there are a lot. 

Slow West is an absorbing piece of work and because it sits within a relatively short eighty four minute run time keeps the viewer engaged and intrigued as it plays its cards right up to the end.

Slow West is currently on Amazon Prime , Sky Store, You Tube or if like me you still buy ye olde physical media on blu ray from HMV for only £5.99.