The Proposition (2005)

A lawman apprehends a notorious outlaw and gives him nine days to kill his older brother, or else they'll execute his younger brother.

Director:

John Hillcoat

Writer:

Nick Cave (screenplay)

Stars:

Ray Winstone, Guy Pearce, Emily Watson

13 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Wilson	...	Mike Burns
Noah Taylor	...	Brian O'Leary
Jeremy Madrona	...	Asian Prostitute
Jae Mamuyac	...	Asian Prostitute
Guy Pearce	...	Charlie Burns
Mick Roughan	...	Mad Jack Bradshaw
Shane Watt	...	John Gordon
Ray Winstone	...	Captain Stanley
Robert Morgan	...	Sergeant Lawrence
David Gulpilil	...	Jacko
Bryan Probets	...	Officer Dunn
Oliver Ackland	...	Patrick Hopkins
Danny Huston	...	Arthur Burns
David Vallon	...	Tom Cox
Daniel Parker	...	Henry Clark

Storyline

Rural Australia in the late nineteenth century: Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) and his men capture two of the three Burns brothers, Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Mike (Richard Wilson). Their gang is held responsible for attacking the Hopkins farm, raping pregnant Mrs. Hopkins and murdering the whole family. Arthur Burns (Danny Huston), the eldest brother and the gang's mastermind, remains on the loose and has retreated to a mountain hideout. Captain Stanley's proposition to Charlie is to gain pardon and, more importantly, save his beloved younger brother Mike from the gallows by finding and killing Arthur within nine days.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | hideout | outlaw | aborigine | foreboding | 

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Taglines:

This land will be civilized.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong grisly violence, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The wardrobe was handmade to be as authentic as possible, and even the buttons were all handmade for this movie.

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Goofs

Jellon Lamb claims early in the movie that Charles Darwin had claimed in "On the origin of species by means of natural selection" that man shares common ancestors with apes. This claim was not made by Darwin in "On the origin of species", but in "On the descent of man".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Captain Stanley: Do I need to introduce myself?
Charlie Burns: I know who you are.
Captain Stanley: Good. I know who you are.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies You Should Watch If You Liked Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Peggy Gordon
Music Traditional
Words Traditional

User Reviews

Fine Australian drama

Following the rape and murder of a colonial family, outlaw brothers Charlie and Mikey burns are captured by ruthless local lawman, Captain Stanley. Rather than imprison both fugitives, Stanley presents Charlie with a proposition (though it's really a demand) that Charlie kill his older brother, and gang leader, Arthur or else Mikey will meet his demise at the end of a hangman's noose. It is a proposition which will have karmic repercussions for all involved.

Directed by Brisbanite John Hillcoate from a script by Aussie indie icon Nick Cave, this film has some of the most gorgeous photography of the Australian outback ever committed to film, showcasing it's unique desolate beauty in it's dust, flies and exquisite sunsets.

Hillcoate assembles a very fine ensemble cast, most notably Ray Winstone as Captain Stanley and Guy Pearce as Charlie Burns - two actors performing at the top of their game. Danny Huston is effective as Arthur Burns, a man whose serene exterior belies his vicious temperament. Other performers include Emily Watson and John Hurt, as well as fine Australian talent David Wenham, Leah Purcell, Tommy Lewis and quintessential movie aborigine David Gulpilil. All performances are excellent.

Despite it's high violence quotient, the film has an admirable lack of moralistic tone. There are no obvious good guys and bad guys, all the characters are shades of grey possessing both positive and negative attributes, although some characters may lean one way or the other. In particular, Captain Stanley has a good heart though history may judge his methods of justice with contempt, and Charlie Burns has a fierce sense of loyalty and honour but his associated family ties have led him to commit horrific crimes. Even Captain Stanley's wife, Martha, in all her Victorian innocence and naivety, has a dark side to her soul; an attribute which will further propel all towards their destinies.

It's strong subtext of white colonialists' condescending treatment of the aboriginal population puts this film in fine company with other Australian indigenous-themed films such as Fred Schepisi's The Chant Of Jimmy Blacksmith, Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout, Rolf de Heer's The Tracker and Phillip Noyce's Rabbit Proof Fence. The Proposition is the best of these. This is a big call, I know, but the fact is that none of those other very fine Australian films possess the tension which so completely permeates Hillcoates' picture. This film represents a major achievement for both Hillcoate and Cave and is the best Australian film to leave these shores since Ray Lawrence's Lantana.

8.5 out of 10.

Slick. :cool:

Details

Official Sites:

Bodega Films [France]

Country:

Australia UK

Language:

English Aboriginal

Release Date:

9 June 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Proposition

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,681, 7 May 2006

Gross USA:

$1,903,434

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,048,693

Company Credits

Production Co:

UK Film Council, Surefire Film Productions, Autonomous

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1