Australian westerns are few and far between. This reviewer can only think of the Ned Kelly films that come close, perhaps the Mad Max trilogy, too. John Hillcoat’s late 19th century set film, The Proposition is going to re-write the rule book for any that follow, though. This is as a gritty as they come.

The Burns brothers are a nasty bunch. Charlie (Guy Pearce) and his youngest brother, Michael (Richard Wilson) are a bunch of murderous robbers who are cornered in a whore house by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) and his posse of rather unscrupulous deputies. Instead of shooting them on the spot, Stanley offers Charlie a deal: find and kill his elder brother, Arthur (Huston) or Michael will hang. Understandably, Charlie accepts the proposition and heads out into the badlands to find Arthur, finding along the way a nasty bounty hunter (a marvellous John Hurt) who has the same idea. Arthur, on the other hand, is only interested in revenge on everyone who stands against him.

This is a fascinating picture from writer and singer, Nick Cave. One can practically smell the flies, dirt and sweat coming from the screen. The cinematography is fantastic as well. There aren’t any slow motion Sam Peckinpah-influenced shots of people dying, just death as it should be shown – bloody and brutal – and as far from John Ford as one can get. The acting is top notch from all concerned, particularly Winstone as a sensitive policeman trying to civilise a wild land and shield his wife (Emily Watson) from the worst of it; whilst Pearce puts in another sound performance as the killer caught between a rock and a hard place. Clint Eastwood, eat your heart out.

(4˝/5)