Isaacs Picture Conclusions

THE PROPOSITION (2005) FIVE TOP HATS

It’s colder than shit where I’m at, so let’s revisit something hot and warm our cockles out in the Australian heat!

FIVE THs???? You ask… HELL YES!! This movie is that bad ass!!! The cinematography is some of the best I’ve ever seen. The characters and acting are fucking brilliant. The effects and violence are incredible. Some of this is even heart breaking. Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone are AWESOME and that really is Danny Huston as the savage and wild Arthur…. This really is one of my favorite Westerns ever. And boy is it bloody. And violent. And wicked. I could probably watch this once a week for a year and never get tired of it…. Love it!! I should probably add this: if you haven’t seen this and are giving it a think, this is very brutal and doesn’t come equipped with a happy ending.

Man…. Guy Pearce is such a stud when it comes to his movies – I am still dumbfounded that he did LOCKOUT. Oh well….  in this he’s Charlie Burns of The Burns Gang infamy that goes around raping and pillaging. It’s not ever implied that Pearce’s character does any raping but the other members of his gang must since one of them had their way with a pregnant woman (which is why they are being hunted down so ferociously to begin this movie). Oh – and one of them intends to Get Down with Emily Watson against her will later on towards the end. So we start this off with Pearce and his little brother Mike getting into a fire fight at some whorehouse and they captured by Ray Winstone and his boys.

It seems the cops are more interested in the Burns’ older brother Arthur (Huston) and Winstone vows to kill Mike unless Charlie goes out and kills Arthur. He gives him just a few days to come back with his brother’s head or he’ll hang Mike by the neck!!! Did I mention this takes place in the late 1800’s Australian plains? No telephones or electricity in this one, friends! It’s horses and guns and knives and spears and blood and flies and dirt and drinking and a couple of beheadings and floggings and aborigines and all around gritty, dirty awesomeness. This is a total must see in my opinion. Don’t delay!!

31 comments

    • theipc

      Thanks Mark! I know – one day I just checked it out and I was like – WTF? This is awesome!! Worked just as well the second time around!

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  2. Lemuel Severance

    I know you like the 310 to Yuma remake – but I saw it shortly after The Proposition and so it suffered greatly by comparison (and still does). I was lucky enough to see it in a theater in LA opening weekend and Danny Huston came out and did a short intro… Great script by Nick Cave – great soundtrack – also Cave w Warren Ellis – Essential viewing…and as ever a lovely and lively writeup from IPC

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      • The Tile Doctor

        It wasn’t me at lunch – but My buddy met Huston and we got his signature and a doodle of a gunslinger on our half-finished script…he was extremely nice and generous about the whole thing…

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      • theipc

        AHHHHHHH – I thought it was you out and about on one of your Hollywood lunches eating lobster and rare Filet Mignon on Sunset Boulevard… while I slaved away dealing with people who cannot be named… we’re totally gonna rock it on Monday!!!!!! The Internet is not prepared for our post!!!! (I am working on it right now)

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  10. Jordan Dodd

    Great post Eric! Nice to see some love for an Aussie flick. I’m with you on Guy Pearce, the guy is one of our best actors. He is also in Lawless, which is by the same director and was written by Nick Cave. You might like it mate

    Also this director (John Hillcoat) is making ‘Triple 9’ which comes out in march I think. Looks like it will be a good one

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. Laura

    As a rule I can’t fucking stand westerns but this one shits all over the rules, sets them in fire and flings them out into space. I fucking love everything about this film, it is an astonishing work of cinematic excellence.

    As an aside, Nick Cave lives near here and I once saw him in our local Indie cinema. We were watching that Aussie horror, The Babbadook. He’s just as tall in real life as he looks on screen.

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