Worth: $17.00
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Cast:
Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane, Isaiah Mustafa, Anna Camp
Intro:
...a great exercise in slow-burn tension...
Like jazz, rock’n’roll and junk food, the western is a distinctly and singularly American creation. Some of its finest practitioners, however, have been from well and truly outside the USA, with Europeans like Fred Zinnemann (High Noon), Sergio Leone (a whole host of 1960s gun-slinging masterpieces), Fritz Lang (Rancho Notorious), Michael Curtiz (Dodge City) and many, many more bringing their own internationalist sensibilities to this most traditional and deeply American of film genres. And while there have been many Australian westerns (check out our feature on Meat Pie Westerns), not too many Australian directors have made the cinematic journey into The Wild West, outside of the likes of Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove) and Fred Schepisi (Barbarosa).
Now mounting up to join that rarefied group is talented local Richard Gray, who made his name in Australia with 2010’s Summer Coda and 2013’s Blinder before heading overseas and establishing himself as a reliable helmer of thrillers and adventures like Sugar Mountain, Broken Ghost, The Lookalike and Robert The Bruce. While he doesn’t turn the western genre inside out or dump it on its head, Gray brings a welcome freshness to The Old West with Murder At Yellowstone City, a moody character piece effectively rolled together with a compelling mystery and a thrilling guns-drawn confrontation piece.
In 1880s Montana, the tiny, sadly creaking town of Yellowstone City is on a downward slide after its mine closed and its denizens gave up the ghost when it came to striking gold. But when a dynamite charge from wildman prospector Robert Dunnigan (Zach McGowan) unearths a rich new seam, things are looking up for Yellowstone City. The next day, however, Dunnigan has a bullet in his back, and the town is sent into a bloodletting frenzy. Suspicions instantly land on African-American newcomer Cicero (Isaiah Mustafa), who comes under the protection of the town’s preacher (Thomas Jane) and his wife (Anna Camp). Sheriff Ambrose (Gabriel Byrne), meanwhile, wants to make sure that justice is seen to be done so he can restore order – and hope – to Yellowstone City.
Strongly scripted by Eric Belgau (who also penned Gray’s Robert The Bruce), Murder At Yellowstone City is a great exercise in slow-burn tension, as Gray gradually peels back the layers on his fascinating cast of characters, all of whom react to the film’s growing body count in a wide variety of ways. Almost playing out – in a cannily ironic flourish – like a classic “locked room mystery” on the open range, Murder At Yellowstone City effectively throws out red herrings galore and keeps audiences guessing, but not at the expense of its gritty, barren setting and dark sense of moodiness. Excellently performed across the board, and with a bevy of rich female characters to boot, Murder At Yellowstone City is a thoughtful exploration of the western genre from a keenly intelligent Australian director.
Attended the preview screening last night and was more than pleasantly surprised at not just the well drawn characters but particularly the level of tension during the final shootout involving so many of the cast whom you so deeply had become involved with over the journey. Quite nailbiting! Unusual to have such a fascinating murder mystery in a western setting! More enjoyable than the recent Agatha Christie outings! Well done to all involved. Highly recommended.