The Settlers (2024)

Direction: Felipe Gálvez Haberle
Country: Chile / Argentina / other

Felipe Gálvez Haberle's directorial debut, The Settlers, delves into a dark chapter of Chilean history, chronicling a harrowing journey undertaken by three men from Tierra del Fuego to Argentina with the sinister aim of exterminating Indigenous peoples across the pampas. 

Set in 1901, the narrative revolves around Segundo Molina (Camilo Arancibia), a young mixed-blood tracker and skilled marksman, who joins forces with Alexander MacLennen (Mark Stanley), a ruthless English Lieutenant, and Bill (Benjamin Westfall), a prejudiced American mercenary. Both men are hired by Jose Menéndez (Alfredo Castro), a wealthy landowner who disposes the Indigenous people from their land to profit. Along their journey, they bump into a competitive Argentinean captain and a despicable Scottish colonel, carrying out their mission with tenacity. Interrupted by a seven-year gap, the two-part narrative culminates in the visit of Mr. Vicuña (Marcelo Alonso), an intellectual nationalist working for the Chilean president, to Menéndez, in the last corner of the Earth. 

Inspired by real characters, the film effectively captures the poignant brutality of the genocide perpetrated against the Selk'nam Indians in Chile. Its portrayal of a primitive environment tinged with political upheaval and savage acts evokes the spirit of classic westerns, here infused with shades of Herzog and Jodorowsky’s filmmaking styles.

Haberle keeps sentimentality away and doesn’t spare us to violence. The film’s heartrending conclusion may leave viewers feeling somber, with a sense of pure intoxication. Despite its bleak topic, The Settlers is elevated by its stunning location shots and the sharp cinematography of Simone D’Arcangelo, who previously showcased his talent in the exquisite The Tale of King Crab (2021).

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Direction: Martin Scorsese
Country: USA

Displaying a personal filmic vision, Martin Scorsese directs the historical western crime film, Killers of the Flower Moon, with insight and restraint, benefiting from outstanding performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone. This epic and tragic account accurately depicts Oklahoma in the 1920s, portraying the series of murders of the native Osage tribe by greedy, powerful white men coveting their lands and oil headrights. The asphyxiating monstrosity of the actions is encouraged by a corrupt and racist system that threatens the cultural survival of the Native American tribe in question.

The screenplay, co-written by Scorsese and Eric Roth, based on David Grann’s nonfictional book of the same name, follows the war veteran Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), advised by his corrupt uncle and crime lord, William King Hale (De Niro), to marry the wealthy Indian Mollie Kyle (Gladstone). One of after another, members of her family are mercilessly murdered until the arrival of a Bureau of Investigation team led by agent Thomas Bruce White Sr. (Jesse Plemons). 

We are caught in the gut with this painful reflection on the American history, transformed in a momentous, highly entertaining picture. Scorsese's impressive narration, not praising violence but rather coming to terms with it, flows at a constant pace. The film is nourished by extraordinary performances by the three leads, an accomplished blues-roots score by the late Robbie Robertson, impeccable editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, and delightful images - sharpened by Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto - forming a masterfully staged fresco darkly hued by cynicism, avidity, and transgression.

Old Henry (2021)

Direction: Potsy Ponciroli
Country: USA

Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother Where Art Though?, 2000; The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, 2018) stars in Old Henry, a gripping western that, combining action and character, stands as the most noticeable work by director Potsy Ponciroli. Probing the genre for the first time in his career, the latter shows efficiency and simplicity in the screenplay and courage in the execution, filling the atmosphere with a slow-building tension that leaves no room for relaxation.

The story takes us to the Oklahoma Territory in the early 1900s, where Henry (Nelson), a widowed farmer with guts, lives with his adolescent son, Wyatt (Gavin Lewis). Their peaceful lives change abruptly when Henry decides to take home a severely injured man (Scott Haze), who had been chased by the inquisitive, ruthless Ketchum (Stephen Dorff) and his partners. The latter claims to be a sheriff, but his intention has nothing to do with law enforcement. The courage and determination shown by Henry make the others see him as a crazy man or a fool. What they don’t know is that this apparently meek farmer has an unmatched talent for shooting and is linked to a tumultuous past of violence.

Crisply told, the tale traditionally leads to a life-and-death shootout, but reserves a bitter twist for the end. Gauging from the acting qualities of Nelson, especially in the above mentioned motion pictures by the Coen brothers, there is little to worry regarding Old Henry. It’s solid entertainment, signaling that westerns are better when made simple.

Western (2018)

Direction: Valeska Grisebach
Country: Germany

Blending work-related issues with personal quests, German writer/director Valeska Grisebach (Longing) has in Western, her best film. You can think of it as if the proletarian realism of Ken Loach had fused with the culture clashes depicted by Jacques Audiard. The film title is a suitable epigram, playing with the east-west differences and with the western genre through the semblance and the actions of its main character.

The quiet Meinhard (Meinhard Neumann) is a German construction worker who accepts joining a specialized crew, headed by the antagonistic Vincent (Reinhardt Wetrek), to build a hydroelectric plant in a small rural Bulgarian village, next to the border with Greek border. He soon clarifies his boss about his intentions: he’s there only for the money.

Taking advantage of the reduced working flow - there’s no water on the site to be mixed with the cement and a 40-ton shipment of gravel was stolen - he sets out to the village mounted on an old white horse he borrowed without permission. When the conflict was expected, Reinhard surprises us by gaining the trust of the suspicious villagers. His comfortable posture and friendly manners were able to beat the barrier of communication. Thus, he was more than welcome to be part of this small Bulgarian family.

The horse owner, Adrian (Syuleyman Alilov Letifov), becomes a close buddy, appointing him as his personal bodyguard. This happened after Meinhard had mentioned to some residents he fought in Afghanistan and Africa as a legionnaire. However, a number of unexpected incidents, involving both locals and his own crew, will mar his staying with glumness.

The story takes its time to develop and requires patience at every languid turn, but once you let yourself be enveloped by its mood, it’s all rewards. Neumann does an impressive work here, embracing his first role with natural ease and assuming great part of the responsibility in making of the tale a grounded and sincere experience. On the other hand, Grisebach is an intelligent storyteller, showing to have a meticulous eye for detail. The realistically filmed Western dissects its male characters, digging into their souls and revealing a human perspective that, even suggesting a vast array of emotions, never hand them on a plate. Actually, it feels great having to search for them.