The grazing backdrop of grand pastures and green lands are often just as mesmerizingly fascinating as the secrets buried within them, the blood-sweat-and-tear-concoction procured to live among them, and the people who move across the globe simply to breathe within the realm of such an unassumingly corrupt landscape, simply for its beauty. In John Maclean’s “Slow West”, this usage of gorgeous landscape as an additional character serves well, especially in its ability to balance against the deep rooted flaws, repulsive nature, and fairly redeeming monstrousness of the other characters who choose to inhabit this lush, abundant scenery. The notion of love as a universality is simultaneously explored, and the moving meadows and lavish range over which we witness this examination proves integral to its execution.
Well, not even a grand, daunting landscape can sway a young heart’s desire, as we see in Jay Cavendish, played by Kodi Smit-Mcphee, who ventures over land, sea, and fire to win back the one he loves, Rose Ross - Caren Pistorius, who left Scotland with her father to America. Unfortunately, Ross and her father are wanted for a heinous crime, as Jay soon discovers with the help and somewhat questionable guidance of Silas (Michael Fassbender).
The theme of survival at the forefront, or frontier rather, Jay proves that he can endure the colossal pitfalls and trials awaiting anyone who embarks on a cross-country venture during the 19th century in the wild west, and it is only at his bleakest does needed aid arrive in the form of Silas, an abrasive, rather tempestuous, character, who offers the perfect foil to the timid, less killer-instinct-y Jay.
We soon discover that a group of bandits, or “bounty hunters”, are after them, as well as Rose and her father, led by Payne, Ben Mendelsohn. And, as it happens, Silas formerly belonged to this band of rogues and vagabonds - creating a very layered, weaved interaction between each poignant character in this story. Each persona is so individualized, yet their motivations and objectives flow smoothly and balance off one another like silk, no matter how varying, interchangeable, and opposing they are.
Maclean definitely struck gold with this particular machination, offering a new and unique perspective on the stereotypical Western film - one that often views women as damsels in distress, men as the sole gatekeepers, love as a communion only to be shared between the “Godly,” and the greater number of deaths in the innumerable shootouts, the better. While some may find the amount of violence in “Slow West” rather gratuitous, its worth becomes greater in its portrayal of Rose defending herself against all of the gun-toting bad guys. She offers a sweetness, and a strange sense of empowerment, in her ability to hold her own in an atmosphere dominated by men. If anyone is portraying a damsel in distress in this picture, its Jay Cavendish himself.
In a memorable moment as Jay and Silas are venturing across the land, Jay uncovers a revelation that “love is universal like death” when stumbling across a group of singing drifters - another notion which challenges the conventional Western genre, firstly, for its free extension of emotion generated by a male figure, and secondly, for its unconscious request for equality. Love does not choose its target, fate does, and such a sentiment is definitely worth noting, especially in our contemporary climate of inequality, gender, and sex discrimination.
The cast does excellent work here, and it goes without saying that Fassbender pretty much steals the show. Smit-McPhee’s depiction of Jay is soft, yet striking in all of the appropriate places, unleashing his dominance and aggression only when truly needed. In addition, Pistorius is equally as hypnotizing, entrancing the viewer whether the scene requires a heightened or more reserved energy. And of course, Mendelsohn is, well, Mendelsohn, and captures the innate trickery and cunning of his character so smoothly and beautifully, it’s as though he can do this with his eyes closed and hands tied.
A definite, and much needed, refresher of the Old Western, “Slow West” is a sensational race against time, the frontier, and regressive notions of family, love, and friendship. As long as love remains universal, and equality remains paramount, any marathon, trial, or test of endurance is worth trekking, as Maclean proves in this triumphant win.
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