WIND RIVER
US, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Julia Jones, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Gil Birmingham, Kelsey Asbille, Jon Bernthal.
Directed by Taylor Sheridan.
This is a murder mystery with a difference.
Wind River refers to a Native American settlement in Wyoming. It is winter. There is a great deal of snow in the mountains (actually filmed in Utah). Cory (Jeremy Renner in a more substantial role than usual) is a hunter, seen initially confronting a wolf to save cattle, later hunting mountain lions. While checking the lions, he discovers the body of a dead girl in the snow.
The girl belongs to the community of Wind River, an 18-year-old who was a good friend of Cory’s daughter, some years dead in mysterious and tragic circumstances, Cory regretting that he could not save his daughter and now alienated from his grieving wife. His wife also belongs to the community of Wind River. Cory has rights to some time with his son and takes into his Native American grandparents.
Because of the nature of the injuries to the dead girl, her lungs frozen in the snow through which she had run some distance barefoot, there is an autopsy but the doctor able only to give details of death rather than make a murder charge. This is immediately frustrating to the young FBI agent, Jane, Elizabeth Olsen, who has been called in from Las Vegas to supervise the investigation. Originating from Fort Lauderdale, she is young and somewhat out of her depth in the investigation, especially in handling the news and death for the dead girl’s parents.
Graham Greene represents the local community police force. Because of the difficulty of the terrain, and travelling through the snow on a ski bike, with the fluctuations in the weather, there are some difficulties in retrieving the body and giving information to the girl’s family. The mother grieves by cutting herself. The father grieves stoically. There is also a younger brother who has stayed in the community but is on drugs.
So, there is a murder, the need for a solution. But also challenging material about the nature of the Native American communities in such states as Wyoming, the old traditions, the younger generation breaking through, opportunities for progress, many barriers.
Investigation into the girl’s life leads the police and the FBI to a rig which is being closed down for the winter but is staffed by a group of security officers. The girl was having a relationship with one of them.
The film uses a dramatic device of the FBI agent knocking on the door of the security house and the transition made to a flashback which explains and dramatises what actually happened. Resuming the action, there is a confrontation between the security guards and the police with Cory able to intervene – and then take justice into his own hands, wreaking vengeance on the perpetrator according to the manner in which the girl died.
Writer-director Taylor Sheridan was responsible for the screenplay for the strongly dramatic Sicario as well as Hell and High Water. This film is as good, possibly better.
1. A murder mystery and investigation story? The different atmosphere?
2. The title, the reservation, the Native Americans, homes, social conditions, drugs, lack of opportunity? The local police? Intermarriage? Insight into 21st-century Native Americans and reservations?
3. The visuals, the walls of the hunt, the Hunter and white, the mountains, the snow, the storms, the Utah locations for Wyoming? The season, cold, the contrast with the homes and comfort? Police headquarters, the town? The rigs and the security huts? The musical score?
4. The hunting image, the walls, the threat, shooting? Animals saved?
5. Corey, his age, visiting his wife, the separation, his son, the time with him, sharing the hunt? The narrative of his dead daughter? His grief, husband-and-wife separating? The background of his intermarriage, his father-in-law and the reservation?
6. Corey, hunting lions, finding them? Discover body? His reaction, identifying the girl? Calling the local police, the experience of the storms? The cold, the bikes? The investigating police?
7. The dead girl and her story, her friendship with Cory’s daughter, the photos? Her mother’s grief? Cutting herself? The father, Solomon’s Island, painting his face and sitting contemplating? Her brother and his drug life? His being upset? The attack on the house, the man with the drugs, his attack, being shot? The girl and her relationships, with Matt, the scene in the shack, the drugs, the verbal assault, the rape, the fight and the killing and bashing of Matt?
8. Jane, the FBI, her experience and inexperience, from Las Vegas, from Florida? Seeing the body, the visit to the victim’s brother and the shooting, travelling with Cory? The doctor and her wanting a verdict of murder and his willingness only to give the diagnosis? Sharing with Cory, seeing the photo, the sadness? Her presence at the reek, knocking on the door, the encounter with the security guards, the massacre, her being saved from shooting? Learning on the job?
9. Ben, police, his role and authority, the collaborators, seeing him at work, at the siege, his death?
10. Cory and the hunting of the lines, seeing the reek of the group? The police, the FBI, the locals? The security guards, the knock on the door and the insertion of the flashback? The confrontation, everybody drawn guns, the shooting, deaths on both sides? Corey arriving, saving Jane?
11. Corey taking Pete, into the mountains, Peter and his fears, taking off issues, making him run in the snow like his victim, and dying the same way?
12. Order restored? The victim’s father, his change of heart, making contact with his son? Some improvement for the future?
