THE LAST SON
US, 2021, 96 minutes, Colour.
Sam Worthington, Colson Baker, Thomas and Jane, Heather Graham.
Directed by Tim Sutton.
"Isaac LeMay roamed the Great Plains and the Western territories taking up with whores and siring children across the land without thought to consequence. He gained employment clearing Cheyenne for the army and it was the ugliness of this task which turned him to ruin. For his crimes, the Cheyenne chief White Thunder cursed him to be killed by his own seed. Haunted, Isaac tracked down his children one by one and killed them before they did the same to him."
This is how this film begins and ends.
Those who enjoy the conventions of Western genres, this will not be entertaining. It will be too dark, gloomy, brooding. For those who enjoyed westerns going beyond the conventions, they have found it very satisfying.
Sam Worthington, almost unrecognisable, bearded, is Isaac LeMay of the opening quotation. The film shows his quest to confront his many children and to destroy them before they destroy him. He kills one twin son but goes in pursuit of the other (both played by Colson Baker, musician Machine Gun Kelly). There is also another daughter whom he visits on a farm. And there is an hour, the prostitute who is the mother of the twins (Heather Graham). As well, there is the military man who is persuaded to pursue I sack and kill him (Thomas Jane).
The film shows Solomon and his pursuit, encountering Anna. The film also has the reckless and ruthless son and his friends commandeering a Gatling gun, mowing down opponents, using it in a bank robbery.
There will be a confrontation between father and son – but it will be the daughter who has the last moment with her father.
- The title? The opening quotation, the story of Isaac, his past, relationships, siring children, time passing, the Shy end curse?
- A grim West, literally dark and brooding, the Montana scenery, homesteads, towns, the bank, the military, the saloons, the brothels? The musical score?
- Isaak, Sam Worthington, unrecognisable, bearded? Travelling the West, the loner, going to the bar, the confrontation with the bar keeper? Search for his sons, finding the first win, the shootout? Pursuing the other son? Eventually meeting him, the confrontation, death?
- Going to the farm, the woman and her husband, the daughter, the relationship, the gun? The daughter going on a quest, her travels and encounters?
- Solomon, military, the quest for Isaac, his personality, the visit to the saloon, the encounter with Anna, the continued pursuit, the issue of the Gatling gun, the military and the deaths? The suddenness of his death?
- Carl, his friends, taking the Gatling gun, firing indiscriminately, the ambush and killing the military? The bank robbery, the treatment of the people, reckless glee?
- Isaak, his pursuit, finding Carl, the confrontation, shootout?
- The daughter, pursuing Isaac, finding him, the gun, death, the end of the curse cycle?
