THE OLD WAY

US, 2023, 95 minutes, Colour.

Nicolas Cage, Ryan Keira Armstrong, Noah Le Gros, Nick Searcy, Kerry Kruppe, Clint Howard.

Directed by Brett Donowho.

Westerns seem to have found their place on television rather than on the big screen in the 21^st-century. However, as the title suggests, here is a Western that reminds us of the old days, the old ways, including beautiful scenery in Montana, a musical score that is reminiscent of the classic scores of films like The Big Country.

The film opens with a lynching, a wealthy man accusing the victim of non-payment, townspeople crowding around, the son of the victim standing watching. But, also watching is a rather grim character, Briggs, played by Nicolas Cage. And the shooting starts, releasing the accused, the wealthy man shot, Nicolas Cage then taking money from the dead man, shooting those attacking him, shooting dead the father in front of his son.

Then a transition to 20 years later, Briggs now running a store, law and order in the town. He is married and has a young daughter, Brooke (a very strong performance on screen presence by Ryan Keira Armstrong). When a group of gunfighters arrive, we can guess that this is the son grown up and that he is bent on revenge, has served a prison sentence, has rounded up a group of associates, quite ruthless – confronting Briggs’s wife who puts up resistance, her horse killed from under her, her death.

As expected, the film turns into a vengeance pursuit, more complex because of the arrival of the sheriff and his associates, warning Briggs about the law, then caught in an ambush by the criminals and finally left by Briggs in the desert.

Of interest is the relationship between the gunfighter and his daughter (some commentators linking this theme with True Grit). As Briggs explains himself to his daughter, a harsh upbringing, minimal emotions, what we might call aspects of being on the spectrum. The scene of his explanations to his daughter as well as the daughter, very similar to her father, not crying, no grief… Is good strong drama.

And the film has its moments of suspense as to how Briggs will confront his enemies, the role that his daughter will play, and something of a high noon situation in the centre of the town. Not quite the ending we might have expected.

An interesting sequel would be to show what happens to Brooke when she is grown up.

1. The title and expectations? A Western? Old stories? Old-style storytelling? For the 21^st-century?
2. Harsh West, hanging, gunfighters, the law, the changing West, more orderly, legislation, sheriffs? Revenge themes? The musical score, reminiscent of Elmer Burnstein et cetera? The beautiful backgrounds of Montana?
3. The opening, the hanging, the taunting of the accused man, the wealthy accuser, the crowd, the little boy watching his father, the gunfighters, the accused cut down, the wealthy man shot?
4. The presence of Briggs, silent, unemotional, the shootings, taking the money, being owed? The shooting of the father, the close-up of his son?
5. 20 years later, Briggs, quiet, married, the relationship with Ruth, the relationship with Brooke, unemotional, walking his daughter to school, the teacher absent, her going to the store, his work, the long story about the outhouse from the customer (and Brooke later repeating it), stealing the jellybeans, her cleaning them and putting them in separate jars?
6. Ruth, putting out the washing, the riders, the confrontation, her resistance, the attack, the house, the barn, riding out on the horse, the horse being shot, their taking her, killing her?
7. The audience realising that the leader was the boy grown up, his accomplices, prison, their careers, robberies? The old man, Eustice, and the treatment? The young man and his relationship with the leader? They’re riding off?
8. Briggs, walking home with Brooke, the discovery? The sheriff, his posse? Briggs and his not weeping? Brooke and her not weeping, the conversation with the sheriff about her sadness? Briggs burying his wife? The sheriff warning him against vengeance?
9. Briggs, packing up, the temptation to kill Brooke, her looking at him? Giving her the rifle, the clothes, the horse, the pursuit, stops, short sleeps, getting water? Hearing the shots?
10. The gang, the ambush for the sheriff and his men, the shooting? Briggs arriving, tying up the men, the sheriff and his warnings about the law? His tending to the bullet wound? Taking the horse, promising to leave it, not a horse thief?
11. The gang, going to the town, in the saloon, Maria and looking after them? Placing each at the entry, the old man going to sleep, the boss’s treatment of him? the money, to spend it in Mexico? The packages with newspaper?
12. Briggs and the plan, the long sequences of the father and daughter talking, insight into their characters, Briggs and his story, at home, emotionless, his way of surviving? A modern analysis – on the spectrum? His career, telling his daughter the truth, the encounter with Ruth, changing him, the store? Feelings of love? Brooke, the same, unable to weep, her father trying to coach her how to weep? Sending her into the town?
13. The boss apprehending her, the group on the lookout for Briggs entering, the shooting? The discussions between the boss and Brooke, comparing fathers and fates?
14. The buildup to the confrontation, a high noon in the street, the boss and holding Maria, the guns? The talk, the memories of what happened in the past? Briggs quick on the draw, Brooke and her quick action? Wounded, his daughter attending him? The death of the boss?
15. The ways of the old west? Changing times? An interesting possibility for a sequel of Brooke in 10 years time…?