Butcher's Crossing

Unceremoniously dropped on Amazon Prime with no real fanfare, this Western odyssey bares similarities to Joseph Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness' (except without all the racism) and has a connection to Francis Ford Coppola's take on that material, 'Apocalypse Now (1979)', in that it also features a depiction (or several) of a bison being killed and butchered. 'Butcher's Crossing (2023)' has an additional connection with another film, that one being the Coen brothers' 'Miller's Crossing (1990)': not only goes it have the word "crossing" in the title, but its pseudo Kurtz stand-in (portrayed by Nic Cage) just so happens to be called Miller. "Alright, Mr. IMDb Trivia, get on with it," you're probably thinking. To that I say, "okay."

There's something that just feels unfinished about the film, specifically when it comes to its editing, sound mixing and colour grading. The former is mostly successful, making good use of montages and other non-linear techniques to create a purposefully elusive and unsettling atmosphere, but there's something almost intangibly off about it and it could have been tightened up with another pass to really hammer its dream-like nature home. The audio mix is notably incorrect on occasion as it straight-up clips during some of the infrequent yelling that occurs; it's a pretty major technical problem that contributes to the picture's sort of amateurish vibe. The cinematography isn't bad, but it often feels like we're looking at raw dailies. It doesn't have its own feel to it, and any semblance of naturalism is counteracted by its flat and uninspired appearance. Another problem with the feature is that its apparent conversationalist messaging is only really evident during its text ending, which uses statistics and real-life imagery to decry the extensive hunting its characters so eagerly partake in elsewhere in the piece. It feels quite random for the film to end on such a blatant anti-hunting note when its majority makes no real attempt to demonise the act, instead depicting it in quite a bit of detail (there is a lot of animal killing and butchery in this, which is something to be wary of going in) and positioning its characters' potential descent into madness not through their barbaric actions but rather through their isolation and unwillingness to cut their losses.

Where the affair mostly succeeds is in its general tone and semi-surreal atmosphere. Although it's a bit too front-loaded for its own good, the narrative is mostly compelling and the direction often takes an unexpected route to convey the feeling of a particular segment, rather than the unfiltered truth of it. There's this hard-to-pinpoint nightmarish quality to a lot of it, and a sense of dread slowly builds right from the start. You're never quite sure where it's going to go, which is yet another of its most potent strengths. The solid performances really ground the experience and lend it a sense of truth, while the sparse set design and tangible costuming make sure you don't doubt the period setting for a single second. There are some genuinely stunning vistas here, instantly iconic snapshots of the American landscape that are synonymous with the bloodstained Manifest Destiny of the era and therefore carry their own sense of ideological danger alongside their undeniable beauty (not to mention the fact that they could kill you in an instant). A couple of its environments are clearly recreated on a green-screen soundstage and they do yank you out of the otherwise solid verisimilitude, but far more are real and tactile and plain gorgeous to look at.

There is a lot to like about the piece and it draws you into its earthy narrative relatively early on. While it can't keep you glued to the edge of your seat and its technical issues do prevent it from feeling fully polished, it remains mostly engaging for its majority. It gets a bit repetitive in its midsection and the pacing is a little off in places, but it's a solid effort that's rather entertaining overall.

I wanted to give a higher rate but it's hard because the movie has many issues. That being said, it's not a bad movie, very watchable especially if you love westerns.

The actors performances are good, the story and plot are decent. Probably lacks more action. You won't see many bullets.

My biggest issue, and maybe this is a "me problem", is their clothing. I see this problem many times in modern low budget westerns. The people in charge of the outfits, wardrobes and characters design should put a bigger effort in making the audience feel the old western days, teleporting the audience back in time. Instead, I feel they are wearing Levi's jeans and gap shirts, all clean. The horses are also way too clean.

Anyway, it's not that big of a deal, just wanted to share my point of view.

Cheers.

I think that this movie achieves its aim in demonstrating to the audience the tragic wastefulness of nineteenth centuries bison hunting. It doesn't really touch on the racialized element in the destruction of bison, in that it was in part based on the belief that "one less buffalo meant one less Native American." But it does aptly portray the greed. It also portrays the monotony of hunting bison, which makes for a movie that is sometimes downright boring and repetitive. There is a lot of attention paid to accurate historical details and Nicholas Cage is excellent as the brooding, disturbed, obsessive Miller. Xander Berkeley also puts in a noteworthy performance. Overall, a powerful message wrapped in a somber and kinda dull film in the "we lost ourselves in the wilderness" genre. Worth the watch.

Definately check this one out. I hope it picks up some traction with viewers as not many will have seen this film. It's beautifully shot and the transition from fall to winter was great. The use of the Buffalo and the locations is really special and very well directed and edited. Not a huge amount happens plot wise, it mainly a survival story but there are still a few dramatic shocks to be had. Cage is always engaging and the shaved head look was a surprise! The rest of the cast are decent. The ending tails of a bit but it's a great depiction of human greed and an early example of man putting money and success above everything else.

This was a nice surprise of a great story with solid directing and a great cast. The dp work is amazing yet it's not a casual premise for the light hearted esp any Vegans.

It is phenomenal to see Nick Cage back in great films especially after another gem like Pig and now this western script that merits his talent as he carries the film as its star with a superb supporting cast.

The Montana landscape is epic in its splendid beauty and the true sadness and brutality of mankind's hunt for bison in 1800s is one of disgrace yet another tragic tale that has to be seen to fully comprehend the mania of some hunters.

Kudos to the director and loved the music score also.

Looking forward to more Cage films

A solid 7 stars.