Rust

Joel Souza's Rust, finally seeing release in 2025 after a tumultuous and tragic production, arrives with a weight of expectation and somber reflection. The film itself, a Western centered on an outlaw grandfather and his estranged grandson on the run, attempts to capture the rugged beauty and inherent dangers of the American frontier. Souza's direction leans into the stark landscapes and the simmering tensions between its characters, aiming for a raw and authentic portrayal of a harsh and unforgiving era. The narrative, while familiar in its Western tropes, seeks to explore themes of family, legacy, and the cyclical nature of violence against the backdrop of a dusty, unforgiving landscape.

Alec Baldwin, in the lead role, delivers a performance that is both weathered and weary, embodying the grizzled outlaw with a palpable sense of history and regret. His portrayal anchors the film, providing a focal point for the unfolding drama and the grandson's coming-of-age journey amidst perilous circumstances. The supporting cast, while perhaps overshadowed by the film's production context, contributes to the authenticity of the setting, populating the frontier with believable and often desperate individuals. The film's visual style emphasizes the natural environment, utilizing wide shots to capture the vastness and isolation of the setting, contrasted with close-ups that highlight the emotional toll on its characters.

However, it's impossible to divorce the viewing experience from the tragic on-set incident that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. This shadow inevitably hangs over the film, coloring every scene and performance with a layer of unintended poignancy. While Souza bravely returns to complete his vision, the film's artistic merits are constantly juxtaposed with the real-world tragedy that occurred during its making. This creates a complex and often uncomfortable viewing experience, where appreciation for the filmmaking is intertwined with a profound sense of loss and the ethical considerations surrounding its release.

Despite the inherent challenges, Rust as a film showcases moments of genuine cinematic merit. Souza's commitment to telling this particular story of familial bonds and survival in the Old West is evident in the film's pacing and atmosphere. There are sequences that effectively build tension and capture the brutality of the era. The performances, particularly Baldwin's, offer glimpses of the intended emotional depth. Yet, the pervasive awareness of the tragedy remains an undeniable element of the film's reception, shaping its legacy in ways that no artistic critique can fully address.

Ultimately, Rust is a film that exists in a complex space, its narrative achievements forever intertwined with the real-life tragedy that marred its production. While Joel Souza manages to deliver a Western with moments of compelling storytelling and strong performances, the film's release serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of filmmaking. It's a viewing experience that demands not only critical assessment but also a degree of somber reflection on the events that overshadowed its creation.

If you watched the Hulu documentary "Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna", you would go to see the work of this great cinematographer because it was her families wishes for everyone to see her work.

As for the movie, a lot of the shots were absolutely stunning and truly conveyed the atmosphere and spirit of the film.

While some parts of the movie could have been more refined and were a little drawn out, the overall story line was good and fitting of a classic western. The actors were the right fit. Alec Baldwin and Patrick McDermott did a good job!

Sometimes simple is better. In all, I think it was worth the watch.

I have written an unpublished book about the accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza on the New Mexico set of Rust. My book is about how accidents happen, not the movie. I am not a fan of Westerns nor low budget movies but I enjoyed Rust. Joel Souza surprised me with a well written movie, a depth of characters and morality that I did not expect. Wood Helm and Lucas Rust characters were well acted and Alec Baldwin never over shadowed his co-stars in a reserved portrayal of a broken man. I hope everyone pays to see Rust. Any proceeds go to Halyna Hutchins per an end of credits video. Halyna's death was a terrible accident caused by many foreseeable and unforeseeable events. Tragic if people feel it does not honor Ms. Hutchins going to see the movie.

I'm going to judge this movie based on its storytelling, acting, directing, and cinematography - not on what I think of Alec Baldwin as a person or the tragic incident onset.

Story: I think it was fine. It might not be the most compelling of story, but it was good enough for me - meaning it was engaging for the most part. There were some things that didn't make sense to me, but it's not a major gripe.

Acting: I liked everyone is this film. Even the kid(s) were ok. Shout out to Travis Fimmel - I'm glad he's getting better roles since the Viking series - Richard Gunn, and Francis Fisher. I felt that their portrayals were outstanding.

Directing: Also good, IMO. There weren't any fillers or wasted shots, I thought. The actions were quite good, as well - I knew where everyone was at all times and what was happening. As were the dialogues and the quieter moments.

Cinematography: Montana is simply beautiful. I wished there had been more wide vista shots, but it's a quibble. Generally, what we had were good and established well the period and locations.

Overall: 7.5.

Of course I had heard about this movie prior to watching it. I mean, it was after all the movie that caused quite a ruckus for Alec Baldwin given the situation with a firearm loaded with live rounds.

I have to say that the storyline and narrative was not the most interesting, and it struggled with slow pacing, which made it somewhat of a dull viewing experience to sit through two hours and nineteen minutes of watching it. There was a whole lot of talking throughout the course of the movie and not particularly much in the action department.

The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Alec Baldwin, Jake Busey, Frances Fisher, Josh Hopkins, Xander Berkeley, Abraham Benrubi and Travis Fimmel. So you are in rather capable company throughout the course of the movie. The acting performances in the movie were good, which I figure was needless to point out.

"Rust" does look and feel like a proper Western, so thumbs up to the set designers, wardrobe, props, etc. That made it a bit more bearable to sit through the narrative.

This is a movie for diehard fans of the Western genre. I sat down to watch it as a casual viewer and I was struggling to keep having an interest in the sluggish narrative. I will not be returning to watch "Rust" a second time, as I was struggling enough to get through it the first time.

My rating of writer and director Joel Souza's 2024 movie "Rust" lands on a four out of ten stars.