(Rory McCann) after an incident causing the death of Jay’s nobleman father. He is picked up along the way by a bounty hunter called Silas (Michael Fassbender), with the promise of protection to his destination, and the secret of a $2000 bounty on Rose and her father. From there, it is a pretty straightforward Odyssey-esque journey, full of ups and downs, and numerous run-ins with interesting characters.
The simplicity of the story is to it’s benefit, though. In the film, Jay describes Rose as someone who “doesn’t waste words,” which is an apt description for the film itself. There are long, reoccurring segments without dialogue, giving you ample to soak in the film’s contemplative mood. Jay makes mention of Silas being lonely; however it is his loneliness that is at the core of this story and the drive for his journey. The setting of the untamed American frontier runs parallel with this notion as well, and the beautiful cinematography, full of huge, empty landscapes, leads elegantly into the isolation of Jay and his quest.
elegantly into the isolation of Jay and his quest.
The cast all give wonderful performances, Kodi Smit-McPhee especially, who wonderfully captures the somberness of Jay. Michael Fassbender is equally fantastic in his role as Silas, not only in how he effectively draws out the emotional conflict of his character, but also in the fact that he just perfectly embodies the grizzled Wild West bounty hunter. I would love to see him in more similar roles. Caren Pistorius and Rory McCann are also great in their respective roles, despite the overall brevity of their parts, and the supporting cast does wonderfully at melting into the American frontier, believably bringing it life. Despite the brief time spent with each of them, every actor manages to have a command the screen, and even with the most tertiary of characters, you find yourself hanging off their every word.
Despite the fact that the film was shot in New Zealand, Slow West is a great portrayal of the American frontier. Though the film remains fairly unviolent throughout, it still manages to carry a heavy portrayal of the violence inherent in the time. The sound design excellently brings weight to every shot fired, and despite not being a brutal movie, you really get to understand the brutality of the time.