Hell or High Water

Dir: David Mackenzie

2016

*****

Hell or High Water is the definitive neo-western. It's ugly and beautiful at the same time, with a heavy weight of sadness around its neck. It is old fashioned and modern, but above all it is heartbreakingly honest. Gone are the days of Cowboys and Indians, now it is farmers and mortgage lenders. Hell or High Water reveals the true state of the west today and it is a far cry from the westerns of the 1950s. That said, every classic western involves some kind of suffering, you could say that there is no different between Hell or High Water and the first cowboy film you can think of. It has all the elements that you can think of that made those classics great; revenge, obstinance, pride, suffering etc., although the lines are somewhat blurred when it comes to adversity and how it is overcome. Unlike most classic westerns though you will have some sympathy for the bad guys, or at least who would have been seen as bad guys, had this been 1950. The story's poignancy left a lump in my throat. It's sad to see a world change so dramatically, even if it is a world you've only ever seen in the movies. We are reminded that things, at their core, never really change that much and at the same time nothing lasts forever. There are glimpses of the cowboy spirit we've all enjoyed seeing through Glenn Ford, James Stewart, James Coburn and Gary Cooper's performances (as well as many others) but Hell or High Water points out the slightly more neo-conservative approach of today's cowboy who would sooner shoot a hole through you because you looked at them funny or are just funny looking. Cowboys drive huge pick-up trucks rather than ride horses and the Red Indian is either gambling or taking drugs in a casino where sacred land used to be. Pride in ones heritage seems to be on the out but the story cuts through this beautifully by the actions of our main character who, although is doing wrong, is also doing good. Being poor is described rather cleverly as being an infectious disease that one can pass on from generation to generation, the big question raised is whether it is right to do one bad thing in order to correct many wrongs. The conclusion will split opinion and leaves many questions with no clear answer. Is there selfishness in selflessness? It takes a brilliantly written story like this to really make you wonder. This is easily Chris Pine's career best thus far and Ben Foster does what Ben Foster does best. Both are brilliant. Jeff Bridges plays quite an interesting character, a Texas Ranger very much from the past - the real past, with an attitude you wouldn't expect but with rather stereotypical mannerisms you would. He is in control but also in conflict with himself the closer he gets to retirement. He tracks Foster and Pine's bank robbers with half Native-American, half Mexican partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham) who he teases about his heritage consistently, although it is never clear if this is through a tradition need or because he really believes what he is saying. It's an interesting stone in the film's boot, never really explained but something for the audience to think about. Both characters are a fascinating contrast to the other two main characters, and the reason why the film works so well. There isn't much left for interpretation as such, what writer Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) has done is show the contrast and confliction of today's west is like, compared to the contrast and confliction of yesteryear. He shows us the grey area of what was once seen as black and white. A bona fide future classic.