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The Homesman

Tommy Jones (Actor, Director, Producer), Hilary Swank (Actor) Rated:
R
Format: DVD
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 4,794 ratings
IMDb6.6/10.0
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Genre Drama
Format Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Contributor Peter Brant, Grace Gummer, Meryl Streep, Brian Kennedy, David Dencik, EuropaCorp, Miranda Otto, Luc Besson, Michael Fitzgerald, Hilary Swank, Tommy Jones See more
Language English
Runtime 2 hours and 2 minutes
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Product Description

When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) head east, where a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 0.01 ounces
  • Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 31922017
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Tommy Jones
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 2 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ February 17, 2015
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Tommy Jones, Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, Miranda Otto, David Dencik
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Luc Besson, Peter Brant, Brian Kennedy, Tommy Jones, Michael Fitzgerald
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00PPGZMFM
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 4,794 ratings

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
4,794 global ratings
An unpredictable film, full of magnificent cinematography and great performances.
4 Stars
An unpredictable film, full of magnificent cinematography and great performances.
Set in the Nebraskan territories, ‘The Homesman’ is a brutal and unforgiving look at frontier life for the isolated American pioneers. Its unusual narrative style and story might be off-putting for people looking for a more traditional western with established archetypes, but this is still an unpredictable film, full of magnificent cinematography and great performances.Blu Ray Review (1 Disc)★★☆☆☆Origins (21min) - Interviews with cast and crew.Shooting the Film (27min) - Making of featurette.Beyond the Western (11min) - Covers the film’s attempt at exploring new territory within the western genre.
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Top reviews from the United States

Buster
5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
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One of the few that I gave a 5 rating. Truly a great movie. Acting was fantastic.
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Ian Muldoon
5.0 out of 5 stars A film of consummate and mysterious beauty
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015
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Once in a while a film is made that causes one to pause and reflect and absorb - which is to say, have the faculties of sight, sound and memory engrossed by it. The Homesman is such a film.
Visually, the director of photography has effectively captured the natural and human landscape whether it is the seeming infinity of the Mid West prairie or the colour and lines of the faces especially of George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) or Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). The Blue House (castle)on the prairie stands out as a symbol of the entree of civilisation (development) in the West, of speculation and of hope, but like the Trojan Horse contains within it the corrupting influence of alcohol and gambling, of power and its misuse. The hope and the reality of so called "progress". The castle image recalls both Mallick's Days of Heaven and Steven's Giant.
As in life and in war, long periods of waiting, of routine, or work, are interspersed with moments and actions of joy or horror. And when life is a matter of survival as it is here, then the moments of joy are rare and otherwise simple acts or experiences - a moon for example, or a sip of clean, fresh water, or being washed in a cool stream. Pain is pervasive and much of it is mental, much more savage when caused by other humans as we witness the three "mad" women or the painful yearnings of Mary Bee Cuddy - and it is through Mary Bee Cuddy that we see that she is strong enough to overcome nature, but not strong enough to overcome humans. Dramatically then, when the routine is broken by action a fight, a fall, a fire then that action resonates powerfully. In the same way, the tragedy of the story is realised when the strongest person, perhaps the most civilized, self destructs.
The excellent music is wholly in the service of the film, but to my mind, the most memorable musical effect is that created in the mind of the viewers as they watch Mary Bee Cuddy touch out with her fingers the keys on an imaginary melodeon (or piano) in the shape of a piece of cloth sewn with the keys. And this play acting-out by the character realizes the impact absence has on their lives and the importance imagination has on making their lives bearable, at least, up to point. Just as impressive is the music created by George Briggs using his voice and thigh slapping to create musical sounds however primitive.
Explanations and reasons are given in the film, up to a point - we see some background to the lives of the three women for instance - but there is a pervasive air of mystery about the world and the humans in it, that haunts The Homesman. One looks into the eye of the animal and wonders. George Briggs - more animal than human because man is a social animal and Briggs has become a lone "wolf" so to speak, a deserter, one who has rejected life when he rejects Mary Bee Cuddy, and so we see he survives in the end, but at what cost? Is it the case that such rejection of the social, other humans, that man is doomed to wander alone and to disappear? In modern society, in Japan for example, the lone life is becoming a new norm. Is the new American hunkering down in his or bunker with a gun and a smart phone and an Ipad?
Brilliantly cast, at all levels, The Homesman is a relief in that it stirs one's imagination and thoughts as opposed to having one's senses bludgeoned by a constant barrage of sounds and images.
A film to be re-viewed. This one has legs.
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B.A.
4.0 out of 5 stars Not an uplifting movie.
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
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Spoiler Alert:

You can argue that this movie certainly is realistic, and shows the difficult side of frontier life...

However this is not how it turned out for everyone, or the state of NE would have no population, and the many successful farms it has.

For some reason, the authors of this piece showed the down side.

I would have changed the ending a bit, and had the lead female get pregnant, and begin to raise a kid on her own... she was certainly strong enough. The male would then return, and as in the current relationship, make somewhat of a life together, better, and less lonely, than singly.

Unfortunately, the male was not of high moral character... altho there are hopes for him... perhaps, he could have been turned around.

Leaving the ending like it is, is very nihilistic, and does not portend well for a society that would act in this way.

The folks that were successful, had strong religious belief, many had good morals, were hard workers, had endurance,and had some good luck and good fortune. Their sons, grandsons, great grandsons populate Nebraska today.
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Lanna S. Seuret
3.0 out of 5 stars A STORY OUTSIDE ITSELF
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015
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Wellll....It's not that this story could not have happened somewhere in the West, but has less that holds it together than leaves questions of puzzled motives, and inconsistent behaviour and values.

"Homesman" is a word having a familiar sound, but, upon cursory inspection, no actual definition. Let us say it means something close to "homesteader" or perhaps a person who might be capable of pioneering and making a home out of a wildness. This is a story apparently of two
main characters: Hillary Swank as Mary Bee Cuddy, for unknown reason coming west from a lovely life in New York, leaving her sister and a niece and nephew , to make her place in the world in flat, treeless, dusty, windy Kansas territory; and Tommy Lee Jones as George Briggs, an older fellow who's had lots of interesting experiences, knows himself and how to survive, doesn't argue with life, and pretty much takes and deals with what comes his way. Ms. Cuddy is described by a neighbor as "too damn plain and too damn bossy." I didn't think her so plain, but she was
definite, decisive, competent, didn't suffer stupidity, and outspoken, though not in a brash or nasty way, just spoke her mind, plain and simple.
The contrast between them is that she is God fearing, principled, and somewhat self righteous, whereas Briggs fears little, pays attention to his
heart and gut, and knows only he is responsible for his survival.

So here she is , out in the dusty boonies,having made a very successful life for herself, with a pretty nice neighbor who visits occasionally. They have a good neighbor relationship. Her story begins when, having this neighbor for dinner, she lays out in practical detail all the reasons they should marry. I could imagine nothing less interesting than a proposal made in this manner, with not a whit of interest evinced by the fellow, and
indeed, he tells her he plans to go East to get him a bride, leaving telling her the aforementioned description. You don't feel from her any desperation, or dampened dreams, which makes a later choice not understandable, but just think she's a bit socially inept.

The chaplain opens up the story further: there are 3 widely geographically separated women, strangers to each other, all married young, and from different cultural backgrounds, who, have for different reasons, collapsed under the harsh, love and laughter lacking living conditions, and retreated out of that reality into inner space and a kind of safety. This part of the film is the scariest; there are scenes of harsh or even brutal sexual demands from husbands, or careless and loveless treatment of family members, and just plain lack of compassion. ( One woman lost all three small children in an epidemic, one seems to have killed one of her babies, and the other lost a live-in parent.) The chaplain says they must all be picked up, transported across Indian territory and I think, the MIssissippi, and delivered to another minister in the east who can care for them. The very, very small congregation draws peas for who shall commit to this. The harshness and need for constant struggle to survive is brought in on one in this scene. And yup, you guessed who chose to make the commitment.

Here's where the story gets amusing several times, and certainly more lively: as Mary Bee gets herself together for this undertaking, she passes
her aforementioned neighbor's house who indeed, has gone East seeking a likely mate, and spots this man in his underwear, under a tree, astride a horse, with his hands tied behind his back, immobile. Looking closer, she sees he is lariated with a hangman's noose, and if his horse takes off or gets spooked, he'll hang himself, albeit unwillingly. God be praised! This is her answer, her helpmeet. I do admire her pluck. She agrees to
save his life if he will agree to do this service with her. Of course he promises anything! And, he does clean up nicely, and not only looks like a
decent guy, we find he does have a decent sense of commitment to his own word... well, pretty much.

And thus ensues many interesting adventures with 5 people, 2 mules and two horses. You can see that this stretch of time and country could be
a healing, calming, learning experience, or, worse. It turns out it's both. It is in this section of the story, that Mary Bee suddenly seems to be
broken by the experience - just suddenly. Briggs is not a cruel man, just not going to argue with survival. She still believes God will save her,
but something snaps. Perhaps you will understand it; I could not because I saw her as standing up to her decisions and desires.

Briggs thus has to continue the journey alone, or, not. He decides not, and starts off. In a charming display of trust and attachment, the "crazy"
women come after him. He just shakes his head and gives in. He must finish the expedition. Don't miss what ensues. I love his sense of
justice. They haven't eaten for three days, when they come across a Grand Hotel, apparently in the middle of nowhere, but obviously well supplied. He asks for a room for himself and the 3 women, and immediate dinner. The owner baron refuses, even after much importuning. You would think it would be a decent thing to at least let Briggs buy a nice picnic basket and be on his way, wouldn't you? But this fellow thinks himself and his enterprise above such, such, such despicable examples of humanity. What follows is delicious.

However, though Briggs makes it to the minister's home, greeted by the gracious and caring wife, and safely and caringly delivers the three young ladies, thereafter treating himself with luxurious bath, haircut, new suit ,dinner and some fun, the conclusion was not satisfying nor really understandable. It seemed like a well told but inexplicable story with no redemption, contrast of life codes, or real satisfaction, much less happiness.
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One random customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A fine movie featuring great actors.
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2024
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I liked the entire movie, writing, acting , directing, cinematography , the whole nine yards. Its a potential classic. You won't fall asleep, I promise.
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Cliente de Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Cine de Calydad
Reviewed in Mexico on January 15, 2024
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Buen precio. Facilidad volará conseguir solo en Amazon.
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blackrock woman
5.0 out of 5 stars Mary Bee - a wonder woman.
Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2015
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This is my currant favorite. The women settlers suffer such isolation and despair in their little sod hovels set sparsely on an extremely large and empty prairie. The photography sets the mood, and Tommy Lee Jones has produced a masterpiece as a director and as an actor. It is not a movie for everyone, but it will change the settler myths. The book it is based on is equally good.
The Indian women of the plains had a tribal system of association with each other, but the settler woman often saw no other woman for months on end.. I would like to know if they were able to recover when they were sent home. Doubtful.
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars F. Estrader
Reviewed in Spain on August 10, 2016
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Me parece una muy buena película,aunque no me leí bien la oferta y solo estaba en alemán o inglés y aunque hablo un poco inglés es difícil entender el acento rural norteamericano.
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Tristram Shandy
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein Western, der kein Western sein will – aber eben doch einer ist
Reviewed in Germany on April 27, 2015
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Ist es Koketterie oder doch eine ernstgemeinte Aussage, wenn Tommy Lee Jones über seinen zweiten Kinofilm, „The Homesman“ (2014), anmerkt, es handele sich dabei nicht um einen Western, und wenn er in einem Atemzug die Definition des Westerngenres in Frage stellt, indem er anmerkt, ein Western sei wohl ein Film, in dem Pferde und große Hüte vorkommen? Was Jones nun wirklich denkt, kann der Rezensent nur mutmaßen, doch steht er selbst auf dem Standpunkt, daß es sich bei diesem sehr gefühlvollen Film sehr wohl um einen Western handelt – eine Ansicht, die hoffentlich im Laufe dieses Sermons ihre schlüssige Begründung erfährt.

Ein Wort der Warnung an all jene, die den Begriff des Westerns auf die Unterart der Pferdeoper verengen und sich von einem solchen Film in erster Linie jede Menge Action, Schießereien, Verfolgungsjagden und anderen Budenzauber erwarten: „The Homesman“ zeigt zwar auf eindringliche Weise die alltägliche Gewalt, mit der das Frontierleben einherging, doch kommt er dabei fast gänzlich ohne herkömmliche Action aus, sondern setzt statt dessen in erster Linie auf die leisen Töne zwischen den beiden Hauptdarstellern. Pferdeopernliebhaber sollten „The Homesman“ links liegen lassen und warten, bis Tarantino einen weiteren Exploitation Western verbricht.

Worum geht es in „The Homesman“? Die Geschichte spielt, für das Genre eher untypisch, in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts, im Nebraska-Territorium, wo die 31jährige ehemalige Lehrerin Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) mit verbissener Zähigkeit unermüdlich ihre Farm bewirtschaftet. Da sie nicht nur fleißig, sondern auch noch ordentlich und wirtschaftlich ist, hat sie dabei zudem großen Erfolg, was sich unter anderem in ihrem vergleichsweise stark ausgeprägten Wohlstand äußert. Allein ein Ehemann fehlt ihr, und als sie ihrem leicht ungehobelt wirkenden Nachbarn einen sehr geschäftsmäßigen Antrag macht, weist dieser sie brüsk zurück, weil sie ihm zu herrisch und zu spröde sei. So weit, so gut … Während Mary sich den Fährnissen und Entbehrungen des Pionierlebens so sehr gewachsen zeigt, daß sie augenscheinlich in den Augen der Nachbarn keine weiblichen Reize mehr zu bieten hat, geht es vielen anderen Farmersfrauen noch schlechter. Da ist die junge Arabella Sours (Grace Gummer), deren drei Kinder innerhalb kurzer Zeit an Diphterie sterben und deren Ehemann zu jung ist, um ihr emotionalen Halt in dieser schweren Situation zu geben. Eine weitere Frau, Gro Svendsen (Sonja Richter), wird von ihrem rücksichtslosen, auf männlichen Nachwuchs fixierten Ehemann wiederholt viehisch vergewaltigt, und Theoline Belknap (Miranda Otto), die Mutter einer weiteren Familie, leidet unter der schlechten wirtschaftlichen Situation und der Fühllosigkeit ihres Mannes so sehr, daß sie schließlich ihr Neugeborenes in einen Abtritt wirft. Alle drei Frauen, nervlich zerrüttet und unfähig zur Kommunikation, sollen auf Geheiß des Geistlichen zurück in den Osten gebracht werden, wo man hofft, sie durch entsprechende Pflege wiederherstellen zu können, doch die betreffenden Ehemänner zeigen sich wenig daran interessiert, die Fahrt zu übernehmen, für deren Dauer sie ja auch ihre Gehöfte nicht bewirtschaften könnten. Aus christlichem Pflichtgefühl und Anstand heraus erklärt sich schließlich Mary Bee Cuddy dazu bereit, diese Aufgabe zu übernehmen, vor der sich alle Männer der Gemeinde drücken. Sie versichert sich dabei der Hilfe des alternden Strauchdiebes und Squatters George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), dem sie das Leben rettet und den sie außerdem noch mit der Aussicht auf 300 Dollar Belohnung bei der Stange hält.

„The Homesman“ ist ein Western, der die Entbehrungen und Härten des Pionierlebens nicht nostalgisch feiert und somit zu einem Ruhmesblatt amerikanischen Durchhaltewillens macht, sondern der in erster Linie einmal ein leidenschaftsloses, aber dafür ungeschminktes Bild dieses unsicheren Lebens im Frontiergebiet zeichnet, wobei er sich vor allem darauf konzentriert, was die Frauen der Siedler durchzumachen hatten. So wird auch während der eigentlichen Reise immer wieder in Rückblenden in das Leben der drei psychisch kranken Frauen eingetaucht, um deutlich zu machen, welche Umstände zu ihrer Zerrüttung beigetragen haben. Entbehrung, Not, der Tod von Kindern, Unverständnis oder gar noch Gewalt seitens des Ehemanns – dies sind nur einige der Lasten, die jene Frauen zu tragen hatten. Wo Mrs. Jorgensen aus Fords „The Searchers“ (1956) noch voller Entschlossenheit sagt: „Some day this country's gonna be a fine, good place to be. Maybe it needs our bones in the ground before that time can come”, haben wir in “The Homesman” Frauen vor uns, die sich den unerwarteten Grausamkeiten eines Lebens am Saum der Zivilisation eben nicht gewachsen zeigten, und Jones’ Blick auf diese bislang in kaum einem Western gezeigten Schatten des Pionierlebens rechtfertigt ganz sicher die oft in die Haupthandlung eindringenden Rückblenden, wenngleich diese den Erzählfluß wiederholt ein wenig aus dem Gleichgewicht bringen.

Auch das Bild der Mary Bee Cuddy als einer patenten, auf sich selbst gestellten Frau relativiert sich im Laufe ihrer Reise mit dem zunächst so zynischen George Briggs, denn letztlich – und hierin liegt Marys Tragik – definiert sich die eigentlich so selbstbewußte Frau darüber, was Männer wie ihr ungeschlachter Nachbar oder Briggs über sie denken, und so nagen die ihr wiederholt entgegengebrachten Anschuldigungen, sie sei „bossy“ und „plain“, an ihrem Selbstwertgefühl. Es läßt sich natürlich einwenden, daß Mary ihren Nachbarn auch aus ökonomischen Erwägungen hätte heiraten wollen – bei seinem Anblick drängen sich denn auch nicht unbedingt andere Motive auf –, doch als Mary ihr Angebot einem anderen Mann gegenüber wiederholt, spricht sie selbst davon, daß ihre Würde auf dem Spiel stehe. Letztlich sucht also auch diese tapfere, den gesellschaftlichen Konventionen trotzende Frau ganz gesellschaftskonform die Erfüllung ihres Daseins in der Ehe und der Anerkennung als Frau durch einen Mann.

Hier bricht sich der scheinbar feministische Anspruch, den man „The Homesman“ gemeinhin unterstellt, und ich würde sogar noch einen Schritt weitergehen und behaupten, daß die eigentliche Hauptfigur nicht so sehr die starke Mary, sondern der abgebrühte und egoistische George Briggs ist, der durch seine Bekanntschaft mit dieser außergewöhnlichen Frau eine Art Läuterung erfährt. Keine Angst – das Vokabular gutmenschlerischer Moralorthopäden auf Ideologiekrücken ist mir fremd, und so wird man denn auch ganz bestimmt nichts von einem bösen, bösen „white male gaze“ bei mir lesen, weil dieser Blickwinkel ja genau so wie jeder andere seine Berechtigung hat. Allerdings kommt es im letzten Drittel des Filmes durch einen Handlungstwist zu einer Verlagerung des Interesses auf George Briggs und der inneren Wandlung, die er – endgültig? – durchläuft. Auf diesen erzählerischen Bruch muß man sich einlassen können, wenn man dem Film nicht einen leichten Mangel an Balance und Geschlossenheit attestieren möchte.

Warum nun ist „The Homesman“ ein Western? Zum einen sicher, weil er vom Leben amerikanischer Pioniere erzählt, das er ungeschminkt und nüchtern in all seiner Härte darstellt. Zum anderen aber auch, weil er westerntypische Elemente wie das Motiv der Reise enthält, in deren Verlauf ein Mann – und letztlich geht es hier um George Briggs –, angerührt durch das Beispiel einer aufrechten und tapferen Frau, für einen Moment zu seinem besseren Ich findet. Anthony Mann läßt um die Ecke herum grüßen. [Spoilerwarnung!!!] Und dann ist da auch noch das Ende, das in seiner Bildersprache dem Mythos, der über weite Strecken tunlichst vermieden wurde, dann doch wieder seine Ehre erweist: Unser Held, offenbar der Zivilisation des Ostens überdrüssig, überquert auf einer Fähre einen Fluß und verliert sich – singend, tanzend und auf die Steifkragen am sich entfernenden Ufer schießend – in der Dunkelheit … dort, wo der Wilde Westen anfängt und ein Mann keinen Regeln unterliegt. Es ist sicher kein edler Ritter, dessen Spur sich irgendwo in den Bergen verliert, sondern vielmehr ein alternder Eigenbrötler, dem das Farmerleben sauer aufstoßen würde, aber er wird sicher noch einige Zeit dort draußen herumabenteuern …

[Spoilerende!!!]

Was ist noch hervorzuheben? Vieles ist da, das „The Homesman“ zu einer herausragenden Neuproduktion macht, wie beispielsweise die wunderbar eingefangenen Landschaftsaufnahmen und der zurückhaltende Soundtrack von Marco Beltrami, der die verwunschenen Bilder würdig umspielt. Auch die darstellerischen Leistungen der Damenriege – allen voran Hilary Swank und Sonja Richter – können sich sehen lassen und sorgen dafür, daß der Zuschauer sich in die sehr komplexen Figuren hineinversetzen kann. Nicht zuletzt überzeugt aber auch Tommy Lee Jones, der als Schauspieler hier mit einer bescheidenen Zurückhaltung agiert, die man seinem Regisseurskollegen Clint Eastwood auch wünschen möchte. All das trägt dazu bei, ein Filmerlebnis zu erschaffen, das noch lange nachhallt.

Die Blu-ray selbst vermag ebenfalls durch ein tadelloses 2,35:1-Bild zu überzeugen, was die Landschaftsaufnahmen trefflich zur Geltung bringt. Die BR verfügt über einen DTS-HD 5.1 Ton und bietet den Film in der Orignalsprache sowie in deutscher Synchronisation. Untertitel gibt es nur auf Deutsch. Unter den Extras finden sich mehrere Featurettes, u.a. zur hinter dem Film steckenden Geschichte. Entfallene Szenen – beim Ansehen eines der Featurettes hatte ich den Eindruck, hier seien einzelne Szenen nicht in der Endfassung enthalten – gibt es leider nicht, aber die längste Version eines Filmes muß ja nicht immer die beste sein. Ein Wendecover ohne FSK-Flatschen rundet das Paket ab.
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ｼﾞｬﾑ
5.0 out of 5 stars 日本で公開しないのがとても残念…
Reviewed in Japan on September 27, 2015
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トミー・リー・ジョーンズが監督主演した西部を舞台にした美しい作品です。
共演はヒラリー・スワンク。
ネブラスカの厳しい生活で精神に異常をきたした女性三人を遠く離れたアイオワの地まで送り届けようとするスワンクが途中で吊るし首に晒されているトミー・リー・ジョーンズに出くわし旅に同行するのを条件に命を救うことから始まります。
テレンス・マリック監督の「天国の日々」と比べたくなるような映像美(撮影監督はブロークバック・マウンテンも担当)に加えこれまでの西部を舞台にした作品では観られなかった虐げられた女性への厳しくそして慈愛に満ちた描写に溜め息が出ます。
この作品で観る、空を流れる雲の美しさは「荒野の決闘」のそれと双璧をなしますね。
時代が時代ならトミー・リー・ジョーンズは西部劇の優れた俳優として記憶に残っていたでしょう。
ロバート・デュバルとW主演の未だにDVD化がかなわぬ「ロンサム・ダブ」のカウボーイのリーダー役やロン・ハワード監督の「ミッシング」くらいしか日本では公開がなくその魅力が垣間見えませんが彼自身が監督したこの全編に渡って実に美しいロードムービーを観るとトミー・リー・ジョーンズの俳優としての資質は西部劇というジャンルでこそ最も発揮できるのではないかと思えてなりません。
そしてそれは我々が通常知る缶コーヒーのキャラクターとは異なる姿であり、なぜ今の時代にアメリカで彼の名前が西部男の代表として語られているかその大きな理由であるような気がします。
この作品、抑えてきた感情が爆発する終盤に向かって一種のやりきれない男臭さに溢れていて忘れられない印象を残します。
虐げられた女性を描いていながら男泣き映画としても至高の出来映え。
ここのところ役に恵まれなかった感のあるヒラリー・スワンクも好演です。
やるせないラストに涙。
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