The Proposition

2005

104 mins

Directed by John Hillcoat
86%
85%
Action
Drama

A western written by Nick Cave (of The Bad Seeds), set against the parch landscape of the 1880s, lawless, Australian... More

A western written by Nick Cave (of The Bad Seeds), set against the parch landscape of the 1880s, lawless, Australian outback. The land is hostile, unforgiving, and breeds heartless men - desperado brothers, zealous lawman, his civilized wife, a corrupt mayor, old coots, and resentful natives.

The story follows Charlie (Guy Pearce) who, after being captured by the police at the scene of a bloody rape and murder, is given an ultimatum: his sins will be pardoned if he finds and kills his outlaw brother.

"Singer Nick Cave brings an Old Testament flavour to his second screenplay, whose theme and tone will be familiar to fans of his music", says the BBC.

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Where to watch The Proposition

The Proposition is available to stream in the United Kingdom... More now on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store and BFI Player.

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There is no screening information for this title.

The Proposition | Ratings & Reviews

86_%128 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
85_%69,041 reviews
Audience score rating

"A movie you cannot turn away from; it is so pitiless and uncompromising, so filled with pathos and disregarded innocence, that it is a record of those things we pray to be delivered from..."

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Roger Ebert

"The Proposition can be appreciated as a strong technical exercise, but it fails to resonate on any deeper level..."

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Premiere Magazine

"This is a grisly, but powerful, film that is both a great Western and a meditation on power, evil, and the weakness of humans in a hostile landscape. The most assured Australian film in years..."

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New Zealand Herald

"A fascinating, mythological western set in the hot, dusty, fly-infested desolation of the Australian Outback of the 1880s. The violence of the landscape reflects the violence of the savage men, who roam this frontier devoid of civilization and of God..."

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Hollywood Reporter

"A good film, but it should've been a great one..."

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Film Threat

"COMPLEX AND SUPERBLY PERFORMED... A bloody, fascinating Aussie western. The desperate story plays out in the stunning but spartan barren Outback - a place as hard and unforgiving as the men who roam it. It's a savagely entertaining look at the nature of man..."

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