Bone Tomahawk

Summary

“Mr. Brooder just educated two Mexicans on the meaning of manifest destiny.”

For the last few years writer/director S. Craig Zahler’s name has come up in conversations with friends. He is a new voice in cinema that has consistently garnered good reviews for his films while working in genres that cleverly harken back to midnight movies and grind house fare. I had not seen any of the three  films that he has directed thus far, so I decided to rectify that by purchasing Bone Tomahawk. I love actor Kurt Russell. Some of his very best roles have been in westerns, so I thought the film would appeal to my sensibilities. It is worth noting that this is not a traditional western. The film switches gears in a big way in the third act of the film. The brutality in the film will turn off viewers that are squeamish, but the film has an uncompromising vision that I respected.

As the film begins, two bandits (Sid Haig and David Arquette) kill and loot a small camp. When their horses escape them, they go up the hill and find themselves in what looks to be a ceremonial ground of the inhabitants of the area. One bandit is murdered and the other attempts to escape. 

Eleven days later – in the town of Bright Hope – the bandit buries his belongings outside of the town and finds his way to the local bar called The Learned Goat. His arrival arouses the suspicions of Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) and his assistant deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins.) At the bar they question the mysterious stranger and he gives his name as Buddy. When they ask about his buried belongings, he attempts to flee and the sheriff shoots him in the leg. They enroll the assistance of local doctor Samantha O’Dwyer (Lili Simmons) whose husband Arthur (Patrick Wilson) recently has suffered a leg injury that kept him from receiving a job as a foreman. She is escorted to the jail by towns person and known Indian killer John Brooder (Matthew Fox.) At the jail, it is decided that Samantha will treat Buddy’s leg and tend to his fever overnight underneath the care of Deputy Nick (Evan Jonigkeit.) While they all rest, on the outskirts of town a stable boy named Buford is murdered viciously and the jail is emptied by the time they all wake. At the jail, the Sheriff and Chicory find a unique arrow buried into a support beam and no sign of Buddy, Samantha, or Nick. At the town meeting a local Indian lets them know that the attack was performed by Troglodytes who hail from the valley of the starving men. He warns them that they look like Indians but are extremely different. He shows them the area on the map that the Troglodytes came from and warns them that they will not fare well against them. Brooder, Frank, Arthur, and Chicory saddle up to go into the forbidden territory with the hope of recovering the missing persons.

Bone Tomahawk is as strong of a debut film as I have seen in a few years. It is a very well crafted film with some great performances. The actors in the film all worked for scale which allowed the film to be made for less than a couple million dollars and shot in twenty one days. This is a true independent film made with A-list actors simply because the script was that compelling. 

The acting in the film is fantastic. Kurt Russell gives an excellent understated performances as Sheriff Franklin Hunt. Richard Jenkins is great as Chicory, but that should come as no surprise because Jenkins has been one of the finest supporting actors in the industry for decades. Patrick Wilson is well cast as Arthur, but the performance that was most surprising and probably my favorite in the film is from Matthew Fox. Fox was best known for the melodramatic television show Party of Five before he landed his standout role in the show Lost. I was a big fan of him on Lost, but his performance in Bone Tomahawk reveals once again what a fine and underutilized actor he is. He should land more roles like this. 

The acting in the film would be nothing without a fine script. The script is very well written. Dialogue feels authentic and reminded me of some of the better writing from author Cormac McCarthy. In particular, the writing had some moments that reminded me of McCarthy’s great novel Blood Meridian. The fairly measured pacing of the film does not prepare you for the final third act of the film. There are hints of the approaching violence along the way, but the film seamlessly morphs from a western into a horror film and the result is something new and exciting. This film is definitely – and let me emphasize this – not for the faint of heart. There is a kill in the film that is one of the most brutal I have ever seen in my life and that is saying something. The final act of the film will probably determine who the fans for the film are, because it is as rough a third act as I have seen in a long time. For myself, it was one of the more compelling and thrilling sequences that I experienced watching a film this year.

Don’t be surprised if in the coming days the rest of Zahler’s filmography is reviewed for the site. This debut really wowed me.

Video

Bone Tomahawk is presented on Blu-ray with an MPEG-4 AVC encoded 1080p transfer in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1. The film was shot in widescreen using the RED digital cameras in 4K and benefits from a strong Blu-ray presentation. Fine detail is strong and the film has a lot to enjoy visually. That said, like other digitally shot films, it lacks some of the natural warmth and filmic look that I typically would associate with a Western. To my eyes, the opening sequence looked a bit off, but after that the film opens up nicely. The over the shoulder shooting style is unique for a western, but really works well. Until we get a UHD presentation of the film, this is the best it is going to look. A really solid transfer minus some nitpicking.

Audio

The audio treatment of Bone Tomahawk sounds fantastic with a well transferred DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track. The film does not have much music, but the action oriented sequences in the film use the surrounds effectively. Throughout the rest of the film, the surrounds help to immerse the listener in the largely outdoor surroundings. 

Supplements:

• The Making of Bone Tomahawk 
• Deleted Scene 
• Fantastic Fest Q&A with the Director and Cast
• Poster Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.25/5 

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Overall, Bone Tomahawk is a fantastic debut from writer/director S. Craig Zahler. The film is a well written western with some truly horrific elements in the final act. This film is definitely not for the faint of heart but for those that can take the violence in the film it is a truly a unique piece of cinema. The acting in the film is fantastic with Russell, Fox, Wilson, and Jenkins delivering great performances. I was pretty blown away by this film. Highly recommended.