| Product: |
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (DVD) |
| Date: |
15.06.07 (49 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Unique and low-key story of revenge; beautifully shot, acted and directed
Disadvantages: Suffers from an unexpectedly confusing, fragmented first act; at times, dislikable
Even though the high point of the Texan frontier, cowboys, Mexicans, corrupt sheriffs and deputies, and revenge was over a hundred years ago, ostensibily it still very much exists today. That same barren desert dividing Mexico and Texas is still there, as undeveloped as it was back in the time of the bounty hunters. Tommy Lee Jones raises this very issue in his second outing as a director, the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, creating a film that very much follows a similar pattern to the classic Western, but is also very much its own unique film, cross-genre and an impressive piece of indie film-making that is a rarity these days.
Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo) is one of many Mexicans who has illegally crossed the border into America, where he drifts, a freelance cowboy. Striking up a close friendship with old veteran Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones), Estrada is soon accidentally murdered by an obnoxious Texas Border Ranger, Mike Norton (Barry Pepper). In his grief, Perkins takes the role of a vigilante, his cry for justice ignored by crooked Sheriff Belmont (Dwight Yoakam), and sets out on a gruelling journey with the aim of not only burying his friend on Mexican soil, but making Norton pay for what he did. The story is complicated, especially in its non-linear, fragmented first act, wherein a handful of subplots are established, namely Norton's strained relationship with his bored wife, Lou Ann (January Jones), and Perkins' intimacy with the local whore/agony aunt, Rachel (Melissa Leo). This is unexpected given the nature of the film, and proves for some confusing and slightly frustrating viewing as we get to grips with how everything is related. The main problem with the film initially is that it's quite slow and the characters do not become likeable for quite a while as Jones develops them, raising a question as to not only where the film is going, but whether or not the rest of the story will take on a similar structure. But once Jones has the story and characters firmly set in the ground, it soon picks up a pace and considerable power, a richly crafted and quietly moving film.
The most prominent issue that Jones is highlighting in Three Burials is that of the strife between Mexico and Texas state at the border. The no-man's land of a desert that separates them is a small area of lawlessness and the bizarre. It's as if this forgotten part of the world is stuck in time, the free rangers still roam around on horses, people always have a gun handy, and cabins and shacks are rampant accodes for cowboys. But modernisation has crept in, albeit subtly. The cars and jeeps are there and the like, as well as some developed neighbourhoods that almost resemble caravan parks. Ultimately, however, the point that Jones is making is that society has changed very little out on the old frontier, and people's mentalities largely stay very much the same over the decades. Texas is intriguingly compared to Mexico, the latter being more primitive perhaps, but the quality of life being far better to the point where after we've witnessed the grit and corruption of Texas, Mexico almost becomes like a safe haven. The comparison is subtle, barely noticeable in some respects, as Jones does not make Texas black and Mexico white. Three Burials rather progresses gradually between the two locations, the desert acting as a medium for this. Indeed, in order to illustrate how the line between Texas and Mexico has blurred, Spanish is spoken as much as English, one of many satisfying details Jones puts across.
Moreover, Tommy Lee Jones proves himself to be as skilled a director as he is an actor, with almost pedantic attention to detail, the film acting as times as a desert survival guide. He never allows his film to go over the top or become too contrived, playing down emotions with appropriate minimalism, and keeping a grip on reality with various quirks throughout the film. He simultaneously captures humour and tragedy in a great script, and soon the film becomes as much an insight into human beings as it is a tale of redemption. All the characters are in someway corrupt, whether it be down to Perkins' perpetration of his arguably justified crime, Norton's selfish vulgarity, Sheriff Belmont's turning the blind eye, or Norton's wife's infidelity. All of it is tied together by Melissa Leo's affectionate whore, the vital character who brings all the subplots together. But Jones doesn't just bring brilliance to the screen with his attention to detail or characters; the cinematography and how everything is edited and shot is captivating. The bulking white cumulus clouds loom menacingly in the pure blue sky, hanging over a desert of endless sand dunes, eroding caverns and scorching rock. Vicious ants and rattle snakes populate this arid wasteland, an inhabitable no-man's land that night as well be at the edge of the world than between two countries. All of it provides an eye-catching canvas, backed by some powerful but minimal Mexican music.
The peformances that are extracted from Three Burials are strong from all parties, Melissa Leo as Rachel as suitably as worn as he is warm, whilst January Jones brings more to her role than mere typical innocence. Barry Pepper, on the other hand, brings Norton to life with a quiet obnoxious streak that he particularly vents in the desert and on unwitting Mexicans, and as we grow familiar with this dislikable man facing his impending doom, gradual sympathy develops for him. Despite the many strong performances, Pepper is what anchors the film, the character around which all the strife develops through his own negligence. This is not to say though that he ever upstages Tommy Lee Jones, who is fantastic as the eccentric, reserved Pete Perkins, minimal in his emotions, which in many ways makes it all the more affecting. His chemistry with Julio Cedillo in the several flashbacks of Melquiades Estrada provides a similarly minimalistic approach to their relationship, but a very touching one as we see them bond. The viewer truly comes to understand Perkins' motives, and whilst they may be insane, they are touching. Further notable support comes from Dwight Yoakam who maintains a tongue-in-cheek, apathetic tone as the Sheriff, but a moving cameo comes from Levon Helm as an isolated old man in the middle of the desert.
Although the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is somewhat flawed, mostly in its non-linear first part, it's one of those films that makes a lasting impression and that can be thought about long after it ends. The ambiguity in everything from motives and characters, to open-ended conclusions makes for something to think about. It's a great rendition of the Western in the modern genre, though is never groundbreaking. A touching, low-key and dry-humoured tale, the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is one of those many hidden gems of cinema that has a firm understanding of people and what they are driven to do in extremes. It is not so much a Western as it is a character drama set against the backdrop of the forgotten frontier.
Summary: Tommy Lee Jones' unique and low-key Western combines great direction with similarly great acting
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