Tee West West began his career as an independent filmmaker in the early 2000s, slowly rising through the ranks of the industry to become more mainstream. Although he dabbled in the low-budget horror genre early in his career, West has since moved on to larger-budget commercial projects, including cable television shows. exorcist, Resident Finally, the X Trilogy. Although it is a horror film, the most bizarre film West has made so far in his career is the 2016 Western In the valley of violence, Starring Ethan Hawke and John Travolta.
Despite In the valley of violence Inspired by many American westerns, in 2014, West declared his great admiration for a little-known western film called The home manDirected by and starring Tommy Lee Jones. To trace the film's dramatic roots, In the valley of violence, It is worth exploring what attracted West to The home manWhy he thinks it's a great movie to watch, and perhaps more importantly, how films about frontier life should get back to making audiences feel as uncomfortable as they are. The home man Not afraid to do it.
Who is Tee West?
Ti West is an American filmmaker who has been making horror films since the early 2000s. After two short horror films, West made his feature film debut with the stylish Creatures. The perch In 2005. In 2009, West's fame rose dramatically with the release of devil's housea slow-paced satanic journey, and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fevera very gory sequel, from which he eventually removed his name after studio intervention. In 2011, West made the underrated haunted house film innkeepers Before taking over multiple parts in various horror anthologies.
In 2015, West moved away from horror to television. South of Hell, Wayward Pines, Outcast, Rooms, The Passage, Soundtrack, Tales from the Loop, Follow suit. In 2016, West produced the revenge Western film In the valley of violence Before returning to the horror genre with X Trilogy, Included X, Pearl, and Maxine. Despite his reputation for horror, West loves westerns, and Tommy Lee Jones movies, The home man, In particular, it inspired him to become a better, more mature filmmaker..
What is The Homesman?
Adapted from the novel by Glendon Swarthout, The home man It is a historical Western drama written and directed by Tommy Lee Jones. The title refers to the transportation of immigrants to their homelands, which in the 1850s was considered a man's job. However, the story follows Mary B. Cuddy (Hilary Swank), a childless New York schoolteacher who ventures to Nebraska in search of better living conditions after being rejected for marriage.In the Midwest, Mary meets three immigrant women suffering from insanity and mental illness and agrees to accompany them home, braving the harsh winter, harsh conditions, and rugged terrain.
Before the pilgrimage, Mary meets George Briggs (Jones), an outlaw who agrees to help her escort the three women for $300.The intense suspicion between the two slowly turns into mutual trust, as George vows to protect Mary and ensure her mission is completed. Unfortunately, The film delivers a harsh blow to the audience when Mary and George argue about the proper burial of a murdered child whose grave has been desecrated. George refuses and moves on with the immigrant women, leaving Mary behind..
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After two nights of wandering around in circles, Mary meets George and asks him to marry her. George refuses, saying he is “not a farmer” who can provide the life she desires. The next day, George finds Mary dead in a gruesome suicide by hanging. George blames the immigrant women for her death and briefly abandons them, only to realize how much damage he is doing to Mary's memory and return to complete his mission..
Without spoiling the emotionally moving resolution, Jones' decision to kill off what the audience believes to be the main character is about as bold a move as a filmmaker can make. It reminds me of Hitchcock killing Janet Leigh in mental patient In the middle of the film, forcing the audience to align themselves with a new hero. Despite its bleak subject matter, The home man This movie is considered one of the best movies of the old era. While Ti West praised the movie, The home manThe harsh, gritty life of the 19th century prairie inspired his wild Western novels.
How The Homesman Inspired Ti West
When promoting the sectarian suicide movie Eucharist In 2014, West wrote a lengthy essay extolling the virtues of The home man. The first thing the West praises The home man Her approach to “realistic filmmaking” It's not about opening weekend box office success, but rather telling honest and authentic stories. According to West via Talk House:
“home man
“This film reminds us of the unpleasant and oppressive challenges that men and women have faced in our country’s history, but it also reminds us that most modern filmmaking typically does not seek to engage audiences beyond their basic entertainment threshold.”
West is impressed with how Tommy Lee Jones' movie works. Don't be afraid to make viewers feel uncomfortable.which puts them in an indirect bond that promotes empathy rather than escapist fun and entertainment, adding:
”
The home man
This is the kind of American filmmaking we should be celebrating. Filmmaking that doesn't conform to current trends.
Filmmaking focuses heavily on the story and the characters it represents, and does not try to further engage its audience.
“With all due respect, Tommy Lee Jones is not looking for an easy way to tell a difficult story. For better or worse, these are the people, places and situations this film is about – and the audience can take that as they please.”
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In West's estimation, The home man“West’s traditional filmmaking, where cinema is an art, where deliberate storytelling is paramount,” is “the kind of American filmmaking we should celebrate.” Not only for its honest approach to dramatic storytelling and its treatment of the audience as mature adults, but also for the sadness Jones evokes in her foreshadowing of women’s roles in American society. West says:
“Things will get better for women in American society, but for those depicted in the film, and for many generations after them, they will suffer, and sadly they will never see the results. That’s natural when you look at history without rose-colored glasses, but
The sense of sadness that permeates the film seems appropriate.
“.”
While the West In the valley of violence Featuring a different story and portrayal of women along the American frontier, casting for the film was completed in July 2014, four months before West wrote about The home man. Given the same approach to relentless storytelling and the timing of the film's production, it's easy to see how The home man West was inspired to explore his version of the American frontier.The real question is whether Ti West will stay in the horror realm or return to the Western genre.
The home man Available to stream on Starz & In the valley of violence Available to stream on AppleTV.
