Rent Butcher's Crossing (2022)

Don’t go buffalo hunting with Nic Cage - Butcher's Crossing review by HW

I was apprehensive about seeing this, as the many voices of the internet denounced this as a weak adaptation of the excellent John Williams novel. I was glad to discover that the internet was once again wrong - or at least, I thought this was an epic, faithful adaptation that does justice to the message and spirit of the book. The cast are like the characters brought to life: even Nic Cage, who thankfully didn’t turn on his trademark overacting for this role but played buffalo hunter Miller with chilling stoicism. The cinematography was also spectacular and an atmosphere of building unease was maintained throughout, as the characters find their gruelling lives living outdoors (at the mercy of nature) growing more and more brutal and cruel. Watch this if you want an epic, survivalist western adventure with deep bleakness. 

So so environmental morality tale. - Butcher's Crossing review by LW

I've never read the book but I can say that the film is a leaden handed tale of rapacious colonisation and exploitation of the buffalo herds of the American west. There are a few nods to Moby Dick and other far better Westerns, like Culpepper Cattle Company, in a simple narrative of a young man from back east joining forces with an obsessive hunter (Nicholas Cage doing manic stares). The story plods, the buffalo get shot, annoying string instruments muffle the dialogue in attempt to build an atmosphere and then nothing happens. I mean nothing. Thet shoot buffalo, sit round a fire, grumble, someone gets murdered, someone dies in an accident and the buffalo hides are ultimately worthless. There is less a plot than an overlong meander through symbolic events and clumsy camera work and none of it goes anywhere.

There is a patronising bit of text in the end credits about Indian tribes that is the typical one dimensional stuff about traditional cultures and harmony with nature. It turns out shooting buffalo may be exciting but is bad, but this film might as well be bad because it is dull.