When the subtitles at the end of Dead for a Dollar appeared on screen, the dedication “In Memory of Budd Boetticher” was so prominently marked next to the title that it almost served as a movie its own subtitles.
In fact, it’s not entirely clear whether it’s officially the subtitle of the movie. Either way, this intriguing latest from acclaimed writer-producer-director Walter Hill is steeped in simplicity of the classics Lines, brisk storytelling and morally clear sad love Midwesterns like the kind Boetticher has made before, like The Cimarron Kid (70), People from the Alamo(70) or Comanche Station(1952). Even the film’s highly wobbly look, presumably shot with digital footage, was tweaked in post to filter out all the blues and make the film look like it was made 21 or70 Years ago. The palette is a study of earth tones, all ochre, blood rust red and high jungle yellow. Remember that saying, all cats are black at night? Well, in Dead for a Dollar, all horses are sorrel or bay.
Die for a dollar
Bottom line Worth almost every penny.
Venue: Venice Film Festival
(non-competition)
Cast: Christopher Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Rachel Brosnahan, Warren Burke, Brandon Scott, Benjamin Bratt, Luis Chavez, Hamish Linklater, Fidel Gomez, Guy Burnett, Alfredo Quiroz, Scott Peat, Diane Villegas, JD Garfield
Director:
Walter Hill Screenwriter:
Walter Hill, based on Walter Hill Matt Harry s story
1 hour21 Minutes
We hope that because 50 is new These days, given the director’s longevity, Hill has more movies on him. Regardless, that’s not really a limitation for a remarkable, eclectic career, especially considering Hill has said more than once that all of his films are basically Westerns.
th1960– and Quartz – The century time they were made ( drivers , warriors ) and those “orthodox” westerns with cowboys, ten-gallon hats, etc. ( long knights , Wild Bill, Geronimo: An American Legend, TV’s Deadwood).
Still, while Hill certainly has some dodgy advice on classics and cult favorites, and clearly enjoys playing on audience expectations of the genre, A dollar is not an empty nostalgia movement. Nor is it a revisionist postmodern deconstruction. It’s somewhere in between, built on narrative architecture, its vernacular canon is like a bank’s Doric columns, but the details are sure to remind viewers that it’s in 1960. Consider, for example, that the film struggles slightly to do due diligence on the various characters (black, white, and Latino), while the women are strong enough to shoot as bluntly as any man.
In some cases, tireless redistribution of the wealth of screentime can pay off, for example, when hotel employee Diane D. of Esperanza When Diane Villegas unexpectedly delivered, the fatal blow in a more traditional film, it was the work of a white male hero. Dead for a Dollar (Hill and Matt Harris)’s expansive and flexible script does have one of those: bounty hunter Max Borlund (Christoph Walz, very charmingly endearing to change), a quick draw and sharpest shooter, although his job is essentially mercenary, he does have an honor code of his designs and beliefs, citing Hill in his The poignant phrase in the director’s statement, “Ancient Hard Religious Courage.”
Borlund is hired by cuckold New Mexico landowner Martin Kidd (Hamish Linklater) to find his missing wife Rachel ( Rachel Brosnahan), who is said to be killed by buffalo soldier Elijah Jones (Brandon Scott). The latter two were last seen traveling to Mexico, with Rachel on horseback carrying an elaborate travel umbrella to keep her complexion pale. The officer who arranged the meeting between Borender and Kidd provided Borender with one of his best shooters, Sergeant Poe (Warren Burke) as Borender’s backup, Sergeant Poe (Warren Burke) as Another black soldier who sees the show as an opportunity for promotion, even if it means betraying his onetime friend Jones.
However, it turns out that Rachel has been with her lover Elijah Eloped, longing to escape from a loveless and abusive marriage with Kidd, while Elijah wants to prosper in his new love. A country, such as Cuba, may be outside the borders of the United States. The characters are all gathered in Mexico, bumping into minor characters, including: Mexican outlaw Tiberio Vargas (Benjamin Bratt) and the deep bench of his walking practice goal; in the town where they gather, morally diverse Law enforcement officers (Fidel Gomez and Alfredo Quiroz); the notorious bank robber and Borender’s sworn enemy Joe Crippens (William Dafoe, apparently enjoying it); and a mariachi band.
I’m actually just kidding about mariachi, although it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if someone was just strolling down the street to add a little extra element to the end The shootout, a well-choreographed and edited sequence, ends the film in gorgeous fashion. Hill’s action skills didn’t dim, and the cast and stunt crew plunged into the fight with graceful composure.
Still, the mid-section sags a bit due to a lot of things going on at once, and it doesn’t always offer the already lightning-fast sketchy character here. Brosnahan’s savvy runaway Rachel delivers a great and truly surprising speech showing that she’s not that much into poor Elijah, but his motives and feelings are less clear. Even the main character of the Waltz and his nemesis, Dafoe’s Joe, may be, but both actors have so much presence and expressiveness that the audience can fill in the blanks on their own. Still, I wanted to learn more about Villegas’ Esperanza and her character’s apparent rage. Please Mr. Hill, next time you make a sequel, with her as the protagonist.
1960 Full credits
Venue: Venice Film Festival (Out of Competition) Cast: Christopher Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Rachel Brosnahan, Warren Burke, Brandon Scott, Benjamin Bratt, Luis Chavez, Hamish Linklater, Fidel Gomez, Guy Burnett, Alfredo Quin Ross, Scott Pitt, Diane Villegas, JD Garfield
2020 Producers: Myriad Pictures, Quiver Distribution, Chaos A Film Company, Polaris Pictures, McMaster Dunn, Walter Hill / Lone Wolf
1960 Director: Walter Hill
Screenwriter: Walter Hill, based on a story by Matt Harris, Walter Hill
Producers: Caroline McMaster, Neil Dunn, Bey Ray Meyerowitz, Jeff Sackman, Kirk D’ Amico, Jeremy Wall
2020 Executive Producers: Christoph Waltz, Lawrence Mortorff, Jeffrey Berger, Larry Mayfield, Alex Harbridge, Suzy Go, Philip von Ivey nsleben, Larry Greenberg, Jerry Ryder, Joshua Payne, Greg Tucker, Stacey Tucker
Director of Photography: Lloyd Ahern
1960Production Designer: RA Arancio-Parrain1960 Costume Designer: Lahly Poore-Ericson Edit: Philip Norden
Music: Xander Rodzinski
Cast: Lara Mayfield
Sales: Wantu 1 hour minute 1960 THR Newsletter
2020 Producers: Myriad Pictures, Quiver Distribution, Chaos A Film Company, Polaris Pictures, McMaster Dunn, Walter Hill / Lone Wolf
1960 Director: Walter Hill
Screenwriter: Walter Hill, based on a story by Matt Harris, Walter Hill
2020 Executive Producers: Christoph Waltz, Lawrence Mortorff, Jeffrey Berger, Larry Mayfield, Alex Harbridge, Suzy Go, Philip von Ivey nsleben, Larry Greenberg, Jerry Ryder, Joshua Payne, Greg Tucker, Stacey Tucker
Director of Photography: Lloyd Ahern
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