A dismal tide of nihilism

Rating: 3/10 (23 November 2007)

To call this film an elegy to a simpler, more civilized society, would be, well, too civilized. If you want a good in-depth analysis of the nihilistic message of this film, read this review: http://tinyurl.com/33eer8
The time for this movie (and the recent book it was based on) was 30 years ago. Then, it would have been an insightful social commentary. Anyone paying attention to the world since that time has received the director's message loud and clear, over and over, just by watching or reading the news. It's clear that the world has become a more savage place, that individual efforts to resist the downward spiral are futile. To shoot at, stomp on, and rip up the bloody corpse of a civilized society is completely unnecessary and adds nothing to the conversation.
As entertainment, the film fails, too. There are no real people in this film, only stock types: the naive, greedy, sap, the overmatched lawman, the unstoppable bad guy, the sensible western wife, the scummy Mexican jackals. There is no one to engage with, sympathize with, or be terrified of, because everyone in the movie is just a caricature. The CG character of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings had more substance than the hyperviolent hit man in this flick.
As a result, crackerbarrel philosophy is passed off as sage insight, and cruel violence is passed off as a good time. At least Pulp Fiction, this movie's closest cousin, had wit and characterization. The fawning reception of this movie by critics and moviegoers angers and baffles me.