I’d be lying if I said this movie was a Western.
“Meek’s Cutoff” is an indie drama that explores the pain of boredom. It is set on the Oregon Trail in the 1860s typically associated with Westerns, but it’s not that.
And while it can still be gripping, pointed and poignant character drama, there’s a frustrating feeling about illustrating the pain of boredom that feels more like the pain of pain or the boredom of boredom.
The three couples wandering the Oregon Trail is director Kelly Reichardt’s way of showing how any group of people going for weeks without water, without anything to do and without a sense of certainty as to anything can begin to weigh heavily on everyone. It’s not so much about the characters or the setting but about the burden it evokes.
In that way, you will feel a weight on your shoulders watching “Meek’s Cutoff.” The film is deliberately slow, with the opening shots themselves beginning the trend of a film that is quiet, slow, drawn out, distant and quaint. When we hear dialogue, it is often not of consequence but more atmosphere filling the void.
Even moments of surprise, such as when the film’s leading lady Emily (Michelle Williams) begins firing a gun at a Native American, are fraught with this sense of slowness and boredom as Reichardt holds a distant, unbroken shot on Emily as she desperately tries to load this ancient gun as quick as she can. Suffice it to say, it is not quickly before she gets shot two off.
If you are getting restless, anxious and tired watching this group endlessly walking through a desolate plain with little more to do than make breakfast, that is the point. Reichardt’s film asks of her characters what actions and risks they will take when they are bored, lost and without a sense of purpose, and the idea behind “Meek’s Cutoff” is that we should be thinking similarly.
Whether or not this is an admirable quality is something the film takes for granted. And Reichardt acted similarly in her last film, “Wendy and Lucy.” That film, about a woman who loses her only companion and dog Lucy, also starred Michelle Williams, was an indie critical darling and had more than a few moments that drove me insane.
“Meek’s Cutoff” however has a sense of painterly beauty in its Western landscape. Some of the settings are unlike any I’ve ever seen in a Western, and each is photographed with a careful stillness and emptiness that adds to the film’s minimalism. And moments at night are so completely shrouded in darkness that it symbolizes the completely black, hopeless and endless journey beautifully.
What’s more, “Meek’s Cutoff,” does accelerate to some truly gripping moments in its climax, thanks in part to its strong cast. Most notable of the group is the supporting work of the title character Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood). As the cowboy leading the three couples, he is rugged, ruthless and racist but never devolves into cliché, appearing well spoken and principled without betraying his character.
To say “Meek’s Cutoff” is a challenging film is an understatement. If the statement and feeling it instills seems unnecessary, the film’s craft is often so strong it makes you think otherwise.
3 stars