Western Wednesdays: Wind River (2017)

     Taylor Sheridan's Wind River is not exactly a western in the conventional sense but, like Hell or High Water before it, it explores many themes common to the genre. Released on August 4, 2017 the film is written and directed by Taylor Sheridan. It tells the story of a murder investigation on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyonming conducted by USFWS agent (played by Jeremy Renner) and an FBI agent (played by Elizabeth Olsen).

      Like countless other westerns before it, Wind River explores the relationship between Native Americans and white Europeans who came to dominate their land. What makes the film, somewhat, unique is that it takes place in modern times, looking at what life is like for these people today. The relationship between the local law enforcement at Wind River and the federal authorities is incredibly dysfunctional. FBI agent Jane Banner (Olsen) finds herself continually frustrated by the lack additional outside help as the complexities of jurisdiction on Native American land prevent this. Clearly Sheridan wanted to raise awareness about the plight of Native American women through this film. A title card at the end of the picture reveals that missing-persons statistics are kept for every demographic group except for Native American women, whose numbers remain unknown.

     The Wind River Reservation, as portrayed in the film, is a harsh, unforgiving place, much like the American West of legend. Cory Lambert, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service agent played by Jeremy Renner, is in many ways the prototypical lonely western hero. Having married an Native American women (who has since divorced him) Lambert lost his own daughter to mysterious circumstances many years ago and he feels for his friend Martin Hanson, the father of the girl who was murdered. The film deals with themes of grief and loss, feelings both men must bear together. It also deals with justice and vengeance. Cory promises Martin that he will avenge his Natalie's death. When he finally finds the man responsible he takes him up to the mountains and condemns him to the same fate as Natalie, allowing him to escape, barefoot, toward a distant road, wearing only light-weight clothing. The man only makes it a few hundred feet before collapsing and dying from a pulmonary hemorrhage. The film's final moments, as the two men sit silently beside each other, sharing their grief and loneliness, is one of the more subtly affecting images in recent cinema.

     The film is a little disjointed. The crime scenes never really fully mess with the character exploration. I think the main problem is that Elizabeth Olsen's character, who is meant to be an audience surrogate, has no real connection to the other characters and no real motivation, outside of professional duty, to solve the murder. Sheridan's earlier film Sicario, the first in his so-called "modern-day American frontier trilogy" (followed by Hell or High Water and then this film, the only one he directed), featured a similar character in Emily Blunt's Kate Macer, but she was also the POV character in that film, and her interest in the film's proceedings were well established right from the beginning.

     Sheridan's direction is quite strong. It lacks the flair that Denis Villeneuve and David Mackenzie brought to his earlier proto-westerns but is still very effective if a bit more by-the-book. Eschewing camera movement in favor of more static shots, Sheridan helps to accentuate the deathly character of the Wyoming frontier. The stark, unforgiving nature of this land is beautifully captured by cinematographer Ben Richardson. The performances are all solid. Renner is especially good as Lambert, bringing both a sense of pathos and inner strength to the role.

     Wind River, though the weakest of Taylor Sheridan's modern frontier films thus far, is still a well made, tense and thought provoking piece. Here's hoping this year's Sicario sequel (which I really need to see) is equally as good.

Score 8/10