His Brother’s Keeper, by Tyler Smith

THE PROPOSITION (2006)
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Written by: Nick Cave
Starring: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, Danny Huston

It starts with a gunfight. A gang of drunken outlaws are holed up in a makeshift brothel, only to be confronted by local law enforcement. Some of the outlaws are gunned down, others are arrested. Chief among the survivors is Charlie Burns, a quiet, withdrawn man who doesn’t seem to have a particularly violent temperament. Until, of course, his younger brother, Mikey, is threatened; at which point Charlie employs the dead-eyed stare and careful cadence of a man of action who means business.

It is this instinctive protectiveness that Charlie feels for his brother that the local lawman, Captain Stanley, is counting on. He sits Charlie down and offers him a deal. Stanley will release Charlie to find his older brother, Arthur. Once he finds him, he is to kill him. Arthur, it seems, is the worst of the Burns brothers. Tales of his cruelty and animosity towards his fellow man have been spreading. However, it is his latest exploit- the brutal murder of a respected family- that has driven Stanley to his unusual strategy. The key question, of course, is why Charlie would want to kill his older brother. The answer is that, if he does not, Mikey will be executed. With this in mind, Charlie is let loose into the world.

One would think that Charlie’s decision would be simple. Arthur is a bad person, Mikey is not. Soon, however, we see that perhaps the most overriding character trait in the Burns family is that of loyalty. Charlie has no intention of killing his older brother. He’s family. To quote Johnny Cash, “Man turns his back on his family, he ain’t no good.”

As Charlie makes his way across the desert, we realize exactly why Stanley made this cruel proposition. It becomes very clear that Charlie is in the middle of an existential crisis, of sorts. Why wasn’t Arthur among those killed or arrested in the opening gunfight? Why does it take so long for Charlie to locate Arthur? Surely, Charlie has come to the same conclusion that Stanley has; that Arthur Burns is an inhuman monster with no regard for human life. Charlie wants no part of him.

And yet, when we meet Arthur for the first time, we see a man who is gentle and poetic. He is a man who stares at the sunset, marveling at its beauty. He welcomes Charlie with open arms. There is no hint of the cruelty that has been so discussed.

Charlie feels that he is being pulled in all directions. Is there a way to save both brothers? Should he even try? These are questions that Charlie asks himself throughout the film, right up until its bloody conclusion. He makes a definite decision and acts on it. After he does, though, he returns to his previous state; confused, torn, frustrated.

The central theme of the film is that of making huge personal sacrifices for the greater good. Loyalty is something to be admired and respected, but not if it’s blind. There is a very telling line in the film between Arthur and a member of his gang. The concept of misanthropy comes up. The gangmember asks if they are, in fact, misanthropes themselves. Arthur’s responds with, “Lord, no. We’re a family.”

The implication being, of course, that one having love in one’s life excuses all other behavior. But, as we slowly discover, love means nothing if you’re not changed. Love is something that can transform you, turning you from a sinner to a saint and from a monster to a man. Arthur seems frustratingly close to understanding this. As he stares meditatively into the setting sun, he states, “Love is the key.” And, indeed, he is right. The only problem is that he had not yet figured out that a key serves no purpose unless it is used to unlock a door.

Arthur loves his family, and would do anything to protect them. Charlie, however, realizes that there are other families in the world. Families just as important and loving as the Burns clan. It is this awareness of a greater love- an unselfish love- that leads Charlie to his final realization. That perhaps the best way to save a village is to burn it to the ground.