Six Reasons Why

---

Tools:
Recommend review to a friend »

---

"Six Reasons Why" is labeled a post-modern Western by its directors (they actually play several production roles, judging by the credits), Matt and Jeff Campagna. It turns out to be more than that, though, by the end of the 89 minute production. There are futuristic elements, a touch of the supernatural and a large dose of the western. The story, borne out of necessity, is quite simple: four men pointing guns at one another in an unforgiving desert. The question: who are they and how did they come to meet at this one place?

Those characters, four men all on their own agendas, have no proper names. Rather, they are referred to by personality. The Nomad, the Sherpa, the Entrepreneur, the Criminal. Told from varying time periods and perspectives, the outcome of the four way standoff is obvious in a movie like this. That's not the point. Rather, it is to set up each of these men for, perhaps, a spin-off story. Our characters are involved with one another in different ways, some they know about and some they don't. To clearly delineate those relationships would be to destroy what makes "Six Reasons Why" the experience it is. They're not revolutionary or groundbreaking connections; clean, clear and devious would be better words.

As each of these men is introduced in the present as well as through their flashback, another piece of the story falls into place. And therein lies the freshness of the script. There are no long scenes of exposition, giving the audience the information they require. The story drops in on the Nomad (Dan Wooster, the prototypical cowboy with a modern edge), deciding to fill in the rest as it goes along. Though the brothers don't mention it, framing their story in this way is dangerous. String the audience along too much and they'll lose all interest. Blow their (script) wad too soon, and the end of the film becomes an exercise in boredom.

It's a blessing and curse for the brothers. So much time is taken by the flashbacks and moving the characters to their standoff, the most riveting relationship is never explored. I speak of the Sherpa (Danish actor Mads Koudal) and the Nomad. Near the end, with the last connections made, a broader story is begging to be told, featuring Colm Feore's Preacher. The mysticism and supernatural elements come to the foreground here when they were merely hinted at beforehand, fleshing out the familiar, yet new universe inhabited by these men. So as to not spoil the final reveal, I will only say this: it is imperative to understand the relationships between the players in the film. Without those building blocks, the utterly absorbing last ten minutes would turn into a hot mess.

These characters and plot lines have the potential to be caricatures, stereotypes. In many ways, they are. Nomad is a rough and tumble man with a sensitive side. Entrepreneur (Christopher Harrison) isn't versed in the ways of the world. Preacher barks his orders, expecting everyone to follow them. With the spin put on each, though, they come alive as something other than the norm. That's the point, I think, in a lot of ways. Yes, the story was borne out of the budget; the Campagna's, though, want to show they can work in a genre they utterly revere and bring something new to it. The script, the directing, the acting...there is a calm steadiness behind all of it, whether or not anyone felt confident on set.

I am deliberately trying to stay away from particulars of the plot in order to avoid spoiling it. In other, more conventional westerns, we know the eventual outcome before the first frame comes on screen. Shoot out. People die. End of story. The same happens here, of course. The difference happens to be the way in which it happens. The slight clues as to the real prize, the larger mystery surrounding the action and a complete world outside the microcosm we are able to see. I can't call it a wondrous world; certain shots are gorgeous (thanks to the wonders of compositing) and they are coupled with a gritty "take no prisoners" feeling to create someplace that might exist at some point. Westerns, aside from Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and "Serenity," haven't melded the future with the past to form something different. They have, historically speaking, recreated a verifiable world. This is not one of those pictures.

A sly, 2008 sense of humor permeates the screenplay. I'm not sure if it hurts or helps the completed picture, though. Looking at a horse, a question is asked: "Do you ride bareback?" In and of itself, it is a legitimate query to the rider. But when coupled with ideas such as liking the breeze when your fly is down and "drink up, ladies" (among others), the personality of the writers begins to come through. In a standard western, this simply wouldn't fly. However, in the post-"Firefly" world, filmmakers have carte blanche to do what they want, to twist the formula to their liking. (These seeming laugh lines are delivered with such dead seriousness you can't help but wonder how many times the cast and crew started laughing halfway through a take.

Despite the nearly non-existent budget, the world of "Six Reasons Why" is a full, real place for the characters to inhabit. As we're told in the pre-production featurette (and is visually evident), the minor details of the film are accounted for, from sun worn clothing to the technology, like a monorail system and a mini disc player. Yes, there is technology and advanced tech at that. Despite for the most part looking like a Clint Eatwood flick, the Campagna's interject small things into the background, allowing the astute viewer to question when in time the events take place. They are blink-and-you-miss-them mentions, to be sure, but they are there. Incredible, really, when the events surrounding the making of the film are taken into account.

---

---