Set on an arid desert and sun-baked continent, during the late 1800's British settlement days, Pearce stars as Charlie Burns, one of three brothers that make up the notorious criminal Arthur Burns
At the opening credits Charlie and his younger brother the 14-year-old Mikey are captured after a bloody shoot out with regional Captain Stanley in the aftermath of a brutal rape and murder
The decent captain is after their eldest brother Arthur described as 'the beast,' and is prepared to do just about anything to get him...
Thus Stanley lays out Charlie an unholy bargain: While Mikey stays in his custody, in jail, Charlie must find, kill or return Arthur or his teenaged brother will be hung on Christmas Day
He has nine days to do so
Charlie eventually finds his brother but is left with one choice
He must decide if he can live with his decision to either kill Arthur or let Mikey be executed
John Hillcoat's characters not only strike us with their emotions of grief and pain, or their passion of hate but they are presented in their real states that sway down hopelessness, denial, pity and firm belief
Pearce combines a touch of kindness to Charlie's character, but it's a touch that keeps out of the way any love
It's, in essence, only enough to add a decisive influence on his personality that makes him unpredictable
Danny Huston is magnificent as Arthur Burns
His deeply intelligence and totally brutal character is captured in a very good sense
Richard Wilson, Mikey is given little to do beyond being frightened and horrorized
Winstone is amazing in the role of the army officer who wants to civilize the place
We feel how his nerves are about to break
He imprisons his wife Martha for safety and protection caring at the same time about her delicate sensibilities
Emily Watson is absolutely stunning as the fragile woman whose gentleness captures convincingly the character of Emily, the innocent wife who cares about her husband, her house and her perfect "garden" but her way of life is so far away from the reality of her surroundings
John Hurt gives an interesting performance as the deranged bounty hunter
"The Proposition" is too violent, too dirty, too bloody, and too barbaric to be forgotten so easily
