The Movie Lover’s Review: Wind River
Taylor Sheridan’s directorial debut blazes with the quiet intensity that has carried his previously written films Sicario and Hell or High Water.
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One gets the feeling that writer-director Taylor Sheridan is a man out of time. As the writer of both Sicario and Hell or High Water, and now the writer-director of Wind River, you can sense the love and adoration that Sheridan carries for not only the days of the wild west, but also the tropes that helped define the western genre of film for decades. Yet, at the very same time, you can also feel the modern pull of a deeply intellectual filmmaker who wants to kick and tear at those very same tropes. It’s this loving adoration for the western, as well as his desire to pick apart his characters and their archetypes, that makes Sheridan one of the most interesting creative voices in Hollywood today.
The beauty of Sheridan’s works is that the plots themselves are never too overly complex. Sicario was the story of lawmen going outside the law to simplify the American/Mexican drug crisis. Hell or High Water was about two justified bank robbers in a cat-and-mouse game with a dogged Texas Ranger. With Wind River, Sheridan brings his storytelling away from the Southern deserts and into the cold Wyoming mountains. Here, it is a simple mystery of how a Native America girl died in the snow six miles away from any sign of civilization, and who is responsible for it. It’s almost procedural in it’s nature, like CSI: Wyoming but with wonderful portrayals of rich, deeply flawed characters and gorgeous, sweeping cinematography. But the simplicity of the mystery doesn’t take away from the film at all, rather, it allows it’s characters to flourish and evolve with their surroundings.
A former staple of television (he sharpened his acting chops on shows like Veronica Mars and Sons of Anarchy), Sheridan brings his procedural know-how to the story of hunter Cory Lambert, played with quiet, stoic ruggedness by Jeremy Renner, who comes across the body of a young Native American woman frozen to death in the snow way farther out than should be possible. This brings in FBI Agent Jane Banner, an appropriately naive but nonetheless determined Elizabeth Olsen, to investigate. Together with the local sheriff, played with a terrifically dry sense of humor by Graham Greene, they try and piece the mystery together, following the clues and various suspects along on their journey.
One of my favorite things about Sheridan’s films is how each of them could easily be set back in the 1800’s with minor alterations to the plot or characters. One particular twist comes in the nature of the girls death. She may have died out in the wild, and there very well may be people responsible for it, but because the elements killed her, the medical examiner cannot label it a homicide, thus leaving Banner, Lambert, and the undermanned local police force to continue the investigation without any hope of FBI backup. Sheridan expertly plays on the tropes of the overmatched outsider, the quiet cowboy, and even the drunken gang of cattle rustlers in ways that are not only interesting but also entertaining. Snowmobiles take the place of horses, a caravan of 4x4 trucks resembles a sheriffs posse riding out to meet a crew of desperadoes, and one scene of nearly unexpected violence bears striking resemblance to some of the more famous shootouts in Western history, namely the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
As fun and rewarding as it is to recognize the tropes of Western films that Sheridan plays off of, it’s even more rewarding in his characters. Wind River is an unflinching look at not only the traditional relationship between Cowboys and Native Americans, but also the current plight of many of these Native people on their reservations. This is all shown to us in the little interaction between characters. Cory’s ex-wife is from the reservation, and while their relationship is strained, his desire to have his son remember his Indian roots shows how much respect Cory gives to these folk. Banner comes in looking for facts, forgetting easily that these proud Native Americans react differently and have a different way of life. Her privilege is not surprising, but it still played for a very strong effect when she sees just how absent minded she’s been.
I can’t say enough how wonderful the performances are in this film, either. Renner delivers possibly his best performance to date as Lambert. He’s a man all coiled up with tragedy and duty running through his veins. He couldn’t fit better into that cowboy hat if he tried. Olsen likewise brings an outsiders awkwardness fueled by determination, and her interactions with both Renner and Greene are the highlights of the film. Lastly, Graham Greene, nominated for his role in Dances with Wolves nearly 30 years ago, brings a delightfully dry wit as Sheriff Ben. His lines offer some of the biggest chuckles in the film.
It’s no coincidence that Sheridan has the stark image at the top of this article in the film. The image of your traditional Cowboy sitting next to the most stereotypical Native American getup is played for deep irony here, in that both these men share a tragic kinship despite their glaring differences. It’s Sheridan’s way of paying tribute to the old west tropes while at the very same moment bashing them down. Wind River is full of moments like this, moments that are melancholy, yearning for the simple times of before, but also pointing out the inherent problems with some of the biggest stereotypes of the genre. Sheridan is great at writing life’s little bits of humor as well, and he peppers a healthy amount of ironic humor along with wonderful character humor to balance out that quiet sadness that comes when looking back at the old west. Although not a complex mind-bender of a story, it’s these moments, along with the stellar character work and beautiful vistas, that makes not only Wind River a winner, but makes Taylor Sheridan a man to watch in Hollywood for years to come.
The Final Pop
Wind River pays loving homage to the tropes of the western while at the same time tearing them down with modern characterizations and heartfelt backstory. Writer/director Taylor Sheridan has crafted a wonderful, rewarding, and slow-burning thriller fueled by stellar performances, fully-realized characters, and gorgeous cinematography. Perfect Popcorn.
