It takes something truly special to keep me interested in a western, but have the Coen brothers write, produce, and direct an anthology film and I am all aboard. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a beautifully-shot and engaging compilation of stories around different parts of the Old West that is absolutely deserving of a longer theatrical run. While some segments are far stronger than others and the tone switches very quickly, they flow together very smoothly to make for an exciting collection of western serials.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs | The titular segment of this anthology film is the most universally entertaining one. O Brother, Where Art Thou?'s Tim Blake Nelson reteams with the Coens to portray a gunslinging, song-singing, cowboy notorious for his murderous but humorous tendencies. This was a clever move to start off the film with this segment, as it combines the Coens' best talents: dark humor and bleak drama. Nelson is fantastic and brings so much full feature-worthy potential to this white-clad cowboy along with some fluid choreography and very suiting, ridiculous humor. However, I honestly wish that this character would have had more of a connection to the rest of the segments to connect them in some way, but I adore the writing that the brothers have done in this introductory piece.
Near Algodones | The second installment of this anthology has a more simple premise as James Franco stars as a bank robber in one of the more stronger segments. This has a more modern-western style and again, has a great blend of action and black humor. I loved the simple writing behind Franco's robber character and the elegant use of framing as he is introduced. However, the representation of Native-Americans in this short became an unfortunate recurring theme throughout the rest of the film, showing them only as "savages." For as progressive and creative as the Coen brothers are, I expected a bit more from them in that aspect.
Meal Ticket | In what might be the darkest, dullest, and most brooding segment of this film, Liam Neeson and Harry Melling star as a traveling impresario and a limbless stage performer. I am thankful that this story was only towards the middle of this film, as it was an expected lag in the overall story. The overly dreary tone and predictable ending were painful to get through, and the two leads were vastly under-utilized. Even though it was an interesting take on the different kinds of artists that lived in the Old West, this story itself was not that engaging.
All Gold Canyon | Tom Waits is one of the most talented singers and actors working today and absolutely shines in this segment. Waits plays a gold prospector that makes his living traveling through the California mountains panning for gold bits. I really enjoyed the single-character narrative of this segment and the focus on his personal journey. The twist in the writing was handled very well too and made for one of the only happy endings in this entire film. I would have liked to seen much more humor in the writing, however. This character had so much potential to be more humorous, but I feel like that opportunity was missed. The environmental cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel was absolutely gorgeous, especially in this story, even though this is the first Coen brothers film to be shot digitally. Which makes sense, though, as the CGI used for the forest animals was surprisingly spectacular.
The Gal Who Got Rattled | The Gal Who Got Rattled is my absolute favorite segment of this entire film, pairing a charming love story with the tragedy and despair of the Oregon Trail. Zoe Kazan and Bill Heck star as Alice and Billy, two trailblazers who fall in love after a monetary dispute with Alice's horse-keeper. I absolutely loved the naive and gentle tone set by this film's segment and how it became an Old West tragedy in its conclusion. My only issue with this story was, again, the portrayal of Native-Americans and their "savage" ways, but I suppose since the Coens were truly going for a classic western feel, then that prejudice was a part of the culture. Besides this one small issue, this segment has the most engaging and lovely dramatic narrative. May President Pierce bark forever.
The Mortal Remains | The final piece of this movie revolves around a group of passengers in a traveling stagecoach who are all going to Fort Morgan. This segment was very dialogue-heavy which created a lot of room for character development, even within only 25 minutes or so. I loved the clashing of the different personalities and how they interacted with each other in this spacially-tight environment. This was also the only story of this film not shot on location, as it was shot in a sound stage. This was a smart move, however, as it made the tone very cute, in a haunting way. I do not think this was the best installment to end the film, however, as the conclusion was very open for discussion. I took the final scene as symbolism for getting into heaven as the "reapers" dragged the body up the stairs, but this segment was too vague to create an overall satisfying conclusion for this anthology film.
Starting out very strong and ending on a more confusing note, this film takes many turns with the stories that are being told. However, I will never be able to deny that the Coen brothers are distinct and articulate masters of their filmmaking craft. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a fantastic anthology film that combines some of the best comedic, musical, and dramatic aspects of the Coens brothers' talents.
My Rating: ★★★★
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