Armie Hammer makes a comeback of sorts in this indie Western representing his first appearance on the big screen since certain news stories broke out. Whether this particular role was a good choice for him or not is certainly a question, since his outlaw character is shown attempting to rape and later mutilating a young woman.
Discuss among yourselves.
Frontier Crucible
A bit of an endurance test.
The casting proves an inevitable distraction for Frontier Crucible, a competently executed but unmemorable oater. I’m using the vintage term because, other than the graphically gory violence on display, the film, which easily earns its R rating, could have been released in the 1950s. You can imagine the songs on the soundtrack, composed by Sean Rowe, being sung by Frankie Laine. It features scenes shot in Monument Valley, recalling John Ford, and its characters could have populated an Anthony Mann film.
The film directed by Travis Mills is based on the 1961 novel Desert Stake-Out by Harry Whittington, who died in 1989, so presumably he had nothing to do with the uncredited screenplay. Set largely in 1870s Arizona, its laconic hero is Merrick Beckford, played by Myles Clohessy channeling Clint Eastwood. (He’s the son of veteran character Robert Clohessy, and if you don’t recognize that name, you’d definitely recognize his face.)
Beckford is delivering desperately needed medical supplies through treacherous Apache territory at the behest of a military officer played by William H. Macy in a one-scene cameo. He has the misfortune to cross the paths of a trio of obviously bad hombres, including Mule (a grizzled Thomas Jane, coming across like a malevolent Walter Brennan), his hyperactive son Billy (Ryan Masson), and the menacing Edmund (Hammer, coming a long way down from The LoneRanger), who are recovering from an attack by Apaches. Also on hand are the badly wounded Jeff (Eli Brown) and his wife Valerie (Mary Stickley).
It doesn’t take long for conflicts to break out among the outlaws, who want to commandeer Beckford’s horses; the couple, who want to go to the fort from whence Beckford came; and Beckford, intent on fulfilling his mission. Things go from bad to worse when an Apache stumbles upon the group. He’s clearly a friend of Beckford, who has a long history with the tribe. But that doesn’t stop the hot-headed Billy from shooting the stranger dead. Beckford knows that rather than end the problem, it only means that they’ll soon be attacked by other Apaches intent on revenge.
The simmering tensions among the group provide most of the plotting, with a side element being Beckford’s discovery of his brother’s horribly mutilated body. But that’s merely a prelude for a pair of vivid climactic sequences, the first taking place when the Apaches catch up with the group. “It’s time for the crucible,” their chief announces, followed by some very graphically depicted torture that, the film’s creators proudly inform us, was depicted entirely through practical effects. Those effects are definitely convincing, enough to make all but the hardiest of viewers avert their eyes. When the Apaches eventually depart, the survivors turn on each other, with equally brutal results.
The film most closely resembles the cult 2015 Western Bone Tomahawk , which is not surprising since producer Dallas Sonnier (who’s also had his share of controversy) produced that film as well as several others directed by S. Craig Zahler, like Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Dragged AcrossConcrete. Unfortunately, director Mills lacks Zahler’s stylistic flair, with the result being that the sluggishly paced Frontier Crucible never gathers narrative momentum despite its hyper-violent episodes. And while lead actor Clohessy certainly fills the bill physically, he lacks the necessary charisma to carry the film.
The supporting players fare better, with Jane, in an atypical turn, making for a memorable villain and Hammer displaying the screen presence that made him a star. And the film certainly looks terrific, with cinematographer Maxime Alexandre (High Tension, The Nun) making the most of the rugged Western locations.
While it’s a mostly solid effort that will play just fine on cable and VOD, Frontier Crucible is unlikely to revive the theatrical fortunes of the Western genre that seems to ebb and flow in popularity.
