Rust, perhaps one of the most famous films of the last few years for all the wrong reasons, struggles to explain a reason for its completion following cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death.
★★☆☆☆
The death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after a horrendous prop gun safety error during Rust’s filming infuriated the industry, where safety standards should be paramount when dealing with weapons. Huge stars and production companies subsequently announced that they would no longer use real guns on set. For a film that has received such infamous coverage, it’s impossible to go into Rust without any preconceived notions.
Rust focuses on Lucas Hollister (Patrick Scott McDermott), a teen who has to look after his young brother Jacob (Easton Malcolm) by himself after the death of his parents. After an altercation with some kids who were bullying his brother, Lucas accidentally shoots one of the perpetrators—a plot point uncomfortably close to the production’s reality. Brought in for assault and sentenced to death, Lucas waits in jail for his date with the noose. One night, his jailer is killed, and Rust kidnaps Lucas (Alec Baldwin), who turns out to be his grandfather. The two end up on the run, chased by a US Marshall and a vicious bounty hunter.
The first act is good, the setup and a strong performance from McDermott, making it hard not to root for his character. McDermott, who was drafted in as a last-minute replacement, is the best actor on set, most notably in any scene of him caring for his brother. The film is outstanding visually; Hutchins’ and her successor Bianca Cline’s work is some of the best the Western genre has seen in a long time. The environment is used to its full potential, the gorgeous long shots of the landscape are incredible, and the use of smoke in enclosed areas to create even more striking lighting all add up to make a film that looks much better than it should. The music often works well to push the film’s emotions, the work of composers Lilie Bytheway-Hoy and James Jackson again much better than you would expect.
The problem with Rust lies with the script and with Alec Baldwin. The script and overall structure of the film needed a lot more work. Dialogue is often quite melodramatic and filled with unnecessary exposition, frequently forcing the supporting cast to say lines that come out jarring and awkward. Whether or not it was always the plan to have such a long, over-stuffed film, several unnecessary subplots destroy the pacing and, at 140 minutes, the story drags. Baldwin feels miscast for this grizzled central role; he approaches the character as someone who has a lot going on internally, but on the screen, it just isn’t gripping enough. A Jeff Bridges or a Clint Eastwood would have smashed this out of the park, but Baldwin lacks the gravitas required to carry the weight of this type of film.
The Verdict
Beautiful imagery and score cannot save this overlong film with a poor script and dubious lead performance. The question remains whether or not it was worth finishing a film that director Joel Souza himself said he wished had never been written. At best, this film’s legacy will be a warning about gun safety on set.
Words by Jordon Searle
Rust is available on digital platforms from 23 June and on DVD from 7 July.
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