After saving a jumper from taking his own life on the tracks of New York City’s merciless subway, a religious ex-con finds himself unwittingly delving deeper into the theological debate of his life. What follows is a claustrophobic and unrelenting battle of perspectives between two of cinema’s powerhouses. But what might have resounded with the thunder of a cannon may only be the quick, hollow report of a popgun. This HBO presentation suffers not from the lack of quality in its execution, but in the quantifiable reach for its audience.
Black and white, without room for the gray. Upon this simple idea of extremist viewpoints, Cormac McCarthy’s two-man drama unfolds. On one side of the table in a dingy New York apartment sits Black (Samuel L. Jackson); a devout ex-con who was saved by faith and carries it with him, even claiming to hear the voice of Jesus. Across the table is White (Tommy Lee Jones), a Professor whose higher-intellect has left no room for the constructs of God and religion. They arrive in the apartment shortly after Black stops White’s suicide attempt, and the discussion commences.
Originally published as a play by the author of No Country For Old Men and The Road, The Sunset Limited was first staged by Steppenwolf in Chicago in 2006. Critics at the time noted that the play was closer in style and substance to a novel and the film suffers from a similar critique. While McCarthy’s language may satisfy some, it is the action of his stories that propelled the brilliance of the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning No Country. The Sunset Limited is, ironically, a play and film without action. Just words.
Executive produced and directed by Jones, the project obviously held special interest for theNo Country For Old Men star. Perhaps it was his affinity for McCormac’s narrative style, or an attraction to the ideas that the play takes on. Either way, his mastery is undeniable throughout. The cinematography, which would seem limited by a single, confined set, is at one with the text, underscoring each new thought and developing character beat with appropriate and seamless precision. Jones and his creative team obviously put real thought into the value of every moment, making the near-impossible choices of which lines and beats to value, and which to transition through.
At the end of the day, however, the film is exactly as it has been described: a conversation about faith between two men with opposing viewpoints in one room. While the precedent has been set for projects with small casts in a limited location(s), from Lifeboat to Reservoir Dogs, those that succeed understand that film is an active medium. Without action, the camera is merely observing the mundane or the common that most people go to the movies to escape.The Sunset Limited succeeds for what it is, but a truly influential movie needs to be more.
Jones has walked the line of commercial and independent for some time, notably taking on projects of his own that fell into the latter category. Commendable though this is, and as masterfully as he tells these smaller stories, for the valuable ideas of works like The Sunset Limited to reach the people who such works seek to effect most, the audience must be broader. Were the same ideas put into a more commercial package, they may just reach someone who is stupefied and altered by what Jones and McCarthy have to offer. Preaching to the choir, no pun intended, only carries your message so far.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
There are only two bonus features included with the film: a making-of featurette and commentary with Jones, McCarthy, and Jones. While the making-of is at moments compelling, there is only so much to be said about a film in one room. The brilliance is in the simplicity and that is easy to summarize; though, it is humorous to know that the gritty New York apartment and sounds of the Big Apple were dramatically absent in production. The film was shot in New Mexico.
"The Sunset Limited" is on sale February 7, 2012 and is not rated. Drama. Directed by Tommy Lee Jones. Written by Cormac McCarthy. Starring Samuel L Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones.
