Ron Howard is an accomplished director who has enjoyed a long and mostly successful career in Hollywood. However, despite his diverse range of genres and themes, he has often been perceived as a "safe" filmmaker, one who rarely strays from the family-friendly mainstream. One notable exception to this perception is his 2003 western, The Missing.
The film is based on Thomas Eidson's 1995 novel, The Last Ride, and the plot is set in New Mexico Territory in 1885. The protagonist is Maggie Gilkeson (played by Cate Blanchett), a frontier woman living in the New Mexico Territory with her two daughters, Lily (played by Evan Rachel Wood) and Dot (played by Jenna Boyd). Maggie's estranged father, Samuel Jones (played by Tommy Lee Jones), who had left her in childhood in order to live with Apaches, re-enters her life just as Lily is abducted by a group of outlaws led by the sinister and supernatural-tinged Chidin (played by Eric Schweig). Maggie and Samuel must put aside their differences and embark on a perilous journey to rescue Lily from the clutches of Chidin, who plans to sell her into a life of sexual slavery.
Critics have accused Howard of lacking originality, as the general premise of The Missing is very similar to that of John Ford's classic western, The Searchers. However, Howard's film departs from Ford's in several significant ways. Most notably, the protagonist is a woman, and Maggie is portrayed as a free-spirited and independent woman who has sexual liaison with one of her farm hands, a far cry from the traditional western heroine.
The Missing is a remarkably dark and violent film. The characters have complex and often disturbing backstories, with one of them being conceived as a result of rape. The film's realism is established in the opening scene, where Maggie is shown sitting in an outhouse, a stark contrast to the romanticized depictions of the American West. The film's portrayal of Chidin, a Native American who indulges in black magic, has been criticized by some as a racial stereotype, and, as such, was deemed unacceptable in the age of “political correctness”. This is further complicated by the fact that he is opposed by Maggie, a Christian-based healer.
One of the film's weaknesses, however, is its pacing. At over two hours long, The Missing can feel sluggish at times, a result of Howard's subpar direction. Nevertheless, the film is ultimately saved by its excellent acting. Blanchett is superb as the plucky and determined Maggie, while Wood delivers a convincing performance as the abducted Lily. Jones, as the estranged father, provides a nuanced and compelling portrayal of a man desperate to make amends.
At the end of the day, The Missing is a flawed but ambitious film that showcases Ron Howard's willingness to venture beyond his perceived "safe" directorial style. While it may not reach the heights of greatness, it represents a one of the relatively rare opportunities for western fans to enjoy modern-day rendition of their favourite genre.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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