The Film
Be glad that it's 2011. In Meek's Cutoff, we get a painful glimpse of life in 1845. It's dirty, slow and sort of confusing.
There are no modern conveniences, either. You know: Cell service, cable TV, food and water. Those sorts of things are scarce in 1845, but couldn't be more necessary on this journey.
Director Kelly Reichardt invites the audience to ride shotgun with her Wendy and Lucy star Michelle Williams on this trek across the Oregon Trail. You'd better call out for that shotgun, too, because many of these travelers need to hoof it. That wouldn't be a huge deal except that the leader of the pack, Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), has absolutely no idea where he's going.
After wandering for too long with too little resources, the group starts getting a little hostile. It doesn't exactly help that they run into a Native American (Rod Rondeaux), who doesn't speak their language. Should they trust the man that led them into obscurity or the one that could lead them into an ambush?
Meek's Cutoff offers a slice of pioneer life. That means there isn't always a ton of action, dialogue or daylight, for that matter. Yes, don't try to adjust this picture; the film has many moments where both the audio and video go completely dark. It's all part of how this film puts you in the middle of the action.
The Picture
Not too many recent releases come in the old 1.33:1 format anymore. That's just one of the many ways that Meek's Cutoff will surprise you. Despite that tight image and the aforementioned dark moments, there is a lot to look at here. The detail is wonderful, despite the dim color palette. The film has a few bright moments. The first sunset is a welcome site, as is Meek's red shirt. It's not the most eye-popping film that you will see this year or even this lifetime. After all, there's a lot of dirt. It's on the ground, the wagons, the clothes, and the faces. However, we have yet to experience a film that conveys such realism. Particularly impressive are the film's night scenes, which may not have the most detailed moments, but certainly convey the experience of having a campfire be your only access to light.
The Sound
The outdoor setting of Meek's Cutoff allows the DTS-HD Master Audio track to deliver a lot of wonderful sounds, which is a good thing. Most of the movie is otherwise silent. It takes about seven minutes for the first words to be uttered. From there, dialogue comes and goes and sounds fine for the most part. There's a bit of muffled whispering, which is intentional. Just expect to keep the remote (and your attention span) on alert. The atmosphere, however, is the real show here, though. The clip-clop of the horses, the turning wheels, the chirping birds, gunshots, crackling fire, and the flowing water all make this a decent, fairly immersive experience.
The Extras
This release comes packing the film's theatrical trailer and the lone featurette, "The Making of Meek's Cutoff." This 10-minute behind-the-scenes peek at the movie may have less dialogue than the actual film -- at least any that's audible. The short appears to be footage shot on someone's cell phone or something, and just shows under 10 minutes of actual footage from the film's production. There's no narration, no interviews, and nothing else that resembles the typical making-of short. It's sort of cool, but offers little insight about the actual production. It would have been nice to know what's going on in some of those shots.
Final Thoughts
Meek's Cutoff isn't your typical western -- or your typical Blu-ray, for that matter. Hidden inside this release's 1.33:1 format is a very interesting looking movie, with good audio to boot. The subject matter and pacing pretty much make this a film you'll either love or hate. However, it's certainly not one that you'll forget.
Product Details
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