Rust

3 outta 5

Rust is a film that sticks closely to core tenets of the Western genre. The plot involving a cynical elder man looking after a young charge is very much something in Westerns like True Grit and even sci-fi Westerns like The Mandalorian. There is a lot of grumbling and sad cowboys talking about their lives. It’s also kind of slow for long stretches of it but a lot of Westerns are kind of slow for long stretches. Still things get lively with intense shootouts. Also, the dramatic payoffs work well with an emotionally resonant ending. It also looks absolutely fantastic with cinematography by Halyna Hutchins that elevates the look of the film beyond a standard Western. It isn’t an innovative entry into the Western genre, but it is a very sturdy one.

In 1882, teenager Lucas (Patrick Scott McDermott) is living alone with his younger brother after their mother passed away. When Lucas accidentally kills an adult whom he and his brother have a troubled history with, Lucas is sentenced to death. One night he is broken out of jail by an elderly man, Rust (Alec Baldwin), who reveals that he is Lucas’ long-lost Grandfather. On their tail is Sheriff Wood (Josh Hopkins) and a posse, including brawling brothers and the bumbling Parker (Jake Busey). And, even more dangerous, is the unhinged Fenton ‘Preacher’ Lang (Travis Fimmel) who is efficient at tracking, gunfire and murder. Now Rust and Lucas must make it to the southern border while staying ahead of the law and bounty hunters, so Lucas has a chance to reunite with his younger brother.

There was an on-set tragedy that resulted in the death of cinematographer Hutchins which casts a shroud over the proceedings. The film looks incredible, especially the usage of sunlight and casting long shadows across the sand. There’s lots of silhouettes and wide shots of the scenery, which works perfectly for the Western genre. Even the at times too-slow pace shows off the amazing visuals. The end of the movie features a message about how the film was finished as a tribute to her work. Also, the film is dedicated to her, and there’s a quote from her an, as Cinematographer, she is billed second in the closing credits, a rarity in film credits. It is tragic what happened, but this is a way to showcase her fabulous work which hopefully gets award recognition when the time comes.

The Western plotline of an older guy looking after a young kid is a very well-worn trope but still engaging. Baldwin is an incredibly gruff guy (something he also has done many times) but it works for the setting. He has an especially awesome bit when Lucas is asking questions about if Rust has ever seen a man hanged, and at first Rust tries to dismiss him, but when Lucas does something really dopey, Rust gets very real about the prospect of being hanged. And he is also good at the quieter moments like when Rust talks about Lucas’ mother as Rust takes on the responsibility of being his grandfather. Rust’s ending is almost a Christ-like sacrifice to save his grandson, it’s a bit over the top but dramatic. When the law says that Rust might die before his hanging the hangman says, “Then kill him twice.”

McDermott’s Lucas is too mature for his age and must learn to grow up real fast with his life on the line, but he does eventually become emotionally attached to his grandfather. Hopkins is effective as Sheriff Wood, a Western cliché of the embittered sheriff and he comes with a tragic backstory. Once again playing a quasi-religious weirdo in his string of quasi-religious weirdos (see his characters in Raised by Wolves and Dune: Prophecy), Travis Fimmel is the religion spouting bounty hunter and even though he does bad things and shoots people he still talks about being saved and carries around a cross. Fimmel also gets in a weird scene where he aggressively asks a lonely single mom for information while also seduces her. It’s like something out of a different movie but Fimmel’s performances are often a different type of everything.

There are multiple scenes of random folks who run into Rust and the kid as the newcomers look helpful, but it turns out they’re after the thousand dollar bounty. There’s a father and son fur trader that seem rather folksy which turns violent where Rust must shoot their way out and Lucas is disturbed about how young the kid was. Then later there’s a scene with a guy they run into in a bar (played by journeyman actor Xander Berkley) as the guy is talking about random things but it turns into a fierce shootout as he wants the bounty. It ends rather messily for him and Berkley has a great exit where he’s spitting angrily while bleeding out and collapsing on the floor.

There is a lot to like in Rust, and just watching the film play out is worth it just for the visual style. Its component pieces are basically a blender of cliché Western elements, and the film really does sometimes go a bit too slowly, even by Western standards, but in the moments when it kicks in, it is a very cool throwback Western experience.