The Weight, directed by Padraic McKinley in his directorial debut, is a historical drama set in early 1930’s Oregon and centered around a working-class man named Samuel Murphy (Ethan Hawke) as he gets separated from his young daughter after a run-in with the law. Murphy is sent to a ruthless work camp where he meets Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe), who offers him a deal to smuggle gold through the dangerous wilderness in exchange for his freedom. But the already treacherous mission soon turns even deadlier as paranoia and betrayal begin to grow between the crewmates, leading Murphy to question the lengths he will go to to be with his daughter again.
Hawke leads the story with his stoic portrayal of Samuel Murphy and his journey to get back to his daughter. His quiet persona is mixed with an underlying criminal cockiness that Hawke strips away when the threat of never seeing his daughter again is presented. Hawke’s ability to present a reluctant vulnerability in his character allows the audience to see the effect of his backstory rather than for it to be just told to them. Hawke embodies Murphy through his gruff stoicism that frequently reminded me of Joel Edgerton’s performance of Robert Grainer in Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams. Both actors build these characters around an impassive, almost nonchalant persona in order to deal with the environment around them, only to be broken down because of said environment.
While Hawke is a standout in this film, he isn’t the only one, as Crowe also delivers other stellar performances in a catalog of roles. Crowe’s ability to infuse every character he embodies with an intimidating quiet strength is admirable, as is his ability to balance it out with a little bit of humor when the performance calls for it. Crowe and Hawke play off of each other in a quiet ferocity that only boils over at the end, but there is a muted sense of respect that the characters seem to hold for one another that both legendary actors play into very well. Anna (Julia Jones) offers a quiet, resilient strength to the story as she helps Samuel and the rest of the crew with their mission, and her growing relationship with Samuel allows for viewers to see a softer side to each of them in spite of the world of anger, corruption, greed, and sadness that the story weaves.
The atmosphere that McKinley presents is another big strength of this film; the diegetic sound that he utilizes up until the end credits allows for the audience to immerse themselves in nature-equse setting that The Weight depicts. McKinley makes sure to linger on the huge forest and wilderness that Murphy finds himself in, allowing for the audience to question the beauty and/or the danger of it. Murphy seems to find a vulnerability in nature, depicted through McKinley’s use of its quietness, and only allowing himself to feel invincible outside of it or with his daughter, as reflected by the chaotic driving scene that bookends the film; only the ending has J.J. Cale’s guitar-heavy ‘Call Me the Breeze’ in place of the quiet sounds of nature, reflecting how Murphy’s journey has truly made him feel invincible
4 out of 5 stars.
The Weight depicts a heartbreaking separation between a father and daughter but also a look at the aftereffects of the Great Depression and what it did to people’s mindset and values. The performances of Hawke, Crowe, and Jones allow the story to reach its highest and most vulnerable potential; my only critique is that I wish we’d had more time with them.
