Butcher’s Crossing is a darkly reflective drama set in the fearsome and desolate wilderness of Colorado. It is based on the highly acclaimed novel by John Williams, about a naive Harvard dropout, Will Andrews, who embarks on a quest for adventure and purpose in frontier Kansas. He is one of the team that join the buffalo hunt led by the stoic and obsessive Miller whose inexorable quest for profit drives the group towards physical and moral exhaustion. The slow pace of the film highlights the trial by fire of the journey, with the viewer getting a feel for the hardships of frontier life and the destructive attitude of the characters. The attraction of the hunt, however, exposes some of its more sinister and more destructive aspects as they venture further into the wilderness.
The performances are restrained but so compelling, capturing the moral dilemma and conflict of the characters. Will’s journey from hopeful idealist to disillusioned survivor is played out with quietly powerful intensity; Miller is the embodiment of the dangerous allure of unchecked ambition. The supporting characters have their own moral compass, which adds layers of complexity, and survival often requires compromises of morality. The uncompromising cinematography of the film has an impact visually as it presents the powerful yet unkind nature and how the human chase for wealth can wreak havoc on it. The low score, as well as the natural light, add to the meditative feel and allow the viewer to contemplate the deep themes of obsession, environmental degradation and loss of innocence explored in the work.
In the end, “Butcher’s Crossing” is about the devastation wrought by human greed and the destructive drive for conquest. The slaughtering of the buffalos represents the destruction of nature and the characters’ moral degradation, as well as the power of obsession to be the source of self-destruction. Its slow and thoughtful pace requires patience, but it also gives the viewer a thrilling reflection on hubris and the price of exploitation. It made me think… with quiet devastation and an awareness that my sense of control and progress is fragile and illusionary.
