The Sisters Brothers 4K 2018

My understanding of movies is a little more of the guys from the wild west who saw a toothbrush for the first time. And all these movies about guys like that in my mind are primarily about good men. Bad men. Evil men. Man movies, in short, are about men. And for men.

Clint Eastwood, for example, in every western, is this idealized hero who will both punish the criminal and save the woman. And maybe even kisses them! But it's been fifty years since Clint Eastwood, and my grandfather has grown old ten times over. And the world will change.

Now to "The Sisters Brothers." I expected the film to rely on the aforementioned masculinity. Not really. Jacques Audiard didn't make a film about masculinity, and thank God he didn't make a film about people clinging to a bygone era. He made a road movie, about people who have no purpose. They lean on the situation and the mood - interesting, considering the genre. Usually, we, the audience, know what the character is aiming for and where he or she will come to. Odiar, on the other hand, has made a road movie similar to life - hell knows where the characters will take the road.

The main characters may be the main gunslingers in the Wild West - but humanity hasn't cared about that for a long time. Just like the femme you gave up your seat on the subway. People are running after some incomprehensible belief in the impossible, and they haven't cared about manners or skills for a long time.

Therein lies the central tragedy of the film. The narrative is built almost entirely on a deconstruction of (at least my) view of the genre. The men here don't present themselves as heroes in dusty armor - but rather men who are just lucky enough to shoot heads on. But unlucky in everything else. The ending in general is scary - instead of fighting for their future, the characters go back to their past. They wouldn't have filmed this before. But the most shocking thing is that there is no conflict as such. There's some notional commander in the background, but we don't even know his name. There isn't even any O'Driscoll gang.

But even so, the movie is very manly. You know, the kind of strong male friendship. When five minutes ago you wanted to punch that guy in the face, and ten minutes later you're drinking beer with him and looking at a smoldering fire. When the only love line in your life is with your trusty horse. And when your brother jokes around at first watching you be sick - and then moments later saves your life.