PIC of the Week – Let Him Go
Article Series by Ray Schillaci
SOME SPOILERS PRECEDED IN BOLD – jump to the next paragraph
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment should be commended for this week’s release along with the incredible cast and crew of Let Him Go. In the age of big splashy superhero action/adventures and gross out comedies, writer/director Thomas Bezucha is brave and passionate enough to bring to the screen a lyrical yet tense family drama that is also a modern western and brings to mind the best films of the ’70s. With his dedication to the novel by Larry Watson, Bezucha has hitched his wagon with a stellar cast that includes Diane Lane and Kevin Costner turning in one of their best tender performances.
It’s hard to review this film without spoilers since tragedy strikes within the first ten minutes or so, and the tension builds like slow percolating coffee. Montana, 1963, Margarette and George Blackledge (Lane and Costner) enjoy what appears to be a serene retired life on their farm joined by James and Lorna, their son and daughter-in-law, and their new grandchild, Jimmy. But right away, all is not what it appears to be. We can see an underlying tension between Margarette and Lorna as to the caring of the newborn.
***SPOILER*** The family is immediately torn when James is killed in a riding accident, but Lorna and her child continue to live with Margarette and George until years later when Lorna remarries Donnie Weboy and moves into a low rent apartment…a move that George does not approve. Just something about Donnie rubs George the wrong way, and George knows how to read a person since he is a retired sheriff. On the other hand, Margarette gives the young man the benefit of the doubt, that is until she happens to catch the family on the town streets in a squabble that leads to abuse of both wife and child.
Days later, a concerned Margarette decides to pay an unexpected visit to her daughter-in-law only to find that the family suddenly moved out of town. She voices her concern to George and talks him into tracking the family down with the intention of getting back their grandchild. George is not keen on the idea and the drama continues on the road between the two of them as they head towards North Dakota, but not without tender moments between Lane and Costner.
Their relationship feels so genuine that it only heightens the tension as they inquire about the whereabouts of Donnie Weboy. There is a contrast between the lush lands of Montana and the desolate harshness of North Dakota and an underlying current of danger that surrounds the Weboy clan. When the two families meet eventually, I was reminded of the movie Deliverance with that undercurrent of discomfort.
As the conflict continues, all is not what one might expect from a movie with such established stars. We cannot help but get caught up in this real-life situation that can bring out the worst in people, where words no longer matter and violence feels like the only answer. That theme, along with others, reminded me of another dark film, Sam Peckinpaw’s Straw Dogs. But, Bezucha’s film ends on a very emotional melancholy note where Peckinpaw’s film left me numb.
As good as Costner and Lane are, there are scene stealing turns from several cast members, especially Leslie Manville as Blanche Weboy, the polar opposite grandma. She feels as if she just came out of the pages of Tennessee Williams. The production as a whole is first rate. Camera and art department beautifully capture the look of the ’60s, and writer/director Thomas Bezucha has effectively delivered his passion project.
As mentioned, the attention to detail of the era is beautifully realized and bodes well on this blu-ray. Shadows, blacks, and hues are all well defined along with flesh tones. The lighting of the Weboy clan’s home in and out is a thing of dread and captures the hesitation we felt when first seeing the house in Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not that this film ever gets to those heights of violence, but the stark images are just as nerve wracking. On the other side, tender moments are damn worth framing – Margarette bathing her grandchild, riding a horse, and George’s contemplative moments.
Let Him Go comes with a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Like the film itself, sound quality is more interested in the subtle atmospheric effects rather than the more violent ones. Not to diminish gunfire or a fight scene. Sound department coordinated those scenes effectively. It just doesn’t take away from the sheer poetry of the film and its musical score. The ambient surround sound slowly immerses you into Margarette and George’s world.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment gives us a scant half-hour or so of bonuses. Too bad, for a production like this deserves much more. What we do get is…
• The Making of Let Him Go
• The Blackledges: Kevin Costner & Diane Lane
• Lighting the Way: Thomas Bezucha
They don’t make movies like this one anymore. It’s a surprise that the film even got made. I can only imagine it was due to Bezucha’s perseverance, Costner’s star power and a modest budget (for these days) that we are able to relish this well done adult drama. I encourage any lover of good films to pick this one up as either a rental or add it to your library.
Lowest Price – $22.96 – Amazon and Walmart
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