"Six Reasons Why" is labeled a post-modern Western by its directors (they actually play several production roles, judging by the credits), Matt and Jeff Campagna. It turns out to be more than that, though, by the end of the 89 minute production. There are futuristic elements, a touch of the supernatural and a large dose of the western. The story, borne out of necessity, is quite simple: four men pointing guns at one another in an unforgiving desert. The question: who are they and how did they come to meet at this one place?
Those characters, four men all on their own agendas, have no proper names. Rather, they are referred to by personality. The Nomad, the Sherpa, the Entrepreneur, the Criminal. Told from varying time periods and perspectives, the outcome of the four way standoff is obvious in a movie like this. That's not the point. Rather, it is to set up each of these men for, perhaps, a spin-off story. Our characters are involved with one another in different ways, some they know about and some they don't. To clearly delineate those relationships would be to destroy what makes "Six Reasons Why" the experience it is. They're not revolutionary or groundbreaking connections; clean, clear and devious would be better words.
As each of these men is introduced in the present as well as through their flashback, another piece of the story falls into place. And therein lies the freshness of the script. There are no long scenes of exposition, giving the audience the information they require. The story drops in on the Nomad (Dan Wooster, the prototypical cowboy with a modern edge), deciding to fill in the rest as it goes along. Though the brothers don't mention it, framing their story in this way is dangerous. String the audience along too much and they'll lose all interest. Blow their (script) wad too soon, and the end of the film becomes an exercise in boredom.
It's a blessing and curse for the brothers. So much time is taken by the flashbacks and moving the characters to their standoff, the most riveting relationship is never explored. I speak of the Sherpa (Danish actor Mads Koudal) and the Nomad. Near the end, with the last connections made, a broader story is begging to be told, featuring Colm Feore's Preacher. The mysticism and supernatural elements come to the foreground here when they were merely hinted at beforehand, fleshing out the familiar, yet new universe inhabited by these men. So as to not spoil the final reveal, I will only say this: it is imperative to understand the relationships between the players in the film. Without those building blocks, the utterly absorbing last ten minutes would turn into a hot mess.
These characters and plot lines have the potential to be caricatures, stereotypes. In many ways, they are. Nomad is a rough and tumble man with a sensitive side. Entrepreneur (Christopher Harrison) isn't versed in the ways of the world. Preacher barks his orders, expecting everyone to follow them. With the spin put on each, though, they come alive as something other than the norm. That's the point, I think, in a lot of ways. Yes, the story was borne out of the budget; the Campagna's, though, want to show they can work in a genre they utterly revere and bring something new to it. The script, the directing, the acting...there is a calm steadiness behind all of it, whether or not anyone felt confident on set.
I am deliberately trying to stay away from particulars of the plot in order to avoid spoiling it. In other, more conventional westerns, we know the eventual outcome before the first frame comes on screen. Shoot out. People die. End of story. The same happens here, of course. The difference happens to be the way in which it happens. The slight clues as to the real prize, the larger mystery surrounding the action and a complete world outside the microcosm we are able to see. I can't call it a wondrous world; certain shots are gorgeous (thanks to the wonders of compositing) and they are coupled with a gritty "take no prisoners" feeling to create someplace that might exist at some point. Westerns, aside from Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and "Serenity," haven't melded the future with the past to form something different. They have, historically speaking, recreated a verifiable world. This is not one of those pictures.
A sly, 2008 sense of humor permeates the screenplay. I'm not sure if it hurts or helps the completed picture, though. Looking at a horse, a question is asked: "Do you ride bareback?" In and of itself, it is a legitimate query to the rider. But when coupled with ideas such as liking the breeze when your fly is down and "drink up, ladies" (among others), the personality of the writers begins to come through. In a standard western, this simply wouldn't fly. However, in the post-"Firefly" world, filmmakers have carte blanche to do what they want, to twist the formula to their liking. (These seeming laugh lines are delivered with such dead seriousness you can't help but wonder how many times the cast and crew started laughing halfway through a take.
Despite the nearly non-existent budget, the world of "Six Reasons Why" is a full, real place for the characters to inhabit. As we're told in the pre-production featurette (and is visually evident), the minor details of the film are accounted for, from sun worn clothing to the technology, like a monorail system and a mini disc player. Yes, there is technology and advanced tech at that. Despite for the most part looking like a Clint Eatwood flick, the Campagna's interject small things into the background, allowing the astute viewer to question when in time the events take place. They are blink-and-you-miss-them mentions, to be sure, but they are there. Incredible, really, when the events surrounding the making of the film are taken into account.
VIDEO:
One of the Campagna brothers, in the special features, mentions having to pay fees for the use of actors totaling around $1,400. He then goes on to say this amount represents about one-tenth of the film's budget (approximately $11,400, using these numbers). The only reason I bring the budget up in the technical discussion is to commend the actual look of the finished production. For such an ultra low budget movie, "Six Reasons Why" should look far, far worse than the product on the disc. Yes, nearly every scene shows noticeable grain. And yes, certain indoor scenes seem to double what is already there, creating a video tape-like look. None of that discounts the fact when all the elements come together, the picture absolutely shines. The transfer is able to recreate the contrast between a purple desert sky and the orange-tan hue of the surrounding sand, turning it into a wonder to behold. Blacks are relatively deep and dark enough, rarely delving into the dark gray or muted category. And the dirt inherent in the story-worn coats, wooden buildings and a jail cell-all come through crystal clear. This isn't a perfect transfer by any means; I'm more than willing to go easy on the video (2.35:1, anamorphically enhanced) due to the circumstances surrounding its production.
AUDIO:
To be completely honest, there isn´t much difference between the two audio options included. English 5.1 and 2.0 mixes are available. Both tend to come off better than the video presentation without any discernible problems. Considering the equipment the brothers used (some rented speakers balanced precariously on old schoolbooks and wooden planks), its something of a miracle the audio works as well as it does. Ambient sounds are rendered as well as they can be expected while the ADR´ed dialogue (looping after the fact) never sounds dubbed in. The score and music by Laurence Correa and Nick Name, occasionally overpowers the rest of the production, but due to the quality of both, we somehow don´t mind. The rears don´t get a lot to do outside of some background noises; again, not a problem all things considered. English and Spanish subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
The scene specific commentary featuring both Campagna brothers and Nick Name strikes a balance between the technical and anecdotal. Considering the number of hats the brothers wear in the production, it´s no wonder there isn´t a moment of dead space in the track. A lot of the talk revolves around the budget as well as the implications of it, naturally. There´s an easy conversational nature between the three which is easy to listen to and one of the more pleasant commentary tracks in recent memory.
Three extensive, though very cheap, featurettes are up next, all under the "Behind the Scenes Featurettes" label. "Pre-Production" (21:13), "Production" (17:43) and "Post-Production" (19:38) predictably run through the challenges in making a small film, from the costumes (bought at thrift stores) selling items on eBay to raise money (a laptop and camera) and the day Colm Feore was confirmed for the shoot. The brothers get the lions share of the screen time, though various actors and crew pop up every once in a while. Shot completely with consumer grade cameras, I only have one quibble with the finished product: a lack of names for any of the participants. Realistically, there should be labels, informing for the audience as to who is speaking. They are absent here, making us guess which brother is which, not to mention reminding us this is a no budget production.
A series of interviews based on a topic (Experience, Characters, Idea, Filmmaking) are up next, running a total of 7:36. There is repeated information with the featurettes and the commentary, yet because of the enthusiasm of the participants, hearing the same story over and over doesn't become repetitive. A couple storyboards and rehearsal animatics (three, to be precise) are included, running between 45 and 90 seconds. Lastly, a group of trailers for the film are attached: Indie Western (:39), Spaghetti Western (2:21, the most amateur looking of the bunch), International Version (1:38) and Domestic Version (1:05). The disc starts off with trailers for "Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning" (1:47) and "The Tracey Fragments" (1:32).
PARTING THOUGHTS:
If this is the end product on a shoestring budget, a handful of actors and two men handling nearly every aspect of production, I want to see what they can do with a bit more money, some more time and another labor of love. While not perfect, "Six Reasons Why" is a rare entertaining, visually compelling and engrossing freshman fictional feature. Similar to westerns before it, the Campagna's show they are up and coming filmmakers.