Dust (2001)

Perfect cast and a good story

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Milcho Manchevski made a startling debut as movie director with "Before the rain" and he had all the right ingredients he needed to make a great, almost perfect movie. This is the follow up to that massive success and just can't avoid looking like a pale shadow of his first film. It is by no means a poor effort by Manchevski, but the right ingredients just aren't there this time. The acting is the main thing that saves it from being a failure. Still it is a strong movie that can be intriguing to watch in its best moments.David Wenham and Joseph Fiennes play two cowboy brothers that wind up in Macedonia, fighting on different sides in a bloody conflict between the Macedonian natives and the oppressive Ottomans. Luke fights on the Ottoman side because they pay in gold, Elijah on the Macedonian because they are the right side. There are many bloody scenes here and it is one thing that I don't like with this film. The overall carnage gets too exhausting, simply put. And there is no real thrill in it either, except for the villains getting killed. The parallel stories intertwining aren't nearly as effective here as in "Before the rain". The plot with the black burglar and the old woman is weak and ineffective. Only the dramatic relationship between Luke (Wenham)and Elijah (Fiennes) and their rivalry over the beautiful and headstrong Lilith (unknown but solid actress) is what makes this film interesting and worthwhile. Wenham gives a really powerful performance here and even overshadows both Fiennes and the rest of the cast. If you are a fan of this actor then you have a good reason to watch this film. If you are not and if you don't like bloody battle scenes and harrowing drama, avoid this film.

Firstly, I'm a huge David Wenham fan. Didn't read anything about the plot before renting it. I was really surprised by the film's beginning, having no cowboys or Macedonians in sight. This was an interesting Rashomon-like tale, but I really didn't care for two of the storytellers - the old lady and the burglar. I think the story would've worked better just told from the two brothers point of view; no silly subplot about gangsters and gold coins.Joseph Fiennes is hardly in the movie, and when he is, he mostly quotes the Bible in a horrid accent. David Wenham's American accent was even worse. For me to say anything negative about Wenham...it must be really bad. He also screamed in anguish at the sky so much I could only think "Mendooooza!" (from the Simpsons' "McBain" movies). Visually, this film was very beautiful, not just because of a handsome lead either, but very engaging use of colors, costumes and landscape. The way images from the past and future collided was very cool. The gun-fight scenes were well choreographed, and pretty damn bloody. Perhaps that's why I found the old lady's section less interesting - less action, less exotic locations.A few laughs, a few gasps, a bit of sex, a lot of violence, but just too thin of a story. If you arrange the brothers' tale minus the gimmicky time-jumps, the movie would be about an hour long, not 2+ hours. I can't figure why the director didn't just fatten the characters and context of their story and tell it straight through. This is a movie about storytelling, but viewers need a better story. And David Wenham deserves a better movie. Preferably one where he can speak more naturally.

When we first put Dust into the DVD player and the film started, I wondered if maybe the video-rental store put the wrong dvd in the case. As the story progressed, I was enamored by the brilliant execution of story within story within story. The world needs more films like this, with semi-unfamiliar faces who don't need to work so hard convincing us that they are indeed this character they portray. This is one of those films people will still be talking about in 25 years; a monumental masterpiece that broke the grounds in straightforward plot-telling!!

If you look past some of the annoying factors (accents, gore, ect...) and let yourself get lured into the storyline of this this movie it is truly amazing. I rented this film thinking it would be just another filler of my time and I was blown away by the complexity of the story and quality of camera work. It was definitely a keeper in my book, I bought it immediately. I hope others will give this one a chance and also become enchanted in the storytelling aspect represented here. It is completely fulfilling to the end.