The Sisters Brothers (2018) A Great Characterful Western for Fans New & Old (Review

Westerns are a genre that has so far eluded me. I have virtually no experience with the genre as a whole, apart from the odd clip from Clint Eastwood films. On TV, however, I have a little more knowledge. Two examples spring to mind, the Red Dwarf episode Gunmen of the Apocalypse, and Doctor Who’s A Town Called Mercy, a personal favourite from the Matt Smith era. They both contain the obvious tropes of the genre – a cowboy town with a resident sheriff, and a problem to solve which is often aided by the arrival of a wandering traveller. 

It’s also worth noting how much the tropes of Westerns have pollinated much of mainstream media. Doctor Who has all the hallmarks of a Western, as the premise of an elusive figure landing in a certain place and helping out with problems and enemies is basically identical, and even Star Wars has dipped its toes into the genre more recently with The Mandalorian. Therefore, I realised I was going into The Sisters Brothers not as blind as I’d initially thought, knowing roughly the archetypes to expect and what types of characters I’d be presented with.

These characters are John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix as Eli and Charlie Sisters, two gunfighting brothers who are working their way through life in the era of the California Gold Rush. This piece of history is vital in grounding the setting of the film, as it’s keen to show not just the prosperity that comes from finding such an abundance of gold, but also the dangers, as gold becomes a source of conflict and a priceless resource to be fought over. The Sisters Brothers holds the setting, as well as the characters, in high regard, a balance that can be quite hard to strike but one that this film manages effortlessly. 

The opening scene of the film, introducing our titular pair, is phenomenal. Not only is the presence of these two instantly engaging, but director Jacques Audiard and cinematographer Benoît Debie set a really evocative atmosphere. The first minute or so gripped me immediately. It is absolutely stunning, as the dark scenery of the night sky is broken by these bright flashes of gunfire, and these rich colours continue for the rest of the film. If you love your Westerns to be well-photographed but also not squeaky clean, this is one to put on your (shopping) watchlist. 

It’s not just the aesthetics, like the film’s look, that we can gravitate to as the core reason why this film works so well is down to the talent of its leads. John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix are a fantastic duo, and what I find very interesting about their characterisation is that there are clear differences between the pair, as Eli is the straight narrow man to Charlie’s reckless violent drunk. However, they’re not completely chalk-and-cheese opposites – they both find solace in the things that they cherish the most, as brothers and as people. 

In one of the film’s best scenes, an argument between the pair turns violent, and the mood turns sour for a while. However, the brothers rekindle their bond when there is an opportunity for them to retire on a piece of land together. It’s a simple concept, as in essence it’s just about wanting to live happily, but particularly in the world of crooks and criminals that they live in, having some peace and serenity is ultimately what they crave the most.

Much of their past remains vague but what is told to us is harrowing. The dialogue is a little too direct at times, but there is still an aura around the brothers, an aura of not knowing what each other is thinking and their past regrets. 

There is another other pair of characters: Jake Gyllenhaal & Riz Ahmed are in here too, and they are mostly separate from the central narrative until about an hour before the end. It can become a little frustrating in the first half when the film doesn’t know which duo to focus on, but Riz Ahmed is probably my favourite character. In a great subversion of expectations Ahmed, who these brothers have been assigned to kill and whom it is Jake Gyllenhaal’s job to collect, is actually a smart and kind man who has devised a chemical formula to find and extract gold. This once again explores the times of the Gold Rush brilliantly, with any resource that can be used to find gold being fought over and exploited, but this entire subplot highlights just how linked our four main characters are. They’ve all seen better days, and they all want to find their own meaning and purpose in life. 

With most Westerns I get the impression, at least from the surface, that the protagonists are troubled people, running either to or from something in the hopes of a better life. What this film does might not be all that unique. Still, it takes this well-worn foundation and really allows the characters to breathe. 

As for issues with the film, the structure and pacing can feel a little off at times. I already alluded to how Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed are absent for most of the second act, which can leave the film feeling a bit aimless, but also the film comes to a really satisfying and emotional conclusion – and then continues for another fifteen minutes while it wraps up a subplot that only received minor attention throughout. The final scene is fantastic, bringing the brothers’ arc to a close, but it can’t help but feel like the film jumps to a completely different story in its final hurdle. 

I don’t quite know if The Sisters Brothers should have been my first Western, but safe to say it has inspired me to dive deeper into the genre. Saying it’s a good entry-level Western might sound like I’m doing it a disservice, but it offers all of the tropes and grounds them in a great story and a great setting.

Alex’s Archive: The Sisters Brothers