Ethan Hawke’s newest film, historical drama “The Weight,” premiered on September 18 and shows once again how talented he is. Known for “Dead Poets Society” and “The Black Phone,” Hawke steps into the role of Samuel Murphy, a father who will do anything to be reunited with his daughter Penny (Avy Berry).
The film takes place in 1930s Oregon during the Great Depression, with Murphy and Penny’s separation coming from a misunderstanding with police officers that leads to Murphy’s incarceration. His desperation to see her again is brought to another level by the fact that she will soon be a ward of the state if he doesn’t get out of prison.
Through a work camp that gives prisoners the ability to do hard labor to get time off their sentence, Murphy strikes up a kind of friendship with Warden Clancy, played by Russel Crowe (“Gladiator”). Clancy gives Murphy, and three other prisoners of his choosing, the chance of an early release if they help on a mission to smuggle gold through the wilderness. The prisoners chosen by Murphy to join him are Rankin (Austin Amelio), Singh (Avi Nash) and Olson (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen). The crew also consists of Amis (Sam Hazeldine) and Letender (George Burgess), two men sent to make sure the prisoners do what they’re told. During the early parts of their journey, they come across Anna – a woman who wants to join them in order to run away from the gold mine – played by Julia Jones (“The Twilight Saga”).
The entire ensemble makes its way through the wilderness, weighed down by packs of gold bars and the emotional pressure of needing to complete their mission to get out of jail. The stakes become even higher when their journey becomes deadly, and they have to survive the raids of other people who want the gold for themselves on top of nature itself.
Murphy is the main protagonist of the film, and Hawke does a phenomenal job delivering the guilt he feels for leaving his daughter alone and the ruthless determination to make it back to her. The film’s opening characterizes their relationship beautifully, making the audience really root for their reunion.
Murphy doesn’t take the spotlight all for himself, though; the rest of the characters on the journey also feel fully fleshed out with their own backstories and reasons for wanting to get out.
Jones’ performance as Anna really stood out to me, as she offers the much-needed female perspective – especially one of Indigenous descent. She brings a light to the darkness with her rare kindness amongst strangers without sacrificing the ability to stand up for herself in a group of men.
The film is quite dark in general, with plenty of violence and thrilling moments, but hope and perseverance shine from beginning to end. It has a very particular aesthetic of its specific point in time, and lingering shots throughout the film do a lot to remind the audience of where they are and what the circumstances surrounding the characters are.
Overall, it was an entertaining movie showcasing how a father’s love for his daughter remains during the darkest of times and motivates a man to do what seems impossible.
Senior Emily Myers is a Copy Editor. Her email is emyers3@fandm.edu.