Dead Man's Bounty (Summer Love)

One all the genres in the art of cinema one used to be uniquely American, the western. This venerable type of story has played a major role in not only film but American literature and television. Over the years other countries have entered into the fray with their own take on the western. Of course the most famous and successful of the foreign entries are the so called Italian Spaghetti westerns. They are usually stoical with ambiguous heroes and villains. Lately westerns have been popping up in countries. Some are natural like Argentina and Chile. At least they had a thriving cattle industry and cowboys of their own. One country I have to admit I never expected to come out with a western is Poland. Now the first Polish western has made its way to DVD here in the States, ‘Dead Man's Bounty’. It is also known by the much less western title of ‘Summer Love’. This film has created what some are already calling the Pierogi Western. The look and feel of this film is more in line with the Italian variety than a straight homage to the classic American western. This genre is rich enough in potential and so robust that there is plenty of room for interpretation by film makers from many countries.

The film was written, directed and produced by Piotr Uklanski. He is new to all three positions and does a reasonably good job at all of them. This is the kind of movie that you have to get into the mindset of its creator. Uklanski appears to be trying to give a new slant to the genre making it his own. As mentioned the film is closer in composition to the Italian variation than anything else but there are some subtle differences. On the surface the story is stark in its simplicity. None of the characters have names only rough descriptions such as ‘The Wanted Man’ or ‘The Stranger’. Even the plot is a study in minimalism. The characters appear to drift in and out of loosely connected vignettes than a cohesive film. The film gets its odd original title from the song playing in the background. The movie has nothing to do with summer or love but that is part of what sets this movie part from other country’s western style. The film was originally shown at the Whitney Museum of American Art. This should tell you something. Uklanski is creating an artistic vision not a horse opera here. This is also reflected in his directorial style. The location for shooting was near Warsaw but the area chosen doubles nicely for the old west. Uklanski is a highly visual director. This work is seen far more than heard. There is very little dialogue but what there is in English with a mostly Polish cast. Almost as a little snipe at European westerns Uklanski made sure to have one American actor present in the cast, Val Kilmer. Kilmer was apparently impressed by Uklanski’s vision and came on board at a much reduced rate than he usually commands.

The visuals are impressive. The sky is a deep blue contrasting with the barren dusty land below. The people go about tasks such as building a scaffold or tying a noose disconnected from any other actions around them. Uklanski has fashioned a deconstruction of the typical western. He carefully removes the essence of the western laying out the pieces before the audience. Names are not important to his characters; as with many westerns a person is identified by his presence reduced to a simple label. Tey are almost stereotypes of western characters filling a part not creating a multi dimensional person. Uklanski takes the saying actions speak louder than words literally. There is little to talk about in this film and often the actions are perplexing. This is not a satire of other types of westerns. Instead it is a reinvention of the genre. A feeling of anxiety and dread pervade the film. This is one that is experienced more than watched and it is well worth the time.

The film opens with a shot of a man stumbling through the brush. He is the Stranger (Karel Roden) and he is obviously affected by the heat and a long journey. Next we see a tableau of bodies lying near a stream; clothing strewn all around. Spurs are broken; a woman is among the bodies, her buttocks exposed. A man carefully walks through the bodies. The Stranger checks the bodies; one woman is still alive but barely. As he checks on her she dies in his arms. He checks on the stagecoach, one man is dead hanging off the couch with flies all over his face. This opening is stunning in its visual and visceral impact. It sets the tone for the movie with remarkable economy. Uklanski uses some strange camera angles such as presenting the face of the Stranger upside down as he looks at the corpse. The dead man is the Wanted Man (Val Kilmer). I have to hand it to Kilmer for playing a corpse. This is just another example of Uklanski’s innovation. Few new directors would dare to use the most famous member of the cast as a dead man. In the town we see the Sheriff’s office. What goes for a town here is another example of the minimal approach taken in the film. There is the office and two other buildings present; nothing else is necessary. The Sheriff (Boguslaw Linda) looks outside. In the saloon the Woman (Katarzyna Figura) also peers out. This goes on for awhile as characters sit and drink grunting one or two words at each other. There are also some non sequitur characters that are surrealistic to watch. One is a blind man with a leather blindfold covering his eyes.

This is such a visual experience that it is almost impossible to relate a summary of the plot. There is a sadistic bet between the Sheriff and the Stranger, the slow but constant mutilation of the Wanted Man’s corpse. Characters exchange deep, penetrating stares as dust rustles in the street. The bet concerns a gambling debt where the bounty on the Wanted Man is put up. The only collateral is the corpse. Over the course of the film the landscape goes from the familiar western motif to something unworldly. It is as if the tiny town was on some distant planet far removed from the real west. Uklanski takes deconstruction to its ultimate conclusion. This motif is visually reflected in every scene. The overall mood is one of despair and desolation. This is an amazing piece of cinematic art that must be experienced.

The DVD is released by Lion’s Gate. If you don’t live near an art house theater or are very active in the Indy community you most likely never heard of this film. One thing that Lion’s Gate does so well is bring little gems like this to a wider audience. This is for the person who can appreciate experimental film. This is not your typical western and was never intended to be one. Get this DVD and experience something really novel.

Posted 03/17/08