Lindsay R. Bellinger

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Somehow Chloé Zhao's all-too-real film The Rider has remained somewhat under the radar, when compared to the many mediocre or even god-awful films that stay in the cinemas for months on end. Although it hailed high praise at Cannes in 2017, sadly it remains under-seen. The Chinese director/writer/producer uses a feminist approach to portray the vulnerable side of a modern day cowboy, Brady Jandreau playing a fictionalized version of himself, whose fateful head injury took him out of the rodeo circuit. An authentic piece of cinematic gold that is set in the South Dakota Badlands, Jandreau's real sister, father and friends round out the endearing cast. The delicate moments that Zhao, her cinematographer and her editor capture are majestic. The audience feels a close-knit bond to first-time actor Jandreau and his struggle to keep dreaming even when he feels that his whole world has collapsed. The vastness of the land and the connection that Brady has to it, and the horses on it, is relatable to many of us struggling to adjust to ever-changing modern times. 

The way Brady deals with a hard blow to his future is dissimilar from the way English filmmaker Martin McDonagh has Frances McDormand's character react in his cartoonish, rage-fueled fake feminist slosh Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His portrayal of small town Midwest is beyond laughable. Unlike McDonagh who felt the need to force his leading lady to acts of criminal violence, which very much felt like a response to the Weinstein scandal, Zhao's camera artfully and respectfully observes her lead's life as an Indian cowboy (what Brady and his fellow cowboys call themselves). 

An early shot of Brady caring for his wound brings about such a powerful physical reaction, it's hard to watch. Perhaps not hard to watch in the same vein as some gory Italian horror films from the 60s and 70s, but difficult all the same. The subtle flow of the camera is in tune with Brady's pain. His struggles feel real because they are. Zhao invites the world into the fleeting and often dangerous life of modern cowboys. Oftentimes westerns, predominantly told from a male gaze, glamorizes and oversimplifies the idea of manhood and masculinity (similar to Brady's father). Zhao and her film-making team effortlessly brings the viewer into the heart of the land, enjoying each sun-kissed shared moment. I wouldn't be surprised if little to no artificial light was used during filming. Nothing felt staged or forced. Clearly, no stunt double is used when Brady tames a wild horse; the uncertainty felt in the camera's movements is palpable. The camera provides this cowboy all the space needed to tame such a feral animal.  

Depending on how the light hits Brady's face, the likeness to Brad Renfro or Heath Ledger who both struggled with fame and tragically passed in January of 2008, is remarkable. While all three have a natural presence on film, let's hope that is where the similarities end. It will be quite interesting to see what the future holds for Jandreau, as his wild adventure surely won't stop here. If Zhao's vision of modern cowboy life is what is to be expected from auteur cinema, the naturalistic blending of reality with fiction, then moviegoers are in for a treat.

By Lindsay R. Bellinger