Review: The Ballad of Lefty Brown

There was a time when the Western genre was a quintessential staple of the film industry. John Wayne became a household name for decades and I honestly can’t picture the man without a cowboy hat on the dusty Frontier. But much like the Old West, the genre faded from view.

Over the past decade I’ve heard any number of reasons as to why Westerns are so seldom made: lack of demand, overtired storytelling, and most particularly, the insurance required to cover the horses. Go figure, huh? Throughout the 2000s, very little headway was made in reviving the Western. Occasionally a big name was attached to a project that no one remembers. Another flop. Another rerun on TNT. The more “memorable” films in recent history tend to be the farcical entries into the genre. Wild Wild West, Cowboys & Aliens, The Quick and the Undead (I’m not kidding), and a countless host of Hallmark flicks (sorry, mom). Even in the past few years we’ve seen big budget box office failures like The Lone Ranger and A Million Ways to Die in the West.

But every so often something unique has graced the silver screen; tragic dramas that are just coincidentally set in the West, flavored and informed by their iconic surroundings. These films didn’t strike out to give us classic showdowns and tumbleweeds where the Black Hats die and good prevails with a “new sheriff in town.” Mired in the messy gray area of human nature, they started telling these larger stories with themes rooted in the corruption of greed and racism or the tenuous pursuit of survival or hardship or sacrifice. Films like There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, The Revenant, and Hostiles gave us narratives that pointed to the human condition in often discomforting ways with characters as troubled and conflicted as the people watching them. They began to brand a new flavor of modern Western. Last year, A24 released The Ballad of Lefty Brown, which promised to follow in similar footsteps not only by its foreboding title but by the reputation that A24 has for offering more off-beat, difficult, and honest stories.

THE BALLAD

The opening scene finds us outside a saloon at night. “Oh Susanna” echos from the dimly lit establishment before a rude interruption by the thunderous clap of gunfire. A man runs out only to be gunned down in the rain-soaked streets. As it happens, a former lawman by the name of Edward Johnson and his trusted right-hand man Lefty Brown come upon the commotion and without a word, execute a tried and true scheme to catch themselves a murderer. Lefty, however, seems as though he might not be as sharp as he once was - yet, despite some fumbling, their plan proves fruitful and Johnson carries out some old fashioned justice.

It soon becomes painfully clear that our man Lefty isn’t held in the highest regard. On one hand you have Edward, a capable leader who commands respect, but Lefty... he’s not as well-spoken, not as quick to draw, he’s a little bit clumsy, and the poor man seems to incur derision at every turn. It feels a bit pitiable, to be honest, but only serves to make him all the more endearing. You’re pulling for him, you know? It’s clear what he lacks in capability he makes up for in heart and it’s that very deep and abiding loyalty that Edward finds so invaluable. They’re brothers in arms - two of four - which only serves to make this story more difficult.

Tragedy strikes as it is so wont to do in the West. It’s cold and fast and unforgiving but it brings to us the final members of this band of brothers. But times have changed. “Leave it to the law,” they say, but Lefty won’t have it. His conscience and soul call for something more and it’s this fateful course of circumstance that sets him on a duty-bound quest for justice.

He’s not alone, however; his pal Tom Harrah eventually relents and agrees to ride at his side. It’s well and good he does, too, because the path that lies before them has little to offer but hardship and grief. Revelations of betrayal and disappointment. Above all, they need each other as this pursuit evolves into a tragic testimony to that very ingrained human need: for community, for companionship, for accountability. It’s when the human heart falters or when resolve slips that this is most crucial. But what if that fails? This is a ballad, after all.

Over time, in quiet and unsuspecting moments, Lefty proves to be far more competent, in his own way. It evokes a tinge of guilt, too. Sure, you’re in his corner but there’s no denying that he’s not the brightest and in the back of your mind, you’ve maybe begun to sell him short. Just a little. But then he goes and delivers a line like, “It’s money... it makes fools of men,” often proving to be the wisest man in matters of the human heart. Truly, the most sage words of this film are from none other than Lefty Brown. For a man of the heart, he proves to be the perfect hero to contend with corruption of the heart which makes this such a wonderfully and terribly poignant story.

THE DETAILS

One of the most shining qualities of the film are its visuals. The cinematography is really lovely; wide shots of the Frontier with just a little grain in the film harken back to the golden age of Westerns. Lingering scenes and careful framing of characters let us soak it all in and I honestly had to stop myself from pausing the film to grab a screenshot. The color grading (though at times can be a little heavy-handed) furthers the Ballad’s thematic setting; a richly beautiful landscape full of dusty hues and blue skies. It’s very wonderfully captured but if we’re honest, it’s distributed by A24, a studio known for movies with wondrous attention to detail and high visual standards.

The characters feel fleshed out and human with backstories and nuance. The camaraderie feels as real as the frustration which goes a long way when telling a story that leans so heavily on the characters that bring it to life. They’re the reason we care. The people we want to see become better versions of themselves because we can see some of the very same weakness in our own hearts.

In contrast, I found myself wanting to feel a little more. Hurt a little more. I wanted to the weight of loss to weigh a little heavier. Now maybe I’m just a cinematic masochist but I think they could’ve pushed that further. They did a stellar job endearing Lefty to the audience so give us the chance to empathize more deeply. Maybe it’s nitpicking and maybe I am just a little too bent on sobbing through sad films but this has been resting in the back of my mind since I started and I think I’d be remiss to withhold it.

IN CONCLUSION

I think this film is worth your money. (If I’m being honest, it’s on Amazon Prime as the time of my writing so give it a chance, why don’t you?) The Ballad of Lefty Brown is a true modern Western and a welcome addition to the sparse lineup we have in the 2010s. It respects the roots of the genre while delivering a human story in a visually strong package with a heartfelt performance from Bill Pullman at the helm.