Heart of Darkness in Australia

This is a Western that takes place in Australia, and it's far from a typical Western. The filmmaking is a top-of-the-line film with a surreal, haunting edge. As my title blurb suggests, there are similarities to "Heart of Darkness" and the original "Apocalypse Now," although it fails to achieve the greatness of the latter.

The story plays out in a realistic manner with long stretches of drama and bleak landscapes interspersed with flashes of extreme violence. Ray Winstone and Guy Pearce are great as the two main protagonists. Capt. Stanley understandably wants to rid the land of the brute outlaws, whereas Charlie seeks redemption for himself and his little brother. Danny Huston as Arthur Burns is captivating as the focal point and villain. Yet he's not a villain in the clichéd sense and he's not one-dimensional. He loves the beauty of God's creation, he loves the art of language and he's a mystic of sorts, but he clearly crossed the line at some point in his outlaw endeavors and now must be wiped off the face of the planet. Will Charlie do it?

The film seems too short. It needed more time for details and character development. As it is, we sort of have to guess the details, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just wish it would have gone the route of "Apocalypse Now" and given us more definition and development. I would love to see a Director's Cut that adds about 20-45 minutes.