Bone Tomahawk

Whether a comment on the paranoia offoreign invasion or an exercise in genre conventions, S. Craig Zahler’s debut, Bone Tomahawk (2015) more than earnedits immediate cult status on its release.Equally revelled in as much as it was reviled for its gruesome and unflinchingimagery, the film delivers the infamy of a video nasty shackled to the traditions ofclassic cinema with obvious nods to, on the one hand, John Ford’s The Searchers and, on the other, RuggeroDeodato’s Cannibal Holocaust. Thefilm’s savage eye is often elevated by its tenderness and sincere approach tocharacter delivered by performances of the highestcalibre.In its presentation of the western frontier the film is aphysical ordeal – while one character limps on another is there to remind youof what awaits them at the end of their journey. This Devil’s Advocate sets outon a similar journey to study Zahler’s hybrid approach by exploring the balanceof arthouse, classical and exploitation cinema; the history of violence(onscreen and off) as well as the wider historical and cultural significances suchas modern myth and how the film reflects humanity and the current political climate.

Rich Johnson writes for Fangoria, Rue Morgue, Little White Lies, We Belong Dead, Diabolique Magazine and Second Sight Films. A lecturer in graphic design and film studies, he also provides further commentary and film analysis as a podcaster. Read, listen and follow via www.richpieces.com