The Weight, Starring the Hawke and the Crowe

People had to be hard to survive the Great Depression. Samuel Murphy is an engineer, but he is sufficiently tough. He can even endure the prison chain gang he was unjustly sentenced to. However, he cannot bear to lose his daughter Penny, who will become fodder for the foster system. Therefore, when the Warden offers him a special assignment in exchange for his freedom, he accepts, despite his wariness. Not surprisingly, that too-good-to-be-true deal turns out to be exceptionally dangerous in Padraic McKinley’s The Weight, which opens this Friday in theaters.

Not surprisingly, the Depression makes single fatherhood even worse for Murphy. Yet, he remaiins a decent, church-going man. Rather gallingly, his landlord evicts the Murphys while they were attending Sunday services. A subsequent altercation lands Murphy in jail, but he accepts a spot on Warden Clancy’s work detail, because each day busting rocks decreases his sentence more. Unfortunately, the state will soon demand Penny from the Church relief organization currently sheltering her, if Murphy cannot claim her.

Impressed with by Murphy’s problem-solving skills, Clancy offers him a “deal.” Technically, this offer was made possible by FDR. Following the imminent nationalization of gold, the local mine will shutter. Naturally, the criminalization of private gold ownership will cause the value to skyrocket. The mine is supposed to turn over its fruits to the government, but Taggert, the general manager, intends to smuggle a good portion out.

Taggert also happens to be one of Clancy’s cronies. They hatch a plan for Murphy to carry $100,000 in gold bars across the forest to a predetermined rendezvous point, with the help of three fellow prisoners, schlepping under the watchful eye of Taggert’s enforcers. Upon delivery, Clancy promises to sign Murphy’s release papers, which is within his powers “as the law in these parts.” Ironically, Anna, a native mine worker, tags along to escape the abuse she suffers from her partner, but she soon finds herself in an “out of the frying pan” situation.

Of course, Taggert and his goons are not trustworthy. The forest and limited infrastructure are also fraught with peril, including a suspended bridge that cannot support the weight of a man carrying a rucksack full of gold. This is a tense and cleverly executed scene that partially inspired the title and earned the film comparisons to Wages of Fear. However, it is a relatively short sequence, so some viewers might feel the undeniably cinematic bridge is somewhat over-hyped.

Nevertheless, fans of B. Traven will embrace the film’s gritty naturalism. McKinley and the battery of screenwriters clearly understand the era, including the honest, rugged Christian faith held by folks like Murphy. The complicated intergroup dynamics of Murphy’s chosen convicts, particularly the hot-and-cold comradery of the Communist-seduced Singh and on-again-off-again racist Rankin also ring true to the characters’ times and circumstances.

Perhaps most importantly, Ethan Hawke is steely as heck playing Murphy, while Russell Crowe is flamboyantly corrupt as Clancy. Technically, it is a small part for Crowe (who is a big man), but his appearances always elevate the film.

It is worth noting this film is set in Oregon, not the deep south. In fact, McKinley and cinematographer Matteo Cocco fully capture the verdant ruggedness of the Pacific Northwest mountains. In a way, McKinley’s film serves as the black sheep cousin to Crowe’s underrated star-vehicle, Cinderella Man. Both films show the sacrifices made by the common man to come through the Depression. Highly recommended, The Weight opens this Friday (9/18) in New York, including the AMC Lincoln Square.