The opening credits of ‘The Mustang’ explain that there are approximately 100,000 wild horses roaming across the Western United States. Some are captured by the government and kept in long-term facilities while the lucky ones are given to prison inmates to train and sell at auction through a rehabilitation program. ‘The Mustang’ is a powerful story about hope and redemption. It is the debut film by French actress-turned-director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. She perfectly nails it! She draws spectacular parallels between man and beast. The film is shot on location at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City which resonates with authenticity. ‘The Mustang’ is playing in limited release and is worth seeking out at your local art house theater.
When we first meet convict Roman (Matthias Schoenaerts), he’s sitting across from a prison clinician (Connie Britton). He was recently transferred to the facility after spending a long period of time in solitary confinement. Schoenaerts is brilliant as the angry, misunderstood felon. As the clinician tries to assess his mental state, he finally utters “I’m not good with people.” If you have never seen this Belgian actor in a film, you’re in for a real treat. He’s a superb actor. The best foreign film of 2012 starred him and Marion Cotillard in ‘Rust and Bone.’ Roman is a man of few words and not very likable but Schoenaerts is magnificent at delivering a physical performance that eventually gets your empathy.
Reluctantly, Roman takes on a maintenance job cleaning up horse manure. He is drawn to the craziest horse so the program supervisor Myles (Bruce Dern) decides to give him a chance to tame the wild mustang. Dern plays a curmudgeon but it’s an endearing performance since he treats the inmates as humans. It is rough going for Roman as he needs to gain the mustang’s (he names him Marquis) trust and also learns to control his anger. A fellow inmate/horse trainer Henry (Jason Mitchell) shows him how to train Marquis. It is a beautifully shot film that vividly contrasts the ugly confinement of prison to the scenes of the horses running along the Nevada landscape. There is also a moving scene where Roman gets a visit from his estranged daughter and desperately tries to reconnect with her. The film slowly reveals the horrendous crime that landed him in prison. His daughter played by Gideon Adlon gives a heartbreaking performance that raises the question, should he be forgiven?
The story never falls into clichés. Will Roman be able to break the wildest horse or will it break him? The film never sentimentalizes the main lead into a caricature. He’s not a virtuous man. He is guilty of his crime and is serving a long sentence. It’s a deeply introspective and moving character study. Praise must be given to filmmaker Clermont-Tonnerre for the beautiful cinematography and overall structure of the storyline. The shots of the mustangs running free in Nevada are breathtaking. The scenes of Roman and Marquis in the corral getting to know each other are equally compelling. It reminds us of that magical connection between tormented souls and wild beasts.
‘The Mustang’ also raises important questions that our society must face. The film reminds us that most of these convicts can be rehabilitated with the right programs and will eventually return back into society. Rehabilitation programs such as this also show audiences that criminals are human beings with the potential to change. Through Schoenaerts’ intense performance and Clermont-Tonnerre’s touching story of redemption, ‘The Mustang’ is one of the best indie films of the year.
