John Hillcoat’s scabrous frontier western The Proposition (2005) is among the best Australian films of the 21st century, and it was recently given the much deserved Blu-ray/UHD treatment from the wonderful folks at the British Film Institute. The release includes a wonderful 80-page book, to which I was delighted to contribute a short essay, alongside contributions from the film’s director, John Hillcoat, composer Warren Ellis, producer Cat Villiers, star Leah Purcell, and Professor Catriona Elder.
Entitled ”I Will Civilize This Land’: Settler Violence and Indigenous Sovereignty in The Proposition‘, my short essay considers the on- and off-screen entanglement of historical and contemporary Indigenous-settler relations, and the darker side of the so-called ‘civilising’ mission of settler authorities.
Newly restored in 4K, The Proposition is available as a
2-disc Blu-ray or a 4K UHD/Blu-ray via the BFI Shop.
Dr Stephen Morgan 