Strict, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank bewitches brutally. Phil’s entire romance, strength and fragility are trapped in the past and the country: he can castrate a bull with two quick stabs; swims naked in the river, smearing mud on his body. He’s a cowboy as strict as his skin. The year is 1925. The Burbank brothers are wealthy farmers in Montana. In the Red Mill, on their way to the market square, the brothers meet Rose, the widow of the owner, and her sensitive son Peter. Phil is so cruel that he makes both of them cry, enjoying their pain and making his companions laugh – all except Brother George, who comforts Rose and then returns to marry her. As Phil hesitates between rage and cunning, his mockery of Rose takes on a macabre form – it hovers at the edge of her field of vision, whistling a tune she can no longer play. His mockery of her son is more obvious, compounded by the applause of Phil’s loyal students. Then Phil shows up and takes the boy under his wing. Is this last gesture a revelation by Phil or a conspiracy that turns into a threat? Netflix
20  2  Rating |