Only after watching filmmaker J.T. Walker’s drama Broken Land did I realize how much I’d missed the weathered, windswept allure of a slow-moving Western, with grand characters squinting their eyes as they contemplate grand themes. Even if it weren’t as wise and confident, as heartfelt and poetic as it is, Walker’s film would more than make up for any lack of novelty with two terrific lead performances.
Widower Carson (David Morse) lives an isolated life on his Texas ranch near the Mexican border. He drives a rusty old truck, listens to his radio, and frequents the local bar but keeps to himself, preferring his cows for company. His son Harley (Bill Heck) — also a local Border Patrol agent — urges his dad to see a doctor, to no avail. One fateful night, Carson attempts to scare a trespasser, undocumented migrant Irena (Jaklyn Bejarano), off his property and accidentally shoots her in the process. He cleans and dresses her wound, then lets her stay at his place to recover. They bond. Carson’s dark past is revealed. In the meantime, Harley and his goon squad close in.
Irena (Jaklyn Bejarano) recovers in a dimly lit room in Broken Land.
“…attempts to scare a trespasser, undocumented migrant Irena…”
A quiet, contemplative film, Broken Land moves at its own languid pace, allowing its setting, its despondent characters, and its soulful music by Matthew Atticus Berger and H. Scott Salinas to sink in. Cinematographer Sara Purgatorio conjures magic through subtle images, such as dust billowing from window blinds in the golden light, emphasizing how untouched and solitary the protagonist’s existence has become. It all adds up to a visual soliloquy, an opportunity to pause and immerse oneself in one man’s life—in a world as melancholic as it is hopeful. We grow to care for these people, and even if the outcome seems inevitable, perhaps there’s a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Morse is one of our great character actors. He immediately establishes that something haunts Carson. It’s in the minute mannerisms and gestures, the way he speaks, the intonations and implications. As the film progresses, he allows the stoicism to unravel, layer after layer, revealing the raw core underneath without resorting to histrionics. It’s a terrific performance. Bejarano is a real discovery, the young actress showcasing an emotional spectrum that puts a lot of the current, more “seasoned” actors to shame. If there’s any justice in this world, she’ll be headlining a film with Inde Navarrette soon enough. Bill Heck is also given moments to shine, particularly in a fight scene wherein he tells Dad how he truly feels.
People can change, the film seems to argue, even at the ripe young age of 70, even when grieving and set in their ways — and by extension, perhaps there’s hope for this country yet. An old-fashioned cowboy Western, albeit one set in the modern day and addressing relevant contemporary issues, Broken Land may be seen as an homage to Clint Eastwood’s classics. And if Walker is staking his claim to that particular throne, he may just be the rightful heir.
"…may be seen as an homage to Clint Eastwood’s classics..."
