After working together on Training Day and The Equalizer, director Antoine Fuqua continues his work with Denzel Washington and as usual doesn’t really push the actor to step much outside his established on-screen persona. It’s the strong, sullen and silent type once again from his lead actor.

The film’s redeeming trait however is the strength of its ensemble cast and their diverse on-screen personalities. A number of the A-list actors do follow a somewhat well trod path, Chris Pratt as the lovable and heroic rogue, Ethan Hawke, the complex enigma and Vincent D’Onofrio continues his now well-established lumbering presence.

The action follows a very by-the-number methodology but the interplay between the actors brightens things up considerably. The action sequences also benefit from modern film technology and are assertive. The film is a decent way to spend a few hours indoors but it feels like it could have been much more meaningful.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/Mag7Movie

‘The Western’ celebrates one of the most popular and enduring genres of cinema. Known for its images of lone cowboys, Native Americans, barren landscapes and elemental hardships, the genre has influenced the way filmmakers depict confrontations between man and nature, civilisation and freedom since its inception in silent cinema.

Inspired by the Wild West, the Western draws on a time of territorial expansion, bustling modernity and a burgeoning national identity. The genre reflects a mythic vision of the west, rather than the west itself, to create a world that embodies the ideals of honour, sacrifice, individualism and freedom.

‘The Western’ is a survey of the genre from its roots in silent cinema through to the present day. The program showcases enduring classics (Red River 1948, High Noon 1952) and popular titles (The Magnificent Seven 1960, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 1966) alongside a selection of international Westerns (Yojimbo 1961, Aferim!2015) as well as films that invigorate the genre through their incorporation into action, comedy, science fiction, romance and noir cinema.

TALK: THE WESTERN AND THE HISTORY OF CINEMA
Sat 19 Sep, 11.00am | Cinema B

Dr David Baker, Lecturer, School of Humanities, Griffith University takes us on a journey through the genre of the Western since 1900, examining the way it can be seen to mirror the history of cinema more broadly.

LIVE MUSIC AND FILM
‘The Western’ showcases the important role played by silent cinema in the development of its frontier myths. Presented with a diverse selection of live musical accompaniment, this program of silent Westerns celebrate the volatile landscapes and rugged cowboys who inhabited them.

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY + THE STORY OF THE KELLY GANG
13 September | 1.00pm | Cinema A
Live musical accompaniment by Brisbane-based contemporary chamber ensemble Nonsemble.

With its daring escapades, The Great Train Robbery 1903 launched the popularity of the Western genre. Screens with Australia’s celebrated bush ranger film The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906 and the silent epic The Invaders 1912.

THE DAUGHTER OF DAWN
27 September | 1.00pm | Cinema A
Live musical accompaniment by David Bailey on the Gallery’s 1929 Wurlitzer Organ.

Thought to have been lost for over 85 years, Norbert A Myles’ The Daughter of Dawn was restored in 2013 features an entirely Native American cast with members of the Comanche and Kiowa Tribes.

THE IRON HORSE
1 November | 12.00pm | Cinema A
Live musical accompaniment by Brisbane-based contemporary chamber ensemble Nonsemble.

John Ford’s silent masterpiece, The Iron Horse 1924 is lavish retelling of push into the West by the first Transcontinental Railroad.

LIVE FOLEY!
BUSTER KEATON GOES WEST
15 November | 1.00pm | Cinema A
From the clip-clop of hooves to the whistle of the steam train, this special performance screening playfully brings to life the sound effects to Buster Keaton’s silent comedy Go West 1925.

The Western
11 Sep 2015 – 15 Nov 2015
Australian Cinémathèque | Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane
www.qagoma.qld.gov.au