Clearcut

Audience Reviews

View All (16) audience reviews

g j A chillingly brutal and starkly serene critique of middleclass environmentalism and pacifism. There is something beautiful and lingering about Greene's performance here. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review Wayne K Graham Green has made a lot of movies throughout his career, but all these years later, Clearcut remains his personal favourite, and it's not hard to see why. A film equal parts brutal and illuminating, focusing on the land claims of an indigenous population and how modernisation and industrialisation is destroying not only their home, but also their way of life. Being a Native American himself, much of the story likely hit close to home for Greene, and he gives the most committed and intimidating performance I've ever seen him give. Holding 2 people captive for most of the runtime, his capricious nature means you're never sure what he's going to do at any given time, and his skills and abilities leave no doubt as to whether he can follow through on his threats. The movie doesn't just focus on one side of the argument, painting one group as the heroes and the other as the villains. Both viewpoints might not receive the same amount of focus, but there's enough to make you actually consider the implications for both parties. It's presented like a savage odyssey, where 2 businessmen are brought into an unfamiliar realm and are largely at the mercy of both mother nature and the person who wields its powers. It's a shame that it never achieved much mainstream success, but the fact that's become something of a cult favourite speaks volumes about its quality, appeal and enduring impact. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review CKB Polish director Ryszard Bugajski emigrated to Canada in the mid-1980s after infuriating Soviet officials with his 1981 film Interrogation, described as "the most anti-Communist film in the history of Polish People's Republic," which was not released until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. Clearcut was his first feature film in Canada, and he was able to relate very well to its story of the plight of Native Americans fighting to keep yet more of their ancestral lands from being taken to serve corporate greed supported by an indifferent government. Peter Maguire, the earnest city-boy lawyer who tries to protect them, feels helpless as he sees the system is stacked against these people. When he submits to a sweat lodge purification ceremony, his frustration comes out in a vision of revenge. Soon afterwards he is introduced to Arthur, a militant indigenous activist (played with frightening forcefulness by Graham Greene) who, it appears, is here to help Peter fulfill his vision of making powerful people feel the pain that they are inflicting on the unprotected. Peter finds himself helplessly drawn along as Arthur carries out his mission in warrior fashion. The film is striking in its portrayal of the raw racism directed at the indigenous people, and in showing the various sides of this issue so clearly. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Terrible at best. Made no sense with an erratic plot seeming to go nowhere and it did. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member I love Graham Greene's role here since the reason why he kidnapped those 2 men to teach them a hard lesson. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member One of my all-time favorite films Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Clearcut

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now