The ultraviolent film The Proposition, set in the 1880s in the Australian Outback, is the story of three Irish brothers who go on a murderous rampage, and of the police captain who has sworn to take them in.

Director John Hillcoat throws us into the story amid a barrage of bullets, as seen from inside a corrugated tin shack where some men are enjoying themselves with a couple of prostitutes. Who is shooting at them or why, we do not know. Everyone is killed save for Charlie and Mike Burns (Guy Pearce and Richard Wilson), who, along with their older brother, Arthur Burns (Danny Huston), are wanted for rape and murder. Now in the custody of Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) and his men, Charlie and Mike face the gallows.

But Captain Stanley most wants Arthur, the ringleader and the worst of them all. The problem is that he can’t capture Arthur without incurring heavy losses, if he can capture him at all. So Stanley offers the middle brother, Charlie, a proposition: He and Mike can go free, provided that Charlie tracks down Arthur and kills him. If he does not, Mike will be hanged in nine days’ time, on Christmas Day. Charlie agrees and is released. The film’s moral dilemmas are now established: Will Charlie kill his older brother to save the younger one? Will Captain Stanley honor his agreement and let two murderers go free once the third is dead?

Stanley’s proposition causes him much difficulty. One of the people brutally murdered by the Burns brothers was a pregnant woman who had been his wife’s good friend. The townsfolk, wanting at least partial revenge, disapprove of his letting the middle brother go -- as does his wife, Martha (Emily Watson). Stanley must defend himself before Martha, his boss, his subordinates, and the townsfolk.

The screenwriter, the rocker Nick Cave (who also provides some of the film’s music), has crafted an intriguing tale that avoids the typical formula of the American "westerns" that The Proposition so closely resembles: a battle of good vs. evil in which the good guys win. There are no good guys in this story; the Burns brothers are clearly rotten, the police not much better. Only Stanley and Martha rise above the rest -- and even Stanley’s morality is suspect, as evidenced by the slaughter in the opening scenes of Charlie and Mike’s capture. Cave also uses this story to highlight the oppression experienced by Aboriginal Australians at the hands of whites in the early settling of Australia. The opening credits show pictures of mass graves, long-dead families, and superimposed captions apologizing to Australian Aborigines. The Proposition is a disturbing story that smacks of authenticity and realism.

Director John Hillcoat, known as a director of music videos, uses his camera to create great visuals, though the film occasionally feels choppy -- perhaps an unwanted trait from Hill’s music-video days. However, he vividly captures the beauty and desolation of the Australian Outback. Nor does the camera dwell on the violence; it is definitely there, but there are no long, lingering shots of excessive gore. The violence happens, the story moves on.

The dialogue is often mumbled and hard to hear, especially when spoken in a strong accent. I found myself struggling to understand what was said. I don’t think that having clearer dialogue would have compromised the film’s realism. Plus, Danny Huston’s characterization of the oldest brother is a cliché. Arthur speaks softly and alludes to a love of philosophy and the arts, yet enjoys killing more. We’ve seen this sort of personality -- the psychotic, spiritual, philosophizing murderer -- in too many other films.

The Proposition is to be admired for its superb cinematography, ultra-realism, and originality, but it is not for the sensitive or squeamish.

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