REVIEW | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

“Oooooh-whee! Them Coen boys done did it again!”

Don’t let those formal trailers fool ya. Cause this here’s a symphonic masterpiece.

An anthology series of 6 stories — set in the old American West — that explores the raw, relentless, and downright ridiculous setting of the gunslinging era. From high-profile outlaws, to wannabe bandits, unlikely performers, and not forgetting — savage injuns. These tales of the Wild West will have you saddling-up for the various seasons of the old country… Yee-haw!

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*Minor spoilers for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ahead*

Ahhhh the Old West — a wide-open land filled with prospering towns, people of industry, untapped potential, and the possibility of blasting all of that to smithereens… what more could you want? Alright, so it may just be another cowboy picture, with a few impressionable cast members, and some reputable writer-directors behind the project.

But wait — it’s an episodic anthology film?!

*reaches for sidearm*

Now just hang on there.. I know that sounds like hogwash, but there’s no need for you to curse Netflix, or mark ‘the end times’ on your calendar. Cause The Ballad of Buster Scruggs comes armed with 6 polished and profound stories in the chamber that's gunning for the bullseye. And partner — it hardly misses.

*slowly holsters iron*

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Westerns are hardly ever described as ‘fresh’, but every chapter that’s written in this film manages to lasso together a marvellous mosaic about folks just getting-by in the Wild West. Depicting the cruel (yet comedic) air that surrounds the desert, along with sparks of delight, pounds of despair, and unchecked depravity —

— a Picturesque Portrait of Plight and Pleasure, if you will.

It’s an American Western that avoids the typical narrative and superficial themes of common American Westerns. There’re no brewing revenge stories, no revolutionary industrial politics, no lawman/wrongdoer struggle. It’s just early civilisation meets the wilderness of nature in the dusty, delightful, drama-filled desert.

And even if Westerns aren’t your brand of whiskey, you can bet your horse that you’re still in for a good show because of the Coen’s crate of characters. Whether it’s the conflict, the chemistry, or even just the conversations — this movie brings the barren wasteland of the America Frontier to life through its curious and compelling caravan of characters.

Seriously — these are characters with ordinary, yet outlandish stories that you’d almost want to watch feature-length movies of. I mean to simply say it’s ‘unique storytelling’, ‘fascinating personas’, and ‘extraordinary tales’ is an understatement that could land a huge bounty on your head.

After all, we’re talking about the guys that immortalised El Duderino and contributed to cinema-baddies with Anton Chigurgh.

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With major properties today exploring Fantastic Beasts and Star Wars Stories (which, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a gold mine of an example that a huge-franchise (analogous to film genres) could absolutely thrive from leveraging on allegorical-anthologies and one-off stories within their curious and untapped universes.

Just imagine the Middle-earth mythology, except only about the Nazgûl.

Even with [literally] more than a hundred years of Western movies. Joel and Ethan Coen have brought a shining impression of the wild and wonder of the Old West, with a unique approach to support their signature storytelling flair. Just picture 6-degrees of the Looney, Unforgiving, Unpredictable, and Enduring Wild West, in all it’s beautiful and brutal glory.

It’s like wisdom from fortune cookies, or small cards of proverbs — except with a fantastic, original, and musing analogy tied to every piece of philosophical phrase (oh — and signed by Joel and Ethan Coen — of course). Seriously, these guys could make a tumbleweed draw a crowd from the town.

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So as the curtains close and the Sun sets in the horizon, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a multi-tiered Coen-cake that celebrates the way they celebrate film. You’ll find yourself laughing, gasping, yawning, and widening your eyes after settling in your seat to this campfire song.

From their comedic range with Hail, Caesar! (2016) and Burn After Reading (2008), to their gruesome masterpiece that is No Country For Old Men (2007) — there’s definitely a flavour for everyone to enjoy in a Western that’s run by this director-duo.

The Wild West is among the best cinematic backdrops for the Coens, and film is the perfect home for their stories. After viewing this film, you just know that there are those with a passion for film —

— and those who are born to be filmmakers.

*sighs with relief, leans back in the chair — gets shot in the back*