On Lawless

Lawless first tells us it is based on a true story. Writer Nick Cave has however clarified this further by saying his screenplay is actually based on a true myth, which is a convenient way of avoiding historical criticism. What we get from Lawless is a probation era story of three brothers running a bootlegging operation in rural America. The film is well acted and violent enough to make the period piece uncomfortably real, which is a positive. The narrative however feels too busy and therefore the film doesn’t flow in the same way that Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009) did, a film that Lawless share many similarities with. Cave’s screenplay, or what parts of it made it to the screen, don’t dedicate enough time to certain characters, which results in detachment from an audience perspective. So, instead of becoming involved, emotionally and intellectually, with the brothers’ story, we instead find ourselves entertained passengers. There is much to admire in Lawless, but little to remember.